NationStates Jolt Archive

Japan Offers to Lend US Money to Move Marines Off Their Soil.
Sunday 19 February 2006

Japan will propose lending money to the United States to speed up the planned relocation of 7000 marines out of the country.

Japan is keen for the troops to leave Okinawa to reduce simmering tensions with local residents, but the United States has said a plan to move the troops to Guam will take decades unless Tokyo picks up much of the approximately $8 billion price tag.

Such spending will be unprecedented and requires parliamentary approval.

The move to Guam is part of the Pentagon's troop realignment plans in the region.

The United States wanted Japan to pay for a quick move outright, but the idea for a loan arrangement emerged in an attempt to gain public support, the Nihon Keizai newspaper reported on Sunday, without citing sources.

© 2003 - 2006 Aljazeera

You speak like it's unthinkable that there are Arabs amongst us.

That's nasty: "It'll take us ages...unless you give us money! Then we can do it in no-time!"

But I guess, if the Japanese tax payer wants to fork out the money for that, it's okay.

You speak like it's unthinkable that there are Arabs amongst us.I am talking about the Govs of Saudi arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, etc...

That's nasty: "It'll take us ages...unless you give us money! Then we can do it in no-time!"

But I guess, if the Japanese tax payer wants to fork out the money for that, it's okay.BTW you owe me $300.. :D :D :p :D

I mean how come Germany is not Paying the "Loans"..and What about Panama.. they Owe us too.[/sarcasm.. but you know that rite?]
..and we shold ask the UN some 10 billions To close Guantanamo

What kind of contract does the US have? Can't Japan just demand they leave immediately? If the US doesn't comply then they'd be an occupying force of one of their allies, and that wouldn't look too good...

What kind of contract does the US have? Can't Japan just demand they leave immediately? If the US doesn't comply then they'd be an occupying force of one of their allies, and that wouldn't look too good...
Strictly speaking, Japan lost the war. The US is probably paying fees for some of the bases, but I think a part of Okinawa or something is actually legally theirs.

Plus, the US is officially meant to defend Japan against foreign aggression (likely from the DPRK these days), should it become necessary.

who said that Arabs want Americans out of Iraq....
well officially they do, but deep inside they are thanking god that Americans are stuck in Iraq, and afghanistan...

Strictly speaking, Japan lost the war. The US is probably paying fees for some of the bases, but I think a part of Okinawa or something is actually legally theirs.

Plus, the US is officially meant to defend Japan against foreign aggression (likely from the DPRK these days), should it become necessary.

I don't think the US annexed part of Okinawa, as it would be very hard for them to have got international recognition for that, I may be wrong. But Japan themselves have got quite a strong army, very technologically advanced, and DPRK are certainly unequipped for an invasion of Japan, not to mention that geographically Okinawa is not remotely useful for the defence of mainland Japan from the west. Seems like the US are playing a dirty game and Japan shouldn't play along.

Wait a minute. Japan shouldn't pay for the US to remove it's troops because the US is illegaly based in JApan.

Whatever happened to trust?

Oh yeah... George Bush

As I remember it the war in Iraq was to be a money making venture. The greatful people of Iraq were going to greet us with roses, then they were going to offer to give us enough oil to pay the cost.

I'm absolutly sure we were told that.

Is this just the Marines? Because there is also an Airbase (Kadena), and I'm moving there in 4 months. :confused:

Japan Offers to Lend US Money to Move Marines Off Their Soil.
snip
© 2003 - 2006 Aljazeera
What a great idea! I'm going to start doing that in my own personal life. Starting tonight I'm going to set up a little cushion fort in my neighbours lounge and tell them it'll take me a month to dismantle my fort and leave. Or 1 minute, if they give me $100.

I could be onto a winner here. I might never need to work again!



On another note, has anyone found this article anywhere else? I trust Al jazeera about as much as I trust FOX - in otherwords, not at all.

I guess the US is so far in debt that, despite massive spending on military, they can't afford to do anything that isn't directly involved to occupying.. err... liberating Iraq.


Whatever happened to trust?

Oh yeah... George Bush


HAHAHA. Bingo. Americans can like Bush all they want, and say international support doesn't matter... but then something like this happens.

Starting tonight I'm going to set up a little cushion fort in my neighbours lounge and tell them it'll take me a month to dismantle my fort and leave. Or 1 minute, if they give me $100.

I could be onto a winner here. I might never need to work again!


Obviously you haven't built enough cushion forts... man, those things can taken hours to construct! Maybe you could hire a kid to do it for you, and give them some sort of slave-wage percentage...

Obviously you haven't built enough cushion forts... man, those things can taken hours to construct! Maybe you could hire a kid to do it for you, and give them some sort of slave-wage percentage...
mmm...good idea. I could sneak into China and buy an orphan kid. Better yet! Steal one from the Nike factory. They're already used to working long hours for next to nothing.

Note to Japan: Don't lose wars after starting them.

Wait a minute. Japan shouldn't pay for the US to remove it's troops because the US is illegaly based in JApan.

Whatever happened to trust?

Oh yeah... George Bush
It's 100% legal because of the surrender terms of WWII.

On another note, has anyone found this article anywhere else? I trust Al jazeera about as much as I trust FOX - in otherwords, not at all.

Actually all the information I have found has shown Al-Jazeera to be remarkably unbiased. Admittedly I dont trust the newspapers all that much either....

What a great idea! I'm going to start doing that in my own personal life. Starting tonight I'm going to set up a little cushion fort in my neighbours lounge and tell them it'll take me a month to dismantle my fort and leave. Or 1 minute, if they give me $100.

I could be onto a winner here. I might never need to work again!



On another note, has anyone found this article anywhere else? I trust Al jazeera about as much as I trust FOX - in otherwords, not at all.
What a scam! I'm going to do it at local all-you-can-eat restaurants. I'll show up at breakfast time and refuse to leave until after dinner unless they bribe me with $200. Do that five days a week and it's a tax-free $52,000 annual salary plus free meals!