Japan Promises Fewer U.S. Troops

Japan's prime minister promised to reduce the number of U.S. troops stationed on Okinawa as he marked the 60th anniversary of the bloody battle there. Junichiro Koizumi attended a memorial service Thursday at the Peace Memorial Park in Itoman, Kyodo News Service reported. "The concentration of U.S. military facilities is still a big burden on the lives of residents of the prefecture," Koizumi said. About 200,000 people died in the three-month battle of Okinawa, with resistance ending on June 23, 1945. Koizumi said he is negotiating with the U.S. government on cutting the number of bases on Okinawa while maintaining the presence needed in a post-Cold War world.