thedrifter
10-08-07, 02:23 PM
U.S. wants Japan to pony up for base utilities
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Oct 8, 2007 13:45:45 EDT
TOKYO — The U.S. is urging Japan to sharply increase its payments for water supplies and utilities at U.S. military bases in Japan amid rising costs of strengthening its military capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region, a media report said Monday.
Japan has expressed its reluctance to accept such a demand, which could lead to a serious conflict between the two allies as Tokyo struggles to extend its naval mission in support of the U.S. in Afghanistan, Kyodo News agency reported, citing unnamed officials.
“It would cause a crack in the Japan-U.S. relationship,” a senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official was quoted as saying by Kyodo.
Japan’s Defense Ministries officials could not immediately confirm the report Monday, a national holiday in Japan. Foreign Ministry officials also could not comment on the report.
Kyodo said that Washington is asking for the increase in ongoing negotiations with Tokyo to conclude a new special agreement concerning Japan’s hosting of U.S. military bases.
Uncertainties remain over whether the two countries will be able to conclude the talks by the end of this year to replace the current two-year agreement, set to expire in March, it said.
The U.S. wants Japan to increase the budget for water supplies and utilities, saying that Washington has shouldered the growing costs of strengthening its military capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region to deal with North Korea and China, Kyodo said.
For fiscal 2007 ending in March 2008, Japan allocated 25.3 billion yen ($215 million) for water supplies and utilities, part of the 217.3 billion yen ($1.85 billion) package to help cover the costs to maintain U.S. military bases in Japan, where the U.S. maintains about 50,000 troops.
It was not clear how much increase the U.S. is demanding, Kyodo said.
The report comes as the Japanese government faces strong resistance from the opposition bloc to extend its mission to refuel coalition warships in the Indian Ocean since 2001 in a mission which has been extended three times.
On Saturday, Japan’s business daily said Tokyo was set to inform the U.S. and Britain within days that it will withdraw its tankers on Nov.1, when a special law authorizing the mission expires.
Defense officials have denied the report.
Ellie
The Associated Press
Posted : Monday Oct 8, 2007 13:45:45 EDT
TOKYO — The U.S. is urging Japan to sharply increase its payments for water supplies and utilities at U.S. military bases in Japan amid rising costs of strengthening its military capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region, a media report said Monday.
Japan has expressed its reluctance to accept such a demand, which could lead to a serious conflict between the two allies as Tokyo struggles to extend its naval mission in support of the U.S. in Afghanistan, Kyodo News agency reported, citing unnamed officials.
“It would cause a crack in the Japan-U.S. relationship,” a senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official was quoted as saying by Kyodo.
Japan’s Defense Ministries officials could not immediately confirm the report Monday, a national holiday in Japan. Foreign Ministry officials also could not comment on the report.
Kyodo said that Washington is asking for the increase in ongoing negotiations with Tokyo to conclude a new special agreement concerning Japan’s hosting of U.S. military bases.
Uncertainties remain over whether the two countries will be able to conclude the talks by the end of this year to replace the current two-year agreement, set to expire in March, it said.
The U.S. wants Japan to increase the budget for water supplies and utilities, saying that Washington has shouldered the growing costs of strengthening its military capabilities in the Asia-Pacific region to deal with North Korea and China, Kyodo said.
For fiscal 2007 ending in March 2008, Japan allocated 25.3 billion yen ($215 million) for water supplies and utilities, part of the 217.3 billion yen ($1.85 billion) package to help cover the costs to maintain U.S. military bases in Japan, where the U.S. maintains about 50,000 troops.
It was not clear how much increase the U.S. is demanding, Kyodo said.
The report comes as the Japanese government faces strong resistance from the opposition bloc to extend its mission to refuel coalition warships in the Indian Ocean since 2001 in a mission which has been extended three times.
On Saturday, Japan’s business daily said Tokyo was set to inform the U.S. and Britain within days that it will withdraw its tankers on Nov.1, when a special law authorizing the mission expires.
Defense officials have denied the report.
Ellie