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China-Japan-Koreas
Japanese locals campaign against US Navy nuclear ships
2005-08-06
YOKOSUKA, Japan (AP) - Masahiko Goto simply does not want a nuclear power plant in his backyard. He says it is dangerous and unnecessary, and over the past year he's collected 324,000 signatures of others who feel the same way. He's also pushed the U.S. Navy into a corner. Goto is spearheading a high-profile movement to squelch the planned replacement of the USS Kitty Hawk with a more up-to-date nuclear-powered vessel. The Kitty Hawk is the oldest active duty ship in the Navy and the only U.S. aircraft carrier permanently deployed abroad.

For the moment, Goto's campaign appears to be winning. The campaign has hit a sympathetic note with the Japanese public, which is often wary of changes in the U.S. military footprint. The country has also been rocked by a string of scandals and accidents that has undermined confidence in the safety of Japan's own nuclear power program.

"People are more concerned than ever before with the safety of nuclear power plants in general," said Goto, who is a lawyer. "So it doesn't take much for them to realize that the idea of having one floating on a military ship in Tokyo Bay, near a huge population center, is really frightening."
We're a little more frightened by concrete things, like an invasion of Taiwan with no ability to respond quickly.
The swell of grass-roots opposition, which has won support from the local mayor and governor, has created a serious quandary for the Navy. Though the aging Kitty Hawk is battle ready, it's something of an anachronism. The Kitty Hawk and the Florida-based USS John F. Kennedy, commissioned respectively in 1961 and 1964, are the only carriers run by steam turbines left in service. Because the diesel-powered carriers are expensive to operate, the Kitty Hawk is due to be decommissioned in 2008.
Diesel? Thought it was steam generated by oil-fired boilers.
The Bush administration had proposed decommissioning the Kennedy this year. Doing so, it argued, would save $1.2 billion over the next six years. But the anti-nuclear movement here - and opposition at home - has forced officials to rethink that plan. Congress reached a deal in May delaying the Bush plan at least until after a review of U.S. forces is completed. Using Japan's opposition as leverage, Florida and Virginia lawmakers introduced the legislation to require the Navy to keep its carrier count at the current level of 12, with one based in Florida.
Can't keep the Kitty Hawk going forever. Eventually they have to work something out. Could always base the replacement carrier at Pearl.
The Kitty Hawk and its battle group are the centerpiece of the 7th Fleet, the largest in the Navy, with 40 to 50 ships, 120 aircraft and about 20,000 sailors and Marines within its command. Roughly 21 of the ships are deployed to Japan and the Pacific island of Guam, while the others rotate out of ports in Hawaii and the U.S. west coast.

Japan's leadership strongly backs the U.S. military presence in this country, and says the more than 50,000 U.S. troops in Japan are a stabilizing force for all of Asia. But activist Goto said the Navy has done little to assuage local safety fears. "They are very secretive," Goto said.
Militaries do tend to be that way.
Posted by:Steve White

#12  "The biggest news story in the U.S. before 9-11, was that endangered species were found thriving in California Red Wood trees. Then 9-11 happened."

Nah... Chandra Levy and Gary Condit affair, and increasing shark attacks were the big stories the morning of 9-11. I was watching the news live that morning and remember it vividly.
Posted by: Mark E.   2005-08-06 19:52  

#11  "So it doesn't take much for them to realize that the idea of having one floating on a military ship in Tokyo Bay, near a huge population center, is really frightening."

Japan is one of the most typhoon, earthquake, tsunami, and volcano prone countries that exists in the world. Masahiko Goto's attitude reminds of the lassie-faire attitude that we had before 9-11. The biggest news story in the U.S. before 9-11, was that endangered species were found thriving in California Red Wood trees. Then 9-11 happened.

When a stray Chinese (test) missile or a giant earthquake were to strike Japan in the near future, these signatures will disappear faster than Hillary's friendship with Martha Stewart.

"so sorry, so sorry, so sorry Evil USA- please please park all nuclear vessels you want but please help us, there are thousands dead."

Mr. Goto,

here is a list of some sample research material you can occupy yourself with between your anti-Americanism.

