Guam being used by US as political pawn with Japan

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Updated October 22, 2009 17:32:40

The United States' Defence Secretary Robert Gates has threatened to stop the movemenet of US military from Okinawa, Japan to Guam. Last month Japan had its first change of government in 60 years, and one of its first actions was to signal a proposed change to the details of the agreement it signed with the US in 2006 to relocate its marine base to Guam and change the location of its marine airbase in Okinawa. However, during a visit to Japan, Mr Gates, said if the plan is changed, the deal is off, and that includes moving around 8,000 marines to Guam.

Presenter: Campbell Cooney
Speaker: Professor Richard Tanter, Director of the Nautilus Institute, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology.

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