by Nick Delgado
Guam - The Okinawan Assembly wants an additional 4,000 U.S. Marines to be housed on Guam or moved to Tinian. Representatives are on island and spent time with lawmakers today to express their concerns about the abundance of armed forces currently in Okinawa.
Member of the Okinawa Prefectural Assembly Tetuji Shingaki says they recently sent a resolution to the Japan National Government to make changes to the 2006 U.S.-Japan agreement so that it can include relocating the troops from Futenma. The group will bring back the results of their visit to the Japan diet for possible consideration, as they say about 80 percent of the Okinawan community want the Futenma base gone.
"The base is burdensome to Okinawa, we Okinawans have talked about this move of 4,000, but it is not U.S. Government that has told us," he said.
In the meantime, Speaker Judi Won Pat warned the assembly that Guam is not ready to handle the already planned 8,000 Marines set to move from Okinawa to Guam and the territory cannot take the additional 4,000 they've requested.