Guam says US base move to proceed
![A general view of the U.S. Futenma Marines air base in Ginowan on the southernwestern Japanese island of Okinawa is seen in this July 16, 2000 file photo. Japan and the United States have reached an agreement on the touchy issue of funding the relocation of U.S. Marines to Guam, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said on April 24. The deal paves the way for wrapping up a plan to reorganise the approximately 50,000 U.S. military personnel in Japan, part of Washington's global strategy to make its forces more flexible to meet modern threats. [Reuters]](http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/200902/r336820_1527424.jpg "A general view of the U.S. Futenma Marines air base in Ginowan on the southernwestern Japanese island of Okinawa is seen in this July 16, 2000 file photo. Japan and the United States have reached an agreement on the touchy issue of funding the relocation of U.S. Marines to Guam, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said on April 24. The deal paves the way for wrapping up a plan to reorganise the approximately 50,000 U.S. military personnel in Japan, part of Washington's global strategy to make its forces more flexible to meet modern threats. [Reuters]")
PHOTO
A general view of the U.S. Futenma Marines air base in Ginowan on the southernwestern Japanese island of Okinawa is seen in this July 16, 2000 file photo. Japan and the United States have reached an agreement on the touchy issue of funding the relocation of U.S. Marines to Guam, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said on April 24. The deal paves the way for wrapping up a plan to reorganise the approximately 50,000 U.S. military personnel in Japan, part of Washington's global strategy to make its forces more flexible to meet modern threats. [Reuters]
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Guam's government says it is confident the relocation of US marines from Japan to Guam will go ahead.
US President Barack Obama has just wrapped up a visit to Japan, where he met with the new Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama.
A deal on the move was struck three years ago, but has been put on hold since a new Government was elected in Japan earlier this year.
The hold has led to some speculation about the possible impact for Guam, which is set to benefit economically from the relocation.
Guam's Government spokesman, Shawn Guamataotao, has told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat program that senior US officials have told Governor Juan Camacho that the move will go ahead as planned.
"There's been no indication that this has been stalled. There's been no indication that there's going to be a reconsideration of it. So Guam and it's government continues to prepare for the move," he said.
Meanwhile a send-off ceremony has been held in Guam for 15 soldiers who are being deployed to Afghanistan.
The Guam Army National Guard soldiers are being sent as part of a combat team tied to the Vermont Army National Guard.
They will assist in mentoring the Afghan National Army and National Police, once they complete the final stage of their training next week in the American state of Indiana.
About 200 soldiers and airmen have been deployed from the Guam National Guard since the US launched its most recent operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.
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