US military chief 'open' to ideas on Japan base: "The head of the US military said Thursday he was open to ideas on resolving a long-running row with Japan over bases after three senators called the two governments' agreement infeasible.
"I think we need to be as open as we possibly can to solutions now," Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a breakfast with reporters.
Senators Carl Levin, John McCain and Jim Webb last month called for the United States to rethink base realignment plans in East Asia due to political opposition in Japan and cost overruns in both Japan and South Korea.
Japanese and US officials earlier dismissed the proposal, saying that the plan worked out in 2006 was the best approach and would reduce troop numbers on Okinawa island, where tensions with local residents have been frequent.
Mullen, whose term ends in September, did not comment specifically on the senators' proposal but said that the United States needed to be mindful both of costs and the political situation in Japan.
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