Bill Clinton promised to close the base in 1996. But plans for more construction and a heightened focus on the Pacific put the islands and their unique biodiversity at risk indefinitely.
Unfortunately Okinawans have always been trying to close the base. This isn’t really new it’s just yet another new reason to have it closed.
Unfortunately, short of a violent uprising it’s impossible to get the base closed. Candidates have previously won on the promise of closing the base and then immediately quit their position because “it can’t be done”. Japan is America’s vassal.
As Lenins2ndcat states below, this isn’t a new development. Locals on the island of Okinawa have been wanting that base closed for a very long time. There have been protests outside that base calling for it to go away for decades.
But the Japanese government doesn’t care about the people of Okinawa. They barely consider them Japanese.
Good to see historic US allies finally starting to realize that the US absolutely does not have their interests in mind.
Unfortunately Okinawans have always been trying to close the base. This isn’t really new it’s just yet another new reason to have it closed.
Unfortunately, short of a violent uprising it’s impossible to get the base closed. Candidates have previously won on the promise of closing the base and then immediately quit their position because “it can’t be done”. Japan is America’s vassal.
As Lenins2ndcat states below, this isn’t a new development. Locals on the island of Okinawa have been wanting that base closed for a very long time. There have been protests outside that base calling for it to go away for decades.
But the Japanese government doesn’t care about the people of Okinawa. They barely consider them Japanese.