.In 2012, the Central Intelligence Agency’s Open Source Center published a manual for U.S. officials advising them how to shape Okinawan public opinion about the large U.S. military presence on their island. Categorized For Official Use Only, the 60-page CIA report is titled A Master Narratives Approach to Understanding Base Politics in Okinawa.
It was released under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act.
It was released under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act.
The manual:
- advises U.S. policy makers to claim that the U.S. military benefits the economy, promotes cultural exchange and provides disaster relief
- warns U.S. officials not to mention military deterrence or the environment
- criticizes the Japanese government for being insensitive to Okinawan issues
- describes discrimination against Okinawans as a problem solely involving the island and Tokyo; the U.S. bears no blame
- outlines five “narratives” which, the CIA claims, enables Americans to understand Okinawans’ character