The United States is considering reducing its military presence in Japan, and is specifically looking at pulling some troops out of Okinawa, the top U.S. military official in the country told CNN Monday. The changes would come amid a realignment that Japan is undertaking to alter its strategy in the region, said Lt. Gen. Thomas Waskow, commander of U.S. forces in the country. Japan recognizes it faces "three major threats," Waskow said, North Korea, China and international terrorism. U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has instructed the U.S. military to consider various proposals for its future in Japan, Waskow said When asked if that would mean a reduction of forces, he responded, "It's possible. In fact, we're looking at reducing the burden in Okinawa in particular." About half of the 58,000 U.S. troops in Japan are on the island of Okinawa, southwest of mainland Japan. "As soon as (Rumsfeld) decides which of the proposals he's going to accept, then we'll present those to the Japanese government and we'll take a look at what the future might look like," he said.
