The U.S.-Japanese Alliance in a New Era
Michael Auslin’s new report (with Christopher Griffin) is up at the AEI website: The U.S.-Japanese Alliance in a New Era.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )For nearly five decades, the U.S.-Japanese alliance has underwritten peace and security in the Asia Pacific. The alliance has allowed for the forward basing of tens of thousands of American troops and cooperation between the two countries on a wide range of security issues. The alliance is being tested today by the economic and military rise of China, the continuing crisis in North Korea, and the struggle to maintain the tide of democratic reform in the Asia-Pacific region. (さらに…)
2007 Indictment Rate for USFJ Crimes
The Justice Ministry has released statistics showing the numbers of cases indicted and dropped over crimes and other incidents involving U.S. military personnel in 2007. Public prosecutors indicted 48.6% of all cases, including those violating the Road Traffic Law and other specific laws. However, when it comes to criminal cases like robberies and thefts, the indictment rate was extremely low at 13.3%.
In the breakdown of indicted crimes, traffic law violations were overwhelming at 286 cases, followed by vehicular manslaughters at 30 cases and bodily injuries at 7 cases. Among dropped cases, vehicular manslaughters topped at 255 cases, followed by thefts at 44 cases and destructions and secretions at 9 cases. (さらに…)
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Withdrawal Agreement Between USA and Iraq
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Agreement Between the United States of America and the Republic of Iraq On the Withdrawal of United States Forces from Iraq and the Organization of Their Activities during Their Temporary Presence in Iraq
Preamble
The United States of America and the Republic of Iraq, referred to hereafter as “the
Parties”:
Recognizing the importance of: strengthening their joint security, contributing to world
peace and stability, combating terrorism in Iraq, and cooperating in the security and
defense spheres, thereby deterring aggression and threats against the sovereignty,
security, and territorial integrity of Iraq and against its democratic, federal, and
constitutional system;
Affirming that such cooperation is based on full respect for the sovereignty of each of
them in accordance with the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter;
Out of a desire to reach a common understanding that strengthens cooperation between
them;
Without prejudice to Iraqi sovereignty over its territory, waters, and airspace; and
Pursuant to joint undertakings as two sovereign, independent, and coequal countries;
Have agreed to the following:
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Obama’s “Japan Nothing” Policy Course
On Election Day in the United States, several hundred people, including American diplomats, scholars, journalists, and government officials, gathered at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo’s Toranomon district to watch CNN’s live coverage of the election results on the large screen.
An American woman shed tears as she watched Barack Obama declare victory in the battle to become the president of the United States on January 20. A Japanese Foreign Ministry official said bewilderedly: “This is not necessarily good for Japan.”
The reason the official was worried is because the Foreign Ministry’s North American Affairs Bureau has been under the gun to revamp the country’s U.S. policy since September, when Obama’s lead became clear. The first difficult challenge for Japan will be to dispatch Self-Defense Forces (SDF) troops to Afghanistan.
Obama has been calling for an early withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. At the same time, he has taken a proactive attitude toward pursuing the war on terror in Afghanistan, calling for additional troops to be sent to that country to find a way out from the quagmire-like situation there.
Japan has been engaged only in the refueling mission in the Indian Ocean as the main part of its assistance to Afghanistan. The Obama administration may ask Japan for additional contributions. (さらに…)
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Happy Veterans Day
Thank you Veterans for your loyal service to the United States of America. Please know that we most deeply appreciate the sacrifices you have made to keep America and its allies free.
Semper Fidelis!
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Iishiba gets 1-year in prison for firearms smuggling
A U.S. Army captain who was intelligence liaison to the Japanese military was sentenced Friday to a year and a day in prison for a firearms smuggling conspiracy.
U.S. District Judge Marsha J Pechman rejected a recommendation from both sides that Capt Tomoaki Iishiba be spared time behind bars. She says the 34-year-old showed poor judgment.
After serving his sentence, Iishiba faces three years on supervised release.
He was indicted in July for conspiring with another person to export, without authorization, firearm components to Japan from 2006 to February 2008 while working for the intelligence unit at Fort Lewis in Washington state. Such components included 60 sights attached to guns.
He was removed from the unit after his indictment.
Prosecutors said the goods were shipped to officials of Japan’s Self-Defense Forces, defense equipment traders and friends.
Iishiba, who acquired U.S. citizenship after moving to the United States, joined the U.S. Army in 1999. He participated in operations against the Taliban in Afghanistan and penned a few books about his military experiences, plus weapons manuals.
Here are the previous reports:
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )US Marines banned from public areas in Okinawa
The U.S. Marines in Japan have ordered U.S. service personnel in Okinawa Prefecture to stay away from residential areas, schools, cemeteries and other public locations in an apparent effort to ease local anger over a slew of incidents involving U.S. military personnel.
