Hatoyama denies suggesting readiness to accept U.S. base accord+

TOKYO, Oct. 8 Kyodo -
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said Thursday his remarks the previous day do not
suggest his willingness to accept a contentious Japan-U.S. agreement to
relocate U.S. forces within Okinawa Prefecture, but remained elusive on the
issue despite an upcoming second meeting with U.S. President Barack Obama.

''I didn't imply any such thing yesterday,'' Hatoyama told reporters Thursday
evening. ''You'll see that if you listen carefully to what I said.''
On Wednesday, Hatoyama said, ''What we stated in our manifesto is certainly one
promise we have made, and I still don't think we should change that so
easily,'' but added, ''I would not deny the possibility that it could change in
terms of time.''
The comments sparked controversy as they were taken as suggesting his readiness
to agree to the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futemma Air Station from
Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, to another city in the prefecture, in line with a
2006 bilateral accord reached under the previous government -- an apparent
reversal of his earlier stance that the facility should be moved outside the
prefecture.
In its election manifesto, Hatoyama's Democratic Party of Japan pledged to
''move in the direction of reexamining the realignment of U.S. military forces
in Japan and the role of U.S. military bases in Japan.''
The DPJ also agreed with its two coalition partners -- the Social Democratic
Party and the People's New Party -- to incorporate the pledge in their
coalition accord.
The pacifist SDP demanded earlier in the day that the government relocate the
U.S. facility, now in a densely populated area, outside the prefecture or even
outside Japan instead of moving it within Okinawa Prefecture to ease the burden
on local residents in the southernmost prefecture, which hosts the majority of
U.S. forces stationed in Japan.
Hatoyama said in the evening that his government will respect the coalition
accord and take local sentiment into consideration when coming to a final
conclusion on the matter.
Many people in Okinawa are opposed to the stationing of U.S. troops there,
citing noise as well as a spate of accidents and incidents involving the U.S.
military.
''I've already said this, but what's important is to respect the wishes of
people in Okinawa,'' he said.
The issue of U.S. forces in Japan will require an answer soon as it is highly
likely to top the agenda during the next Japan-U.S. summit scheduled for either
Nov. 12 or 13, when Obama is set to visit Japan.
''In light of the need to reduce the burden on residents in Okinawa, we would
like (the government) to engage in tough negotiations with the United States
and solve the Futemma problem,'' Kantoku Teruya, an SDP lawmaker, told
reporters at the prime minister's office.
Teruya and SDP Secretary General Yasumasa Shigeno handed a letter containing
the party's demand to Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano.
After meeting with Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa, Teruya said later at the
Defense Ministry that if Hatoyama allows the relocation, ''it would disappoint
and provoke residents considerably.''
The SDP lawmaker from the prefecture looked resentful himself, even hinting at
the possibility that the party would leave the coalition with the DPJ if
Hatoyama truly meant what has been reported.
The DPJ, which won a landslide victory in the August election for the House of
Representatives, still needs the cooperation of the SDP in the House of
Councillors despite differences over national security, as it does not hold a
majority on its own in the upper house.
''It's clear that there are no strategic or geographical foundations for
stationing U.S. forces (in Okinawa),'' Teruya said.
==Kyodo