By Gerardo R. Partido
Variety News Staff

THE bilateral agreement between the United States and Japan to relocate upwards of 8,000 Marines from Okinawa to Guam is largely on track, according to Admiral William J. Fallon, commander of the U.S. Pacific Command.
Fallon made the assurance during a full House Committee on Armed Services hearing on the Fiscal Year 2008 National Defense Authorization Budget Request for the U.S. Pacific Command.
During the hearing, Congresswoman Madeleine Z. Bordallo asked how the bilateral agreement and its implementation would strengthen the diplomatic and national security relationship shared by the United States and Japanese governments.
Fallon responded that the integration of the U.S. Armed Forces and the Japanese Defense Forces is strengthening with the advent of the bilateral agreement, adding that while the Japanese Diet has not yet passed the resolutions which would provide funding for the relocation of the Marines, he is confident that the relocation is on track.
“The prime minister, Mr. Abe, has made a firm commitment to this happening. Things are in place, planning is underway. They’re getting a sense of what needs to be done and how much it will cost and I have high confidence this will go forward,” Fallon said.
The admiral also indicated that Diet members who have recently traveled to Guam on assessment tours will do so again in the near future.
Bordallo asked Fallon if there was a chance that Japan would renege on its agreement.
Fallon answered that the chances for a dissolution of the underlying bilateral defense agreement are slim.
“I think the chance of that is very, very small, indeed, because it’s in the interest of both countries,” Fallon said.
Fallon was nominated by President Bush and confirmed by the U.S. Senate last month to serve as commander of the U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM. A change of command ceremony for CENTCOM is scheduled for March 16, 2007.