U.S. still shuffling Marines on Okinawa

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TOKYO, March 27 (UPI) -- The United States is finalizing arrangements with Japan to keep about 10,000 U.S. Marines in Okinawa prefecture, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported.

Sources told the Japanese newspaper Monday 2,000 more Marines could be moved off the island, bringing the total number that could be moved to other locations to 10,000. The overall number of Marines remaining on Okinawa would total 10,000, half the number that would be authorized under changes to a 2006 agreement between the two countries.

A joint document stipulating the framework of the relocation plan will be issued next month by the two governments, the newspaper said.

About 4,000 Marines will be moved from Okinawa to Guam, while the remaining 5,000 to 6,000 will be taken out of the prefecture to rotate among facilities in Australia, Hawaii, the U.S. mainland and other locations, the sources said.