Passage: During a three-day stop here, Cohen will be assured by Hashimoto that the bill will pass allowing US forces to continue running 12 facilities in Okinawa on land owned by 3,000 people who have refused to renew leases which expire on May 14. "From the standpoint of ordinary people, it may seem cruel," Hashimoto commented on the decision to extend the leases which he said was necessary to uphold Japan-US defence links.
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