New president won’t affect realignment, USFJ chief says

New president won’t affect realignment, USFJ chief says
By Vince Little, Stars and Stripes
Pacific edition, Thursday, November 6, 2008

TOKYO — Target dates and objectives for military transformation should remain on track under the new administration, regardless of which party captures the White House, the U.S. Forces Japan and 5th Air Force commander said Tuesday.

Lt. Gen. Edward Rice also discussed regional threats and the possibility of political instability triggered by the worldwide financial crisis. He said American military doctrine — at least in mainland Japan and Okinawa — isn’t likely to face any major shift with election of the next president.

"We’re looking at how we can best advise the new administration on our strategic areas of operation and get them off to a running start," Rice said at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan. "The fundamental commitment will continue in terms of our strong alliance. … Japan and the U.S. have a very strong stake in working together."

He said the Defense Policy Review Initiative, which took three years of negotiations between the United States and Japan, "helps set the conditions for future success … (and) it’s our expectation that agreement we have will be executed."

Several realignment pieces have fallen into place or at least begun, Rice added. They include arrival of the nuclear-powered USS George Washington at Yokosuka Naval Base; the deployment of Patriot interceptor missiles to Kadena Air Base, Okinawa; and the return of a portion of U.S. military airspace at Yokota Air Base to Japanese control in September.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=58640