Everyone agrees the base on southern Japan's Okinawa Island should be shut down and moved. The problem is where. Col. Dale Smith, who commands the base, is undaunted.

''We operate just fine out of Futenma,'' he told The Associated Press on Friday in his first interview with the media. ''When a new facility is built and it's fully operational, that's the day that we will close our doors. We do not have any problem with the way we do business out of the current location of Futenma as it is now, though.''

Futenma, which has been used by the U.S. since the closing days of World War II, is a classic ''not in my backyard'' issue. Residents want it shut down and moved.

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TVNL Comment: Why does the US still have 18,000 troops in Futenma? Why does the US have miliitary bases in more than 150 countries around the world?  Just asking...