* Collcutt, Martin and Jansen, Marius and Kumakura, Isao. Cultural Atlas Of Japan. New York: Facts On File Publications, 1988
* De Mente, Boye. Everything Japanese The Authoritive Reference On Japan Today. Lincolnwood,Illinois: Passport Books, 1989
* EQE Summary Report."The January 17, 1995 Kobe Earthquake,Executive Summary". Kobe: Kobe University (http://mech.mech.kobe-u.ac.jp/contents/HANSHIN.html), April 1995
* "Geophysical Hazards, Simon Fraser University. Komaga-take, Hokkaido, Japan". Vancouver: Simon Fraser University (http://hoshi.cic.sfu.ca/~hazard/INFORMAT/geophys.html, 1996
* Kubota, Shinya.No title. http://133.91.192.47/research/m- box/jmb/www_docs/students.html, 1995
* L. Angelina. "Powerful Typhoon Hits Japan", Crocker's Fall Trimester Newspaper, October 4,1995
* National Geophysical Data Center/WDC-A for Solid Earth Geophysics. "Images from the Hokkaido Nansei-Oki Tsunami of 12 July 1993". Boulder, Colorado: http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/sag/fliers/japantsu.html,1993
* Osborne, Roger and Tarling, Donald. The Atlas Of The Earth A Visual Exploration Of The Earth's Physical Past.New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1996
* Rikitake,Kenji.Kobe Earthquake Diary.Kobe:Yaseppochi-gumi Home Page, 1995
* "Sakurajima, Southern Kyushu". Tokyo: University of Tokyo,http://hakone.eri.u-tokyo.ac.jp/unzen/sakura/ sakura.html and http://hakone.eri.u- tokyo.ac.jp/vrc/erup/ Sakura.html, 1996
* Terrilon, Jean-Christophe. Private Letter. Osaka February,1997
* Yoshizumi, Sadao. MRI Typhoon Research Department Page. Japan, MRI Typhoon Research Department (http://www.mri- jma.go.jp/Dep/ty/MRI-TRD.html, 1996
* Zimer, R. and Frey W. "Damages to the Forests in Western Part of Japan by Typhoon No.19 in 1991". Kyoto, Japan: Faculty of Agriculture, Kyoto University, 1996
Posted by: Poison Reverse   2005-08-06 09:27  

#10  All these Japanese activists need to start campaigning against nuclear power in Japan.
They must demand the dismantlement of Japanese reprocessing plants and arrange for transfer of entire plutonium stocks to USA and Russia.
This will remove the option of weaponization that Japan has carefully nurtured while preaching about disarmament.
Finally Japan must build more fossil fuel plants.
All those nuke power plants should go.


Posted by: john   2005-08-06 08:31  

#9  A Jewish man sees an oriental enter a bar where he is drinking, and punches him. The sore victim asks, "What was that for?" The Jew answers, "That was for Pearl Harbor." The victim replies, "The Japs bombed Pearl Harbor, and I am Chinese." The Jew came back, "Japanese, Chinese, what's the difference? The Chinaman then belts the Jew, who asks, "What was t?" The Chinaman says, "That was for the Titanic." The Jew responded, "The Titanic was sunk by an iceberg." The Chinaman trumped, "Iceberg, Goldberg, what's the difference?"

If you laugh, then you are a politically incorrect racist who needs to be placed in a re-education camp and fed: Soylent Green (which is_____).
Posted by: Vlad the Muslim Impaler   2005-08-06 04:19  

#8  A Navy PA Officer should inform the Japanese that we don't have clandestine members of Aum Shinrikyo running around the reactor spaces, so there shouldn't be a problem.
Posted by: Rory B. Bellows   2005-08-06 02:59  

#7  Fish or cut bait. If the Japanese would rather have oil fired carrier protection, build a fleet of their own.
Posted by: ed   2005-08-06 02:37  

#6  GoTo -- isn't that a programming command?

My advise to GoTo & Co. Is it US or Chinese nukes that bother you?
Posted by: Captain America   2005-08-06 01:47  

#5  I wonder if the basing of a carrier in Toyko bay is "not optional" by a treaty stating Japan will allow it in perpetuity. That might prove interesting.
Posted by: Sock Puppet 0’ Doom   2005-08-06 01:41  

#4  It's just you. Everyone knows that AP and Rooters are very pro-American.
Posted by: Poison Reverse   2005-08-06 01:26  

#3  Soooo, they are afraid of Nuclear subs, but all the nuclear power plants are OK? Anyone else getting the anti-american slant on this, or is it just me?
Posted by: mmurray821   2005-08-06 01:10  

#2  Base it at Guam

And Joe Mendiola could write all the press releases!

/Hi Joe!
Posted by: Seafarious   2005-08-06 00:29  

#1  ...Base it at Guam. That will drive the PRC nuts without anybody to put political pressure on.

Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski   2005-08-06 00:22  

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