VZCZCXYZ0000
OO RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKO #2782/01 3410229
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
O 070229Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7983
INFO RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC IMMEDIATE
RHHMUNA/HQ USPACOM HONOLULU HI IMMEDIATE
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
RHMFISS/USFJ  IMMEDIATE

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 002782 
 
SIPDIS 
STATE PLEASE PASS TO OSD JAPAN DESK 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/06/2019 
TAGS: PGOV PINR PREL JA
SUBJECT: GOJ FEEDBACK ON REALIGNMENT ENHANCEMENTS PACKAGE 
 
Classified By: DEPUTY CHIEF OF MISSION JAMES P. ZUMWALT, 
REASONS 1.4(B) and (D). 
 
¶1. (C) Summary: Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense 
Schiffer presented U.S. proposals for enhancements to the 
Realignment Roadmap to MOFA North American Affairs Bureau 
Director General Umemoto in a December 4 senior 
officials-level meeting of the Futenma Replacement Facility 
(FRF) Working Group.  Schiffer emphasized that the United 
States is only willing to discuss these adjustments after 
Prime Minister Hatoyama's clear endorsement of the 
Realignment Roadmap, including the Futenma Replacement 
Facility (FRF).  While OSD Director for Japan Basalla 
explained each of the U.S. proposals in detail, the Japanese 
side focused primarily on the environmental and aviation 
training relocation portions.  The U.S. side also provided 
feedback on Japanese proposals to accelerate certain Marine 
units' moves to Guam and an earlier move of KC-130s to 
Iwakuni.  End summary. 
 
------------------------ 
Environmental Initiative 
------------------------ 
 
¶2. (C) In a December 4 senior officials-level meeting of the 
Futenma Replacement Facility (FRF) Working Group, MOFA 
Japan-U.S. Security Treaty Division Director Funakoshi said 
Japan was ""basically comfortable"" with the U.S. proposal, but 
wondered whether the United States would be willing to 
consider a special measures agreement focused on 
environmental issues.  Japan may misunderstand the 
environment-related agreements that the United States has 
with Korea and Germany, Basalla noted, adding that the United 
States specifically excluded environmental issues when 
negotiating the U.S.-Korea SOFA.  DASD Schiffer said there 
was some flexibility on environmental measures, but stressed 
the United States is unwilling to open the U.S.-Japan SOFA 
for negotiations.  Moreover, Schiffer pointed out, Japan must 
first commit to implementing the realignment roadmap before 
the United States would be willing to discuss any details on 
an environmental agreement. 
 
¶3. (C) DG Umemoto suggested the United States consider an 
additional environmental agreement to accompany the SOFA, and 
seemed unwilling to delegate the responsibility on this 
matter to a Joint Committee agreement.  ""Form is more 
important than substance"" for this government, he emphasized, 
noting that Japan's current political leadership knows that 
renegotiating the SOFA (a DPJ campaign promise) is a bridge 
too far and sees the achievement of an environmental 
agreement as a good compromise.  Regardless of any details 
that the United States and Japan negotiate, the most 
essential element to the agreement is that it tells a ""good 
political story,"" Umemoto added. 
 
---------------------------- 
Aviation Training Relocation 
---------------------------- 

¶4. (C) Basalla emphasized that the United States sees 
significant potential to expand the existing Aviation 
Training Relocation (ATR) program in partnership with the 
Japanese government.  She noted, however, that ATR expansion 
should be discussed within the framework of the existing 
Alliance Transformation Working Group (ATAWG-T) in order to 
avoid setting expectations on the part of Okinawans that the 
United States might not be able to meet.  DG Umemoto welcomed 
the U.S. proposal and stressed the need for any plan to have 
clear ""political symbolism"" in order for it to succeed. 
 
---------------------------------------- 
Okinawa-Guam Move Timing and Composition 
---------------------------------------- 

¶5. (C) Turning to the Japanese proposal for a possible 
acceleration of the movement of some Marine units from 
Okinawa to Guam, Basalla said that while the political value 
of the 2014 target completion date is clear, the United 
States has been very frank with Japan that the date is 
increasingly unrealistic.  The U.S. side looks forward to 
discussing with Japan ways in which to best manage ""beyond 
2014"" messaging.   In addition, the United States is not 
prepared to make proposals on the composition of units that 
will move to Guam for a number of reasons, but the U.S. is 
looking at future posture in the QDR and may eventually have 
specific ideas to discuss with Japan.  EAP/J Director Maher 
added that an early move would be impossible as the United 
States cannot obtain funding for the Guam move until the 
Senate Appropriations Committee is convinced that FRF plans 
are moving forward. 
 
---------------------------- 
Early KC-130 Move to Iwakuni 
---------------------------- 

¶6. (C) The United States is not in a position to commit to 
the Japanese proposal for an accelerated move of KC-130s to 
Iwakuni, given that the Iwakuni Master Plan is incomplete and 
real progress on FRF remains stalled, Basalla said.  She 
added, however, that the U.S. side would be open to 
discussing this later in the context of future aviation plans 
for Okinawa.  USFJ J5 COL Wiltse added that the biggest 
obstacle to an earlier move of KC-130s is that the United 
States does not yet have clarity on Japanese plans for land 
purchase to support Iwakuni housing requirements. 
 
-------------------- 
Meeting Participants 
-------------------- 

¶7. (SBU) 
 
U.S. 
---- 
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Michael Schiffer 
Embassy Tokyo Deputy Chief of Mission Jim Zumwalt 
Embassy Tokyo Minister-Counselor for Political Affairs Rob 
Luke 
Department of State Japan Desk Director Kevin Maher 
OSD Country Director for Japan Suzanne Basalla 
Embassy Tokyo Political-Military Affairs Unit Chief Joe Young 
U.S. Forces Japan J5 COL Jeff Wiltse 
 
Japan 
----- 
MOFA North American Affairs Bureau Director General Kazuyoshi 
Umemoto 
MOD Defense Policy Bureau Director General Nobushige 
Takamizawa 
MOFA Japan-U.S. Security Treaty Division Director Takahiro 
Funakoshi 
MOD Japan-U.S. Defense Cooperation Division Director Kiyoshi 
Serizawa 
Senior Advisor to Prime Minister Kiyoshi Sugawa 
ROOS