Cost of U.S. Military Shuffle Stuns Japan ($26 billion)

[Robbien]

TOKYO — Top Japanese officials on Wednesday expressed shock at a U.S. estimate that put the price tag for the planned reshuffling of U.S. forces in Japan at $26 billion or more.

. . .

"Where did you get that number? Don't tell me groundless stories," a shocked-looking Foreign Minister Taro Aso earlier said on TV Asahi. "We shouldn't overreact over one official's estimate."

Japan and the United States are negotiating details of a plan that would streamline the 50,000 U.S. forces based in Japan and to give Japan's military greater responsibility for security in the Asia-Pacific. U.S. Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Richard Lawless said Tuesday he estimated costs of the overall realignment at about $26 billion. Japan's annual defense budget is $42 billion.

"This is a huge investment on their part in the alliance, and we recognize it as such," Lawless said Tuesday. The estimate includes the $6 billion Tokyo has agreed to pay to move 8,000 Marines from the Southern Japanese island of Okinawa to Guam, a U.S. Pacific island territory.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/world/3821228.html

[Occulus]

1. "U.S. Deputy Undersecretary of Defense Richard Lawless"

:rofl:

[tatertop]

2. Sounds like bush made out the invoice himself

[truthisfreedom]

3. hey, that's only half a million each, barely enough to buy each soldier a

lake home in Minneapolis!

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

4. This is no different...

...than the protection rackets that mobsters have run for decades---just a grander scale.

"Lawless," is that really his name? I wish we could get legislation passed to require every high ranking government official to have a last name that accurately reflects what they do and represent.

[DS1]

5. Well, first they need to buy screwdrivers that turn counter-clockwise

to take the old barracks apart

Then they need to buy screwdrivers that turn clockwise to put them back together ;-)

[Roland99]

6. .

:rofl:

[Monk06]

7. $650,000 per trooper? I hope they get an in flight meal for that price.

And a neck massage.

If the US moved all it's troops home and charged Iraq and Iran
the same price that would bring in $195 Billion leaving $95 Billion
in clear profit.

The two wars are costing $100 Billion per year. So peace would reduce
the $400 Billion projected 2006 deficit by roughly 20% in the first
year and $100 Billion each following year.

I think........

I have to take a nap now. My head hurts.

[rodeodance]

8. Wh throws around the B lately (the M is old news)

[onehandle]

9. Look for the Halliburton and Bechtel cuts.

There's your outrage.

[xchrom]

10. how much does japan have to give to american defence

contractors for this?