“We could be doing more in Tinian and not just in terms of firing ranges,” said Webb, D-Va. and a former combat Marine in Vietnam. “As I was examining this years ago, I was of the belief that we could put permanent reconnaissance units in Tinian.”
The draft environmental impact statement for the relocation plan identifies Tinian as a training site for the Marines’ war exercises.
CNMI Gov. Benigno R. Fitial earlier offered Tinian as an alternative camp for half of the 8,000 troops that will be relocated to Guam.
Webb at the same time admitted that the schedule of the Marines’ relocation from Okinawa must be adjusted to a “more realistic” timeline.
The relocation was supposed to accelerate in 2014, but the new Japanese government has yet to decide whether to stick with its predecessor’s agreement with the U.S.
“Let’s just be a little more straight up about what is achievable by 2014 and what is not,” Webb told a press conference at the Guam Hilton Resort and Spa on Friday.
“The difficulty obviously is that we cannot act in a complete way until the government of Japan clarifies where they are on the initial agreement that they negotiated in 1996,” said Webb, who spent two days in Tokyo before coming to Guam and Saipan last week.
“They set their own deadline; they can come forward with their decision but I am hopeful that we can clear the air and move forward so we can realign,” he added.
Besides Tokyo’s tentative disposition, Webb acknowledged that Guam is not ready to handle the stress of the military buildup which will result in a population explosion.
He also noted the growing protests among Okinawans who want their island to be completely free of military bases.
“There is a sense of unease among the civilian populations of Okinawa and Guam,” said the chairman of East Asia and Pacific affairs subcommittee. “We need to have an open discussion about what is achievable in 2014 and what is not.”
But Webb believes that the repositioning of U.S. troops, “if properly done,” would be beneficial to the U.S., Japan, Guam and the Northern Marianas.
