U.S. may keep Marines in Okinawa

TOKYO, Sept. 16 (UPI) -- The U.S. government is considering moving combat troops from Okinawa to Guam instead of its headquarters staff, Japanese and U.S. officials say.

The change is aimed at saving money, The Yomiuri Shimbun reported Friday. Because most combat soldiers are single, their relocation would not require the construction of housing for families and other facilities, sources told the newspaper.

A U.S. plan adopted in 2006 would have relocated 8,000 Marines, most of them working at headquarters.

Many Okinawans would prefer to get combat troops off the island, the newspaper said. They say the large number of U.S. soldiers leads to traffic congestion, noise, crime and car crashes.

But Japanese officials fear their relocation would mean less of a deterrent, especially for China. They point to incidents of Chinese aggression after the United States gave up its base at Subic Bay in the Philippines in 1992.

"It's likely to send the wrong message to China, which keeps building up its military, and increase risks in the region," one Japanese official said of the proposed changes in the plan.