WASHINGTON, July 3 (UPI) -- The U.S. Defense Department is taking a second look at plans to move forces from the Japanese island of Okinawa to Guam, government sources say.
Yomiuri Shimbun, citing sources close to both the Japanese and U.S. governments, reported the new proposal would not involve a change in the number of U.S. troops to be relocated. But some of the 8,000 members of the Third Marine Expeditionary Force now on Okinawa would remain there, while combat troops would be relocated instead.
The reason for the change is rising tension between North and South Korea and concerns about China's role in the region, the newspaper said.
The Japan-U.S. Roadmap for Realighment Implementation, signed in 2006, aims to reduce the size of the U.S. footprint on Okinawa, which has a heavy concentration of U.S. military bases. Removing the entire MEF would have left Okinawa with no officers of admiral's rank.
Relocating U.S. operations from Okinawa has become a major issue in Japan with plans to move some forces elsewhere in the country meeting stiff resistance.
