Top Story 22.July 2005
Okinawan residents appeal for common sense from U.S. military
People of Okinawa are concerned about U.S. military drills in Camp Hansen. Drills include 
live fire exercise using machine guns and real bullets. U.S. military recently finished building an urban-warfare complex that is used to train special forces against terrorist attack or fight in urban area.
Governor Keiichi Inamine was among the 10.000 people who protested and demanded immediate end of live-fire excercises. This was not an idealistic rally against war somewhere far in Iraq - but a cry of local citizens who are afraid of injuries of stray bullets.
So far, there have been 15 incidents of injuries. A small child was playing in the garden - bullet injured his foot. Teenage girl was staying inside her home and bullet went through her thigh, causing serious injury.
Sound of machine gun bothers citizens since no noise barrier whatsoever has been built. Loud and booming sound penetrates everything, even if you close all the windows and put a pillow over your head. Even then, you can't be sure if you are safe - there can be another escaped bullet from one of those machine guns or rifles. That can easily go through your wall, as happened to the teenage girl.
Camp Hansen is located about 300 meters from residential area, town of Kin. Also it is to be
noted that a bullet discharged from assault rifle will pass approx 1 kilometer - still maintaining deadly velocity. Bullets of machine guns are heavier and pass even further. A standard machine gun can fire 100 bullets per minute or more. Not only straight shot bullets are dangerous but ricochets as well.
Yet U.S. forces do nothing to ensure the safety of the locals. When asked the reason of keeping this this dangerous facility in Okinawa, not in their own soil, they stated that they would be worried about safety of American citizens if the facility would be placed in US.
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