US, Japanese Officials Meet to Discuss Future of Marine Base - East Idaho News
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US, Japanese Officials Meet to Discuss Future of Marine Base

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Getty 022712 USAJapanMilTalks?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1330383037128Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda is greeted by US military staff upon his arrival at the Futenma US air base at Ginowan. STR/AFP/Getty Images(TOKYO) — Senior American and Japanese officials are in talks once again to decide the future of a controversial U.S. marine base on Japan’s southern island.

Defense and diplomatic officials met in Tokyo on Monday to discuss how to deploy Marines from Okinawa to Guam. A 2006 agreement calls for 8,000 Marines to be moved off of the island, while Marine Corps Air Station Futenma moves to a remote part of Okinawa.

But local opposition to the plan has delayed the move. The two sides are now treating the base relocation and marine deployment as separate issues. They hope to have a redeployment plan in place by May.

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