太田述正コラム#2255（2007.12.24）
＜NLPで役人を辞めた私（その４）＞（2008.1.31公開）
　（脚注）文中に出てくる「別添英文メモ」は、メザーブらに手交したものだが、全文をコラム末尾に掲載しておく。S.Iとは、私がかつて用いていたペンネームである石垣成一のイニシャルだ。（太田）
４　暗転
　ところが、その頃から米側の姿勢が急速に変化します。
　日記の12月４日の所には次のような記述があります。
、
（２０００．１２．４　月）
・・・
１４３５：アターバックとハイに面会。どちらも上司から、余り情報を与えられず、しかも口止めされている様子。アターバックは上京して15日に在日米軍司令官（第５空軍司令官。元三沢空軍司令官）の下、NLPに係る会議に参加する由。在日米軍司令官は、元三沢米空軍司令でもあり、現地事情にも通じており、アターバックに考えていることを教えない様子。ハイはかしこまっていた。・・
　これは、米側の上層部が、太田私案に乗れば、米海軍が首都圏から退去する羽目になることに難色を示したためと思われます。
　もちろん私としても、まず米海軍を首都圏から退去させることで、次には米空軍＝在日米軍司令部を首都圏から退去させることを意図していたわけですが・・。（そうなれば実働部隊がいない米陸軍も、もちろん首都圏から退去してくれることでしょう。）
　結局、日本政府も米国政府も、それぞれ思惑は異なるものの、どちらもNLP問題の抜本的解決を行う意欲に欠けることが分かった時点で、私は防衛庁の再生と日本の米国からの自立を図るため、公務員生活に別れを告げる決意を固めたのです。
　なお、三沢訪問の翌日の12月５日、私が原子力空母の母港に擬した関根浜を初めて訪れています。
　日記には、次のように記述されています。
（２０００．１２．５　火）
・・・
１２３０：出発。15分程度で関根浜（かって米軍の演習場あり。使用済み核燃料の中間保管施設を建設予定。）の「むつ科学技術館」（0175-25-2091。http://www.jmsfmml.or.jp/msm.htm。http://www.jaeri.go.jp/genken/ff/ff26/info02.html。）着。300円。いわゆる科学技術館＋海洋調査船「みらい」関係の展示（外の「港」は「みらい」の定係港）＋原子力船「むつ」関係の展示。女性係員が3-4人は目に入ったが、お客さんはゼロ。（むつ及び）みらい用の「港」は広々としており、もったいないほど。尻屋崎方面を眺めると、ここが湾内のように感じられた。尻屋崎灯台がかすかに見えた（尻屋崎は寒立馬で有名）。また、渡島半島がはっきり見えた。更に、関根浜漁港が左手に見えた。
５　その後
　2003年１月末に広島県沖美町が同町内の瀬戸内海最大の無人島にNLP用の2000m級滑走路を設置する計画を防衛施設庁との間で進めているという報道がなされ、この話がつぶれるという事件が起きます（コラム#99）。
　2005年10月には、原子力空母の横須賀配備について、日米政府間で合意が成立したとの発表がありました（コラム#925）。
　ところが、ちょっと意外なことに、横須賀で当初はこれに反対する動きがあった（コラム#925）ものの、同市は最終的に原子力空母の配備に賛成するに至りました（そのものズバリではないがコラム#1057参照）。
　空母を横須賀から動かさないとすると、NLP問題は残るわけですが、そこで艦載機の母基地を岩国市に移転させるという軍事合理的にはかなり無理がある案が日米政府合意の下にひねり出されました。
　しかし、岩国市は艦載機受け入れに反対しており（コラム#1128）、現在に至っています。
　結局、NLP問題は抜本的解決が図られないままいたずらに年月が重ねられている、ということです。　
　それどころか、いまや在日米軍の再編問題全体が根底から問われている、と言うべきでしょう。
　何故に日本が何兆円もの経費を負担して在日米軍の再編を行わなければならないのか、ということです。
　これはすなわち、いつまで日本は米国から自立しないまま米国の保護国であり続けるのか、ということでもあります。
（完）
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー英文メモ
Nov. 2000
S.I
How to resolve the NLP(FCLP) issue・・・centering upon Misawa
ⅠBasic Assumptions
Iwojima is not an appropriate site for conducting NLP. On the other hand, Japanese government still deems Iwojima a virtually appropriate site and is asking US Navy to conduct NLP at Iwojima as much as possible.
