Rumsfeld defends use of sonar to Okinawans

SEOUL — Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld yesterday defended the Navy’s use of sonar in the Pacific and told the governor of Okinawa, Japan, that scientific studies have shown it poses little danger to the environment.

In a meeting with Gov. Keiichi Inamine, Mr. Rumsfeld was presented with a list of the local government’s complaints about the U.S. military on the island, which is a strategic base and home to 17,600 Marines.

A U.S. official said the Navy’s sonar is used at several bases. Recently, it was used in Okinawa to detect the presence of Chinese submarines.

The governor’s list included a call for banning the use of “new low-frequency sonar made for underwater detection” around Japan, according to a copy of the petition.

Mr. Inamine also said the number and size of U.S. bases on Okinawa should be reduced, and noise from training exercises and flights should be curbed.

“Training is increasing and also the noise,” Mr. Inamine said. “For the people of Okinawa, this is unbearable.”

Mr. Rumsfeld responded that the U.S. military presence in Asia has resulted in peace in the region for decades, a peace that has allowed Japan to become one of Asia’s strongest economies.

The governor told Mr. Rumsfeld during a 30-minute public meeting that the people of Okinawa are not anti-American, but they feel that more of Okinawa’s 27,000 U.S. troops should be based in other parts of Japan.

Okinawa is home to the Air Force’s Kadena Air Base and the Marines’ Camp Foster, home to the 3rd Marine Expeditionary Force.

Mr. Rumsfeld said the Pentagon has looked closely at the issue of low-frequency sonar and found that the impact on marine mammals is minimal.

“As you know, the United States arranged for some scientific studies to get the best scientific information possible, and at least thus far it shows there is little, if any, impact on marine mammals,” Mr. Rumsfeld said.

Some environmental groups have charged that the Navy’s low-frequency Surveillance Towed Array Sensor System is harming whales, causing nitrogen narcosis and leading the mammals to beach themselves. Defense officials say the sonar is a vital element of antisubmarine warfare.

In Asia, the U.S. official did not elaborate on the detection of a Chinese submarine near Okinawa. China operates a large fleet of submarines and is in the process of a major military buildup that includes advanced submarines and submarine weapons.

Mr. Rumsfeld visited Okinawa yesterday as part of a six-day tour of U.S. military bases in Asia and a plan to restructure and resize U.S. forces around the world.

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