The order also prohibits the U.S. personnel from conducting activities such as cliff diving, bungee jumping and hang gliding.
‘‘Service members found in an off-limits area or participating in a prohibited activity will be in violation of’’ the Uniform Code of Military Justice, the Marines said in a message posted on its website.
According to the order, residential areas are off limits to U.S. service personnel unless they are residents there or they are invited by local residents. The personnel can travel through these areas but they must remain on the provided roadways and sidewalks.
Playgrounds, the baseball field, the fishing boat pier and other locations around the U.S. Marine Corps’ Camp Schwab at Cape Henoko in the city of Nago are also off limits to the U.S. personnel.
Moreover, burial sites and tombs are off limits as they are ‘‘sacred to the Okinawa people.’’ The U.S. personnel are banned from all schools in Okinawa unless they are students or parents of students attending that school or employees of the school, the Marines said.
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Zurui: “Since I really want to rant, I will keep it simple: THIS IS STRAIGHT UP B.S.!”
Japan made secret deal to waive jurisdiction over GI off-duty crimes
Although Japan and the United States have concurred on Japan’s jurisdiction over crimes committed by U.S. military personnel and others stationed in Japan, there exists a document implying that the two countries actually had concluded a secret pact under which Japan waives its jurisdiction over crimes with the exception of major incidents, Shoji Niihara, a researcher of international affairs, announced yesterday. The government has denied that there has been such a deal.
According to Niihara, the document was found at the U.S. National Archives. On Oct. 28, 1953, when the Japanese and U.S. governments negotiated to revise an administrative agreement preceding the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), which stipulates the status of U.S. forces stationed in Japan, the document was left in the form of keeping private records from the proceedings of an intergovernmental joint committee meeting, Niihara said. (さらに…)
Read Full Post | Make a Comment ( None so far )Japan versus Iran for UN Security Council Seat
The election of non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council by the UN General Assembly will take place on Oct. 17. Japan is a candidate for the Asia seat, but it is pitted against Iran, a country that has been hit with a sanction resolution by the UNSC for its nuclear issue. Japan, which wants to become a permanent Council member in the future, is bent winning this seat, with a diplomatic source confiding, “Victory is assured. It will be decided in the first round.” Although Japan is favored to win, since under the voting method used, the ballots are not signed, it will likely be a hold-your-breathe election to the end.
Source: Nikkei, pg. 8, 17 Oct 08
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Black Tokyo Japan 
Commentary: What Barack Obama means to me
Posted on 11月 6, 2008. Filed under: Black Resources, Commentary, Government, Politics & Security | タグ: abroad, America, american, barack, biracial, black, Blacks, change, children, clinton, culture, election, envy, family, foreign, government, hate, intelligence, interpretation, interpreter, japan, Japanese, jobs, korean, language, learn, media, military, multiculturalism, nationalism, negro, obama, politics, poverty, president, race, racism, relations, rights, stereotypes, translation, Translator, usa, vote, war, women, world |
When President-elect Barack Obama and his family take up residence in the White House it means that he will move into every household in America. He will not be just some Black dude that moved in down the street in a predominately White neighborhood and his family will not become the new Cosby Show. The Obamas move on big time to prime time on the biggest channel watched by millions in the world.
I am a child of the 60’s and a US Marine Corps veteran that served and fought for America much like my father, uncles and cousins did during the Korean War and conflict in Vietnam. The biggest difference in the conflicts during my military service and theirs is that they fought wars abroad only to return home to fight various forms of in your face racism in America.
I am a product of the Detroit public school system and moved from the ghetto to the top flo’ (and at times back down) because others broke various glass ceilings. There was a school house in Little Rock, Arkansas that had its glass ceiling broken by some black children which ultimately allowed people like me, opportunity. There was a young lawyer that had only lost one case out of 30 who went on to become the first African-American Supreme Court Justice in American history. His tenacity ended segregation in public schools. There was a little ol’ woman that rode a bus and refused to give up her seat (and she was not the only one, just the most famous) that translated into people like her being legally allowed to do more than keep their seat. When I headed to a school full of people that I predominately saw on television, in magazines, downtown or at the “white” shopping center, it was like being in a different country. A glass ceiling broke in my house and let in the fresh air of hope when I accomplished things that a couple of generations in my family had not. They paved the way, I just followed the path. Like a young Barack, I had a mother that shoved when I need a push and a family that supported me when I needed.
As a 16-year-old college freshman exposed to something new, I made the most of it. Barack Obama attended the some of the best schools in America and is headed as uptown as one can go in America. I am sure that he will take advantage of being exposed to something new and that he and the in-coming First Lady, Michelle Obama, will expose something new to many in America and around the world. (さらに…)
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