Yokota is not an appropriate site for conducting NLP.
Atsugi is not an appropriate site for conducting NLP. (US Navy has pledged to the governor of Kanagawa prefecture to make efforts to refrain from using Atsugi for NLP.) Communities that surround Atsugi base are unhappy with the aircrafts, which conducted NLP elsewhere returning to Atsugi on the same night. (Taking into consideration that even air shows could not be conducted at Atsugi any more, US Navy had better think seriously about the relocation of the whole air units deployed at Atsugi.)
The plan to build a main NLP site at Miyakejima is dead, although Japanese government has not acknowledged it officially,
Iwakuni is virtually an appropriate site for conducting NLP if procedurally correct pre- notification to the Iwakuni city will be made before conducting each NLP. After the completion of Iwakuni runway relocation, Iwakuni will become a most appropriate site for conducting NLP. However, it could take more than 8 years until the said relocation is to be completed.
Misawa is, evaluating objectively and comparatively, a virtually appropriate site for conducting NLP only if designated simply as one of the alternate sites and procedurally correct pre-notification made before each NLP. However, the ‘abnormality’ of the recent NLP at Misawa caused havoc among Misawa citizens, which led to the break off of relations with US Navy by the city. It is hard for Misawa city to escalate this measure since Misawa city has been advancing a policy of coexistence and co-prosperity with the base, and that the city economy depends heavily upon the base.
It is politically and socially impossible to designate certain existing or forthcoming civil airports as NLP sites.
As for the NLP, it is necessary to secure one main site and at least two alternate sites. Besides, all of these sites should be located in different regions of Japan.
ⅡThree Options
A. Passive Iwakuni Option
If nothing is done, NLP issue will not be resolved from both Misawa city and US Navy standpoints. Because, NLP will naturally be conducted primarily at Iwakuni, secondarily at Misawa, and alternately at Iwojima, until the completion of the relocation of Iwakuni runway. (US Navy will hesitate to designate Iwakuni as the main NLP site now, since enraging the Iwakuni citizens before the said completion of relocation is too risky.)
Misawa will be used as an alternate of Iwakuni alongside Iwojima after the completion of Iwakuni relocation.
This also means that the second runway at Misawa base, parallel to the present runway, will not be built since Misawa city will be forced, against its will, to oppose this project. (a. The second runway is endorsed by ASDF, US Air Force, and also by the city. b. This second runway will facilitate conducting NLP because noise would be reduced using this runway which is farther from the central area of the city and also because operational flexibility would increase. c. Misawa city could block this construction ‘legally’. d. The timing of the construction is crucial taking into account Shinkansen reaching Hachinohe city before long and passengers of civil aviation would decrease then.)
The only way to ‘rescue’ the second runway project is, Misawa city and US Navy to reach an understanding that Misawa could only be used as one of the alternate NLP sites but not as the main NLP site. However, the possibility of such a turnout seems to be bleak.
B. Active Iwakuni Option
We can commit ourselves actively to the Iwakuni option. This option presumes, after Japanese government confirming Iwojima an inappropriate site for conducting NLP and also declaring that the Miyakejima NLP site construction plan dead, at least two SDF airbases are to be designated provisionally for NLP, all of which would be used as secondary sites with Iwakuni as the primary site, until the completion of Iwakuni relocation.
However, until afore mentioned designation is made, NLP will naturally be conducted primarily at Iwakuni and secondarily at Misawa with Iwojima as the alternate site.
Further, after the said designation of airbases and before the completion of Iwakuni relocation, at least two different SDF airbases should be arranged for conducting NLP as permanent alternate sites.
Which means that if these arrangements were not been implemented fully, then Misawa would again be used as the secondary or alternate site of Iwakuni alongside one SDF airbase or Iwojima.
Consequently, this option could still jeopardize the construction of the second runway at the Misawa base. Such that, Misawa city reaching understanding with US Navy as mentioned earlier, as well as both sides firmly supporting this option so as to change the mind of the Japanese government, are imperative, if the second runway project is to be ‘rescued’. In this case, it seems to be possible.
