DTN News: Japan TODAY November 8, 2009 ~ Locals Want US Military Base On Japan's Okinawa Island To Close

DTN News: Japan TODAY November 8, 2009 ~ Locals Want US Military Base On Japan's Okinawa Island To Close *Source: DTN News / Int'l Media (NSI News Source Info) TOKYO, Japan - November 8, 2009: U.S. Marine Corp's Futenma air base is seen behind a Japanese town in Ginowan, on the southwestern island of Okinawa, a subtropical island about 1,600 km (1,000 miles) south of Tokyo that hosts about half the 47,000 U.S. military personnel in Japan November 8, 2009. A mass anti-U.S. base rally will be held Sunday in Okinawa. A U.S. Marine bases in Okinawa, Japan, aims the machine gun near the AAV (Amphibious Assault Vehicles) after landing in the landing operation during a South Korea and U.S. joint military exercise at Pohang beach, 400 kilometers (about 250 miles) southeast of Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009. North Korea claimed Tuesday that it has successfully weaponized more plutonium for atomic bombs, a day after warning Washington to agree quickly to direct talks or face the prospect of a growing North Korean nuclear arsenal. People stage a rally against a US military base on Japan's Okinawa island, in Kadena on November 5, 2009. Some 2,500 people gathered the rally. Washington and Tokyo have been close security allies in the post-war era, and the US has about 47,000 troops based in Japan, more than half of them on Okinawa, where their presence has often rankled local residents. Japan's new government, which took power in mid-September, has promised to review a 2006 pact on rejigging the US troop presence, with the flashpoint being the Marine Corps Futenma Air Base located in an urban area of Okinawa.

Russia To Deploy Special Arctic Force By 2020 - Security Council

Russia To Deploy Special Arctic Force By 2020 - Security Council

(NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - March 28, 2009: Russia will create by 2020 a group of forces to protect its political and economic interests in the Arctic, but does not plan to militarize the region, a spokesman for the Russian Security Council said on Friday. He said the council had recently posted on its website a document, "The fundamentals of Russian state policy in the Arctic up to 2020 and beyond," which outlines the country's strategy in the region, including the deployment of military, border and coastal guard units "to guarantee Russia's military security in diverse military and political circumstances." "However, it does not mean that we are planning to militarize the Arctic. We are focusing on the creation of an effective system of coastal security, the development of arctic border infrastructure, and the presence of military units of an adequate strength," the official said. According to some sources, the Arctic Group of Forces will be part of the Russian Federal Security Service, whose former chief and current secretary of the Security Council, Nikolai Patrushev, is a strong proponent of an "aggressive" state policy in the Arctic. Another goal of the new strategy is to "optimize the system of the comprehensive monitoring of the situation in the Arctic," including border control at checkpoints in Russia's arctic regions, coastal waters and airspace, the spokesman said. The strategy envisions increased cooperation with neighboring countries in the fight against terrorism, drug-trafficking, illegal immigration and environmental protection. The document also prioritizes the delineation of the Arctic shelf "with respect to Russia's national interests."

Kyrgyz Parliament To Vote On Thursday On US Base

Kyrgyz Parliament To Vote On Thursday On US Base

(NSI News Source Info) BISHKEK - February 19, 2009: Kyrgyzstan's parliament will vote on Thursday on a presidential proposal to close a U.S. air base used as a staging post for U.S. forces fighting in Afghanistan, officials said on Wednesday. A lineup of U.S. air force KC-135 tanker planes seen at the Manas air base in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. Kyrgyzstan's parliament said Tuesday it will vote this week on a bill to close a U.S. air base that provides key support to military operations in Afghanistan. President Barack Obama's call for an increased military focus on Afghanistan could be hampered both by the potential closure of the Manas air base in Kyrgyzstan and increased attacks on the main land route for supplies through Pakistan. Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev said earlier in February he had decided to close the Manas air base because Washington had refused to pay more rent for it. The parliament in the former Soviet republic is dominated by Bakiyev's party.

