Japan"s new government moved Friday to defuse a deepening rift with Washington over the future of a major U.S. Marine airfield, saying it supports keeping the sprawling base on the southern island of Okinawa, although in a less populated area, AP reported. Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, under intense pressure from top U.S. military officials in Tokyo to push the matter this week, said that moving the base _ now located in the crowded city of Futenma _ off of tiny Okinawa «is not an option.» It was his government"s clearest statement to date that it will implement a sweeping pact negotiated with Washington years ago that would relocate the base and move some 8,000 Marines to the U.S. territory of Guam in the Pacific. Okada"s comments came after U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, met with senior officials in Tokyo to urge Japan"s new government, which took office last month, to act quickly on the Futenma issue. Earlier in the day, Mullen said Japan needed to commit to the relocation of the Futenma air station «as soon as possible» and added that the new Japanese government"s decision to re-examine the existing realignment agreement could derail the overall timeline. -- SPA
