Japan’s Foreign Minister confirms the U.S. Embassy’s response to the U.S. Department of Defense’s comment, “There is no official request.”
Japanese Cabinet: “Concerns about Osprey flights continuing… “There is no sufficient explanation from the U.S.”
The Japanese government announced on the 1st that it had officially requested the United States to temporarily suspend operations of the CV-22 Osprey, the U.S. military transport aircraft that caused the crash. This was also confirmed by the U.S. Embassy in Japan.
According to Jiji News Agency and Japanese public broadcaster NHK, Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, a spokesperson for the Japanese government, said of the U.S. Ospreys at a regular press conference after the Cabinet meeting this morning, “Except for search and rescue activities. “We have formally requested (the U.S.) to conduct the flight after safety has been confirmed,” he emphasized.
He said, “Despite repeated requests from the Japanese government, we are concerned that the flight was conducted without sufficient explanation for flight safety confirmation.”
He also said, “There is still no sufficient explanation (from the U.S.)” regarding the Osprey’s safety confirmation.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno continued to tell the U.S., “We will make various requests from the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to ensure the safety of the Osprey.”
Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa took a further stance.
Foreign Minister Kamikawa said at a press conference that day, “A little while ago, the U.S. Embassy in Japan confirmed the perception that ‘yesterday’s (Japan’s) request was official.’”
He emphasized, “We will continue to cooperate closely with relevant ministries and the United States and respond appropriately.”
The reason behind Japan’s emphasis on ‘official request’ is that the US Department of Defense stated that ‘there was no official request’. The Japanese government appears to have denied this.
Previously, on the 30th of last month (local time), the U.S. Department of Defense announced that it had not received an official request from Japan to suspend Osprey operations.
“Right now, we are still focused on search and rescue efforts,” U.S. Department of Defense Deputy Spokesperson Sabrina Singh said at a regular briefing that day. “That is our priority.” She added, “I will not get ahead of the investigation (into the circumstances of the accident).”
“An investigation is currently underway into exactly what happened,” Deputy Spokesperson Singh said.
Questions related to the Osprey operation that day were constantly asked throughout the briefing.
In particular, Deputy Spokesperson Singh said, “As far as I know, no official request has been received (regarding the suspension of Osprey flights).” He said, “I don’t know” whether the request was made through the State Department or other sources, but said it could come through various channels.
When asked about the deaths and rescue progress identified after the Osprey accident that day, he only mentioned that eight people were missing, saying, “There is no new information to provide regarding the recovery yet.”
Previously, on the 29th of last month, a US military CV-22 Osprey crashed in the sea off Yakushima, Kagoshima Prefecture, southern Kyushu. One of the eight people on board was confirmed dead. Japanese authorities are searching for the remaining passengers.
The Osprey has frequently had problems, including crash landings and civil aviation emergency landings. Locally, voices such as anxiety are growing louder and public opinion is worsening.
Accordingly, Japanese Defense Minister Minoru Kihara (木原稔) announced on the 30th that he had requested the United States to suspend flights of the US military transport plane Osprey.
Defense Minister Kihara explained, “We have requested that the Ospreys deployed in Korea be flown after their safety has been confirmed, excluding search and rescue activities.” “Accidents like this cause great anxiety to everyone in the region. “I am very sorry,” he emphasized. “We are requesting early information about the circumstances of the accident,” he added.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.