No Plans For Military Base In Bangladesh: US

No Plans For Military Base In Bangladesh: US

(NSI News Source Info) Dhaka - February 9, 2009: The US has expressed its willingness to assist Bangladesh in maritime patrol and secure its unprotected territorial sea lanes, but has said that it has no plan to set up a military base. Richard Boucher, the US assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asia on Sunday clarified this point while winding up his two day visit here. Boucher told the media: "I think there are some interests in maritime patrol so you can protect your sea areas better. We can help their (border security agencies') activities but the modalities will depend on what Bangladesh wants." The Bangladesh Navy originally under Bangladesh Forces was created during the Bangladesh War of Independence in 1971 against Pakistan. Its official creation was established in July 1971 during the historic Bangladesh Sector Commanders Conference. In 1971, with West Pakistan imposing a military rule in East Pakistan, the Bangladesh War of Independence also known as Bangladesh Liberation War was truly underway. Many Bengali sailors and officers in the Pakistan Navy defected to form the Bangladesh Navy. On 9 November 1971, the first naval fleet consisting of six small ships was inaugurated. Initially, there were two ships and 45 navy personnel. These ships tried to carry out raids on the Pakistani fleet and later were mistakenly hit and sunk by Indian fighter planes on December 10, 1971. A major attack was launched on Mongla seaport. According to official figures from Bangladesh Navy, a total of 334 sailors were involved with the newly created navy with 22 being killed. These sailors were mostly Pakistan Navy trained divers who were absorbed into regular navy after the war ended. He brushed off a suggestion that the US might be planning to set up a military base in Bangladesh. "We do not have any intention for a permanent presence (in Bangladesh)," New Age quoted him as saying on Monday. A military base is a sensitive issue in Bangladesh and it goes back to the cold war era. Boucher said: "The US has a lot of cooperation with different countries, different governments and different agencies. Some are with civilian agencies, like police, and some are with military agencies." Boucher, who interacted with Bangladesh's top leadership, including opposition leader Khaleda Zia, ended his visit even as Dhaka, in the midst of diplomatic activities, prepared to receive Indian Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee. Mukherjee is due in Dhaka later on Monday. Boucher said his talks explored areas of cooperation between the new governments in Dhaka and Washington headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and President Barack Obama. The US official identified new areas like climate change, agriculture and health-care and assured continuation of US support to Bangladesh. The issue of cooperation in marine patrols came in the backdrop of a row over oil and gas exploration between Myanmar and Bangladesh in waters claimed by Dhaka in the Bay of Bengal. Both Bangladesh and Myanmar have deployed warships in the Bay of Bengal to establish their claims. Diplomatic efforts involving China and South Korea by Bangladesh's then military-backed government of Fakhruddin Ahmed apparently put to an end the row. There was a stand-off with India last November when Bangladesh Navy confronted an Indian survey ship backed by a naval vessel. The row was sorted out through diplomatic talks.

U.S. Denies Closure Of Its Military Base In Kyrgyzstan / US had No Plans To Close Its Military Airbase In Kyrgyzstan

U.S. Denies Closure Of Its Military Base In Kyrgyzstan / US had No Plans To Close Its Military Airbase In Kyrgyzstan / U.S. Says Not Closing Its Military Base In Kyrgyzstan (NSI News Source Info) DUSHANBE - January 18, 2009: The United States has no plans to close or change the status of its military base in the former Soviet republic of Kyrgyzstan, a senior U.S. military official said on Saturday. Earlier in the week, media reports said Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiyev was planning to sign a decree ordering the closure within six months of the Gansi base, which the United States has used since the 2001 war to overthrow the Taliban in Afghanistan. US troops guard the main access checkpoint to the airforce base, 30 kms outside of Bishkek, in Manas on December 18, 2008. Kyrgyzstan is moving to close the key US military airbase in Manas used to support operations in Afghanistan, according to government sources. "We look forward to discussing the future of the base there and we certainly have no plans to change anything frankly," General David Petraeus, the U.S. Central Command chief, said ahead of an upcoming visit to Kyrgyzstan. The base, which is located at Manas airport some 30 kilometers (17 miles) east of the country's capital, Bishkek, hosts over 1,000 U.S. military personnel and nine military transport and refueling planes. Similar media speculation on the closure of the Gansi base was denied last month by both Kyrgyz and U.S. authorities. U.S. military officials said at the time that the base was worth some $80 million a year to Kyrgyzstan, including $17.4 million in rent and $2.64 million in wages for local employees.