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U.S. Military Presence in Asia
(November, 2004)

General INFO
Definition of Status-of-Forces Agreement (SOFA)  4
Explanation of SOFA  4
US Military on the Move  5

Issues and Perspectives
Diego Garcia: Exiles still barred  7
Mauritius: Britain exiles thousands for good  9
Why the US is itching to fight in the Philippines  9
Time to leave South Korea  11
Realignment of U.S. Troops will leave Japan with greater defense burden  12
The rise of US military bases  13

What has the United States said?
US won’t re-open bases, realign troops in S-K Asia: top official  14
US ‘committed’ to East Asian Peace, Prosperity  14
No U.S. intention to establish base, permanent presence here  15

What is the United States doing?
a) The Plans  
Bush planned Iraq ‘regime change’ before becoming President  17
The Project for a New American Empire  17
Pentagon plans to redeploy forces in Asia  19
b) The Military  
US Pacific Command Facilities  20
Paul Wolfowitz’s Indonesia amnesia  20
Pacific Fleet Exercises  22
c) The Activities  
Remaking policy in Asia?  24
In Korea, a quiet US weapons build-up  27
  Washington’s military intervention deepens – in the Philippines  29
  Moves afoot: US strategy in Korea  31
  Support for joint military exercises, but no to US bases  33
  Taipei will speed up arms build-up  33
  US administration pushes for military presence in Indonesia  34
  US military wants India to undertake low-end operations in Asia  36
  US seeking military base in Thailand  37
  Sri Lanka to integrate into US regional military plans  38
  Bush's Philippines model for Iraqi "democracy"  39
  d) The Crimes  
  US military personnel commit more than 600 crimes a year in Korea  42
  Four US military personnel arrested in Okinawa  42
  Time to fix SOFA accord  43
 
Example cases
  Okinawans struggle in love-hate relationship with US  44
  Resentment rises against US bases  45
 
Voice of Resistance
  The anti-US sentiment in Korea – Then and Now  46
  If the US is asking more of Japan, will the US tread more lightly in turn?  48
  Resisting the Bush Administration’s Global Military Crusade  49
 
Stand in Solidarity
  International Ecumenical Conference on Terrorism in a Globalized World  52
  Groups condemn Bush Administration move to restore military training for Indonesia  54
  Korean and US religious leaders joint to address Korea crisis  55
 
Other Voices
  Remove US forces from Pakistan  56
  Letters to UN Secretary General and US Congress  58
  A view from inside North Korea  59
  Moscow opposes US presence in Asia  61
 
Hope for Peace
  Special report: US military in Okinawa  62
  Republic of the Philippines rules out bases as US shifts Asia forces  63
  Liberation: Artwork by Buu Chi  63
  Internet Resource Catalogue   64
  Appendix – Collection of Treaties  65
  On Group Think  66

 

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