Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, returned to the states Tuesday from the three-day weekend festival that drew 30,792 people to the Chatan Sports Complex in Okinawa - the southernmost prefecture where much of the United States military bases in Japan are concentrated.

Okinawa is reported to have 13 U.S. military bases with 150,000 American citizens living on the island. Leading up to the festival, hundreds of Christians opposed the evangelistic event on account of Graham's support for the war in Iraq, according to Ecumenical News International. U.S. troops were dispatched to Iraq from Okinawa Island. ...