Protests greet U.S. nuclear carrier in Japan

The USS George Washington, with more than 70 aircraft and 5,600 personnel, sailed into the naval hub of Yokosuka on Tokyo Bay on a sunny day as U.S. service personnel at the dock waved flags and held red, white and blue balloons.

The 97,000-ton carrier replaced the conventional-powered USS Kitty Hawk, which is being retired after 10 years in Yokosuka that included missions to fight in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

"The forces of freedom in the Pacific will have no more powerful ship to defend their interests than the USS George Washington right here in Yokosuka," U.S. ambassador Thomas Schieffer told thousands of assembled sailors.

Recalling World War Two, which ended with the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Schieffer said neither side could have imagined then that a U.S. nuclear carrier would come "not to subjugate Japan, but to defend Japan."

Japan's new conservative Prime Minister Taro Aso welcomed the George Washington, saying that it would contribute to regional stability.

"There are difficult situations in the areas that surround us, including the Korean peninsula," Aso told reporters in Tokyo. "From the viewpoint of the Japan-U.S. security alliance, I think it is a good thing."

But at a waterfront park, some 300 demonstrators raised their fists in the air as they saw the huge vessel cruising into Tokyo Bay.

"The USS George Washington, go home now!" the protesters shouted. Hundreds of more demonstrators rallied elsewhere.

"We regret that the aircraft career has arrived here, but the real crisis for the residents of Yokosuka has just begun," said Masahiko Goto, a lawyer and leader of a local civil group opposing the vessel.

"If it were a nuclear energy plant, the central and local governments could check it thoroughly," he said. "But they cannot control and monitor the U.S. aircraft carrier."

"The U.S. nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is untouchable for us."

Some activists have even urged residents to carry iodine syrup, which is effective in preventing thyroid cancer, especially for children, due to exposure to atomic radiation.

Yokosuka is 50 kilometers (30 miles) south of Tokyo. Anti-military activists say it is unprecedented for a nuclear-powered ship to be so close to densely populated areas.

Despite strong sentiment against the nuclear-powered ship, many local residents also feel that they need the security pact with the U.S.

"We need at least one aircraft career here because we have some perplexing states nearby such as North Korea and China," said Masaru Udaka, 81, who often visits a park near the U.S. base. "Otherwise we can't protect our country."

Japan has campaigned against nuclear weapons since the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki to end World War Two in 1945, killing more than 210,000 people.

Since its defeat, Japan -- which invaded and occupied much of East Asia during the war -- has been officially pacifist, relying on a security alliance with the United States, which stations more than 40,000 troops on its soil.

The U.S. military argues the USS George Washington poses no risks to local residents, but concerns grew after a fire broke out on the vessel in May, injuring dozens of sailors.

The Pentagon also said last month that a nuclear-powered U.S. submarine may have released a small amount of radiation during a visit this year near Nagasaki.

"The government of Japan will continue to do everything possible to ensure safety," Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone said in a statement read out at the welcoming ceremony.

Relations have often been tense between U.S. troops in Japan and residents, who accuse servicemen of causing noise and crime.

Photo: AP