(Note) The candidates of the said provisional NLP SDF airbases could be Hachinohe (MSDF base) at Aomori prefecture and Miho (ASDF base) at Tottori prefecture. Whereas the candidates of the said permanent NLP airbases could be Yakumo (ASDF base) at Hokkaido and Shizuhama (ASDF base) at Shizuoka prefecture. Hachinohe would raise noise problem, and Miho (=Yonago) has the conflict with civil aviation. Support facilities as well as support units should be secured at Yakumo, and runway has to be extended at Shizuhama
C. Misawa Option
This option aims at constructing a new airport along the Pacific seaside adjacent to the Misawa base, where population is scarce. Runway will be constructed at a location considering the noise issue. (It should logically be a better site than the planned second runway.) This airport will be promoted as a civil airline airport, although NLP will also be conducted there. (When NLP is conducted, NLP related crews would be asked to stay overnight at the lodging facility of the airport.)
Until this airport is constructed, NLP will be conducted primarily at Iwakuni with provisionally designated SDF airbases mentioned above as secondary sites. (If the Iwakuni relocation completes before the construction of the new airport at Misawa, then NLP will be conducted mainly at Iwakuni with designated SDF airbases as alternate sites.) Until the said designation, NLP will be conducted primarily at Iwakuni with Misawa as the secondary site and Iwojima as the alternate site.
This option will require only one permanent NLP airbase to be secured.
This option also leaves room for inviting US Navy air units to Misawa in the future.
Further, this option does not necessarily jeopardize the second runway project.
Misawa City reaching understanding with US Navy as mentioned earlier as well as both sides supporting this option, under the table, is imperative to advance this option. Besides, formal proposal to construct the new airport at Misawa should be made by the US side to the Japanese government after City-Navy reconciliation will be made. And then Misawa city could either accept this proposal or make a counter proposal to relocate the whole airfield portion of Misawa base eastward to evade the criticism of base enlargement. (The relocated airfield has to contain two runways, one of which would be for civil aviation and NLP.)
D. Summary of Options

Phase one: Iwakuni- Primary
Misawa- Secondary
Iwojima- Alternate
Phase two: Iwakuni (relocated)- Main
Misawa- Alternate
Iwojima- Alternate

Phase one: Iwakuni- Primary
Misawa- Secondary
Iwojima- Alternate
Phase two: Fortunate case
Iwakuni- Primary
SDF airbase 1(provisional)- Secondary
SDF airbase 2(provisional)- Secondary
Unfortunate case
Iwakuni- Primary
Misawa- Secondary
SDF airbase 1 or Iwojima- Secondary
Phase three: Fortunate case
Iwakuni- Primary
SDF airbase 3(permanent)- Secondary
SDF airbase 4(permanent)- Secondary
Unfortunate case
Iwakuni- Primary
Misawa- Secondary
SDF airbase 1 or 2, 3 or 4- Secondary
Phase 4: Put ‘(relocated)’ after ‘Iwakuni’, and change ‘Primary’ to ‘Main’, ‘Secondary’ to ‘Alternate’ respectively to Phase 3.

Phase 1: Iwakuni- Primary
Misawa- Secondary
Iwojima- Secondary
Phase 2: Fortunate case
Iwakuni- Primary
SDF airbase 1(provisional)- Secondary
SDF airbase 2(provisional)- Secondary
Unfortunate case
Iwakuni- Primary
Misawa- Secondary
SDF airbase 1 or Iwojima- Secondary
Phase 3: Fortunate case
Misawa (new)- Main
Iwakuni (relocated)- Alternate
SDF airbase 3(permanent)- Alternate
Unfortunate cases: Too many variations to depict.
Ⅲ Recommended move of the US side
Either the Commander of the 7th Fleet or the Commander of USFJ visit Administrative Vice Minister of Defense, Mr. Sato to ask him to confirm the inappropriateness of Iwojima as a NLP site, as well as to provide SDF airbases to conduct NLP provisionally, and further to provide permanent NLP sites giving up the one that have been planned at Miyakejima.
After the cabinet reshuffle scheduled at the beginning of next month, HE the Ambassador of the US visit Defense Minister and ask him the same things.