Text Fwd: Gates: U.S. Troops, Missiles In Japan Needed Against China, N. Korea

* Texts sent by Rick Rozoff on Jan. 14, 2011

Stars and Stripes
January 13, 2011
Gates: U.S. troops needed in Japan to keep China, North Korea in check
By Kevin Baron

-In a sweeping assessment of the U.S.-Japan security stance, Gates said the two countries require “more effective” missile defense capabilities. He praised the existing system as “one of the most advanced of its kind in the world,” and hailed the advanced SM-3 interceptor’s ability to thwart a North Korean attack. Both countries will continue to share missile defense commands at Yokota Air Base.



TOKYO: The U.S. needs troops in Japan for the long term to keep China’s rising power in check and contain North Korea’s aggressive nuclear and missile aspirations, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said....

“On account of the scope, complexity and lethality of these challenges, I would argue that our alliance is more necessary, more relevant and more important than ever,” Gates said Friday in a keynote speech at Tokyo’s Keio University.

Without U.S. armed forces in Japan, Gates said North Korea’s military provocations could be “even more outrageous,” China might act more aggressively, disaster assistance would take longer, joint exercises would be harder to execute and the U.S. would have less intelligence on the region.

In a sweeping assessment of the U.S.-Japan security stance, Gates said the two countries require “more effective” missile defense capabilities. He praised the existing system as “one of the most advanced of its kind in the world,” and hailed the advanced SM-3 interceptor’s ability to thwart a North Korean attack. Both countries will continue to share missile defense commands at Yokota Air Base.

Gates made clear that the U.S. intends to move forward with Futenma relocation according to the newly agreed plan adopted last year, although he took a softer tone in remarks Thursday and at the defense ministry. That marked a change from past visits in which Gates had pressed Japan to get on with the move.

[He]warned that Chinese advances in cyber and anti-satellite warfare pose “a potential challenge” to U.S. military’s Pacific operations and communications “in ways that could inflict enormous damage to advanced, networked militaries and societies. Fortunately, the U.S. and Japan maintain a qualitative edge in satellite and computer technology.”
....
Speaking a week after introducing Pentagon plans to reduce the size of the U.S. military and pull back on costly weapons buys, Gates said Japan will need to take on more of its security responsibilities.

“In the United States, we are engaged in a robust debate about the size, composition and cost of our military,” Gates said. “... We will continue to maintain the military strength necessary to protect our interests, defend our allies and deter potential adversaries from acts of aggression and intimidation. To do this we need a committed and capable security partner in Japan.”

Gates praised Japan’s recent agreement to stand “shoulder-to-shoulder” with South Korea, saying their increased military activities around the world are a key rationale for recommending Japan join the United Nations Security Council.

For now, regional security remains wholly dependent on the U.S.

Yet as Gates openly advocates for negotiations with North Korea, he sounded clearly pessimistic heading to Seoul.

“Despite the hopes and best efforts of the South Korean government, the U.S. and our allies, and the international community,” he said, “the character and priorities of the North Korean regime have sadly not changed.”

__________________________

Gates: Japan Must Take Larger Military Role In Asia, Against China
Los Angeles Times
January 13, 2011
Japan must take broader military role in East Asia, Gates says
:The U.S. and Japan need to broaden their military alliance to deal with any threats from North Korea and China, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates says. U.S. bases in Japan are a valuable deterrent, he says.
By David S. Cloud


General: U.S. Ready To "Demolish" North Korean Missile Sites
Arirang News
January 14, 2011
US Preparing to Strike N. Korea If ICBM Threats Increase
Choi You-sun


U.S., Japanese Defense Chiefs Plan Transfer Of Interceptor Missiles
Japan Times
January 14, 2011
Kitazawa, Gates to speed talks on SM-3
By MASAMI ITO