Defying Toyko, Okinawa Suspends US Military Base Construction
The governor of Okinawa has ordered a halt to construction of a controversial new United States military base on the southern Japanese island, the latest setback in a long-running row over the US military presence there.
Gov. Takeshi Onaga demanded that Japan's government suspend all work at the site after local officials discovered that concrete blocks – used in underwater drilling surveys – had damaged coral reefs.
At a press conference on Monday, Gov. Onaga said that the Japanese Defense Bureau, the branch of the Defense Ministry that's overseeing the project, had one week to stop all construction activity. He threatened to revoke the bureau’s license for ongoing drilling work if it failed to comply.
The Guardian reports that Onaga's ultimatum raises the possibility of a protracted legal battle over construction of the base, which US defense officials say is an essential plank of President Obama’s so-called pivot toward Asia.
The new base is intended to replace the US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, which sits in a crowded urban area. The relocation site, known as Henoko, is located off the island’s secluded northeastern coast, and its construction expected to cost at least $8.6 billion.
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