# 99016. Troop Talks, Bases, Missile Defense Top Cohen Asia Agenda

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By Douglas J. Gillert
American Forces Press Service

TOKYO -- Pledges to U.S. service members of better pay and 
benefits and promises of assistance to East Asia security mark 
Defense Secretary William S. Cohen's visit to Japan and South 
Korea Jan. 10-16.

Cohen was expected to tell service members what DoD is doing to 
enhance readiness and improve military quality of life during 
visits to Yokota and Misawa Air bases in Japan the first part of 
his trip and bases in Korea toward the end of the week.

"We expect to increase readiness across the board to all of our 
forces," he said. He listed pay, retirement benefits and 
targeted pay raises as key readiness issues. "All of that will 
be helpful as far as the quality of people we recruit and 
retain."

He also cited spare parts inventories, increased training 
opportunities and modernized weapons as key readiness 
components.

En route here, Cohen told reporters traveling with him Iraq is 
one of three issues that have dominated his agenda the past 
several months. The others were the annual defense budget 
process and Northeast Asia. He said he was pleased the situation 
in Iraq and the improved budget outlook allowed him to 
reschedule this Asia trip, originally planned for last fall. 

On his way to Hong Kong Oct. 30 -- with scheduled visits to 
Japan, Korea and Indonesia as well -- Cohen made it as far as 
Wake Island before returning to Washington for emergency 
meetings to deal with Iraq. He said he looked forward to the 
rescheduled meetings in Japan with Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi 
and Defense Minister Hosei Norota, the visits with American 
troops, and a luncheon with military commanders at U.S. 
Ambassador Thomas Foley's residence.

He and Norota will discuss numerous defense issues, including 
Japanese host-nation support for U.S. bases here; and North 
Korea, where he said he sees both promise and provocation. While 
meetings between the United States, Japan, South Korea and North 
Korea continue to promote the Framework Agreement, Cohen said 
North Korea's firing of a Taepo Dong missile last August and its 
submarine-launched infiltration of South Korea increased 
regional tensions. 

"We intend to continue to engage the North Koreans, meeting with 
the South Koreans, and try to keep the Agreed Framework intact," 
Cohen said. "That's something that's very important to us, and 
it's important to Japan and South Korea. So we will spend some 
time discussing those issues. 

"We intend to remain engaged with North Korea as long as it's 
productive to do so," Cohen said. The launch of a second Taepo 
Dong would "complicate" continued congressional support of the 
Agreed Framework, he said.

The North Korean missile firing "really got everyone's 
attention," Cohen said. "We have been concerned about the 
proliferation of missile technology for some time and have been 
developing a number of [theater missile defense] programs." 

He said Japan has committed millions of dollars to theater 
missile defense research, but he would like to see the two 
nations coordinate their efforts closely. "We think it would be 
helpful to both Japan and to us if we can have some cooperative 
effort as far as research and development aspects of the theater 
missile defense program are concerned," he said.

Although Cohen came here with a long list of specific objectives 
-- from host-nation support agreements to missile defense -- he 
said his principal aim is to "reaffirm the strong ties we have 
with Japan. It really is the hallmark of our relationship 
throughout the Pacific Region," he said.

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