Politic-Economic-Society-Tech

Powell voices regret over Okinawa incidents

U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell on Monday expressed regret over a series of crimes allegedly committed by U.S. servicemen stationed in Okinawa Prefecture but was skeptical about revising the Japan-U.S. Status-of-Forces Agreement (SOFA). 

He made the remarks before his arrival in Tokyo on Monday night on a flight to Japan for talks with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and other senior Japanese officials. 

''I regret there has been another incident or two,'' Powell told reporters traveling with him from Washington. ''We do everything we can to instruct our youngsters as to how to behave as guests in Japan, especially in Okinawa, but there will be these occasional incidents.'' 

But he underscored the need for the United States and Japan to maintain the U.S. military presence in Okinawa. 

''The United States forces in Okinawa are playing an important and valuable role,'' he said. ''It's part of mutual security arrangements and although we are doing everything possible to minimize our impact as a military presence in Okinawa on the Okinawan people, I don't think it is possible for us to remove our presence from Okinawa.'' 

Powell also expressed hope that Koizumi's reform and restructuring efforts, including addressing the problems of non-performing loans, will bear fruit. 

''I hope to follow up President (George W.) Bush's strong endorsement of the prime minister's economic structuring efforts with my own additional endorsement,'' he added. 

Japanese officials said Powell will meet Koizumi to discuss SOFA, Japanese and U.S. policies toward North Korea and Japan's structural reforms. 

Powell and Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka agreed Wednesday during their talks in Rome to discuss operational changes to the bilateral agreement to ease the transfer of custody to Japanese police of U.S. military personnel suspected of committing serious crimes in Japan, Japanese officials said. 

Powell's Asia-Pacific swing will also take him to Vietnam, South Korea, China and Australia to explain new U.S. foreign policy under President Bush. 

Powell leaves later Tuesday for Hanoi, where he will attend a series of conferences related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) along with Tanaka and foreign ministers of China, South Korea and other countries. 

He will hold talks on North Korea with South Korean leaders in Seoul on Friday before proceeding to Beijing where he will meet President Jiang Zemin, Vice Premier Qian Qichen and others, U.S. officials said. 

Powell is expected to confirm efforts by both sides to improve bilateral relations soured by the midair collision of U.S. and Chinese military aircraft in April and explain the U.S. missile defense program. His trip is also aimed at paving the way for President Bush's trip to China in October. 

Powell will travel to Australia on July 29 to join U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld in security talks with their Australian counterparts. 

source: Kyodo News, 23 July, 2001