U.S. Ambassador to Japan Regrets Alleged Sexual Assaults by Military Personnel in Okinawa

The U.S. ambassador to Japan on Saturday expressed regret over the handling of two cases of sexual assault allegedly committed by U.S. service members stationed in Okinawa.

The issue arose late last month, sparking an outcry following reports that two U.S. service members had been accused of sexual assault months earlier.

Both cases were first reported in local media in late June. In March, a U.S. Air Force member was charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting a teenage girl, and in May, a U.S. Marine was arrested for attempted rape resulting in injuries. No further details about the alleged victims have been released.

Okinawa police said they did not announce the cases due to confidentiality concerns over the victims. The Foreign Ministry, at the police's discretion, also did not inform Okinawa Prefectural officials.

U.S. Ambassador Rahm Emanuel said Saturday he deeply regretted what happened to the individuals, their families and their communities, but stopped short of apologizing.

“Of course, we must let criminal justice take its course. But that does not mean that we should not express our regrets on a human level.”

“We have to do better,” he said, adding that the U.S. military's high standards and protocols for educating and training its troops “are just not working.”

This photo taken on August 24, 2022 shows anti-base activist Suzuyo Takazato (bottom left) taking part in a protest in front of the U.S. Henoko base in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture. PHILIP FONG/AFP via Getty Images

Okinawa is only 0.6% of Japan's land area, but is home to about 70% of all U.S. military bases and installations in the country.

Both cases have stoked resentment over the heavy U.S. troop presence on the strategic island in Japan's far southwest. They also recall the gang rape of a 12-year-old girl by three U.S. servicemen in 1995. The incidents led to a deal between Tokyo and Washington in 1996 to close a key U.S. air base, though the plan has been repeatedly delayed because of protests at the planned replacement site elsewhere on the island.

Emanuel said the United States might be able to propose measures to improve training and transparency with the public during security talks between the foreign and defense ministers of the United States and Japan, scheduled for later this month in Tokyo.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said Friday that Japanese authorities would do everything possible to more quickly reveal alleged crimes linked to U.S. military personnel in Okinawa while protecting the privacy of victims.

The cases could be a setback for defense relations at a time when Okinawa is seen as increasingly important in the face of rising tensions with China.

About 50,000 U.S. troops are deployed in Japan under a bilateral security agreement, about half of them in Okinawa, where residents have long complained about the heavy U.S. troop presence and the accidents, crime and noise it causes.

Emanuel commented on this issue during his visit to Fukushima, on Japan's northeastern coast.

Earlier Saturday, the ambassador traveled to the nearby town of Minamisoma to join young surfers and sample locally caught flounder for lunch, in a bid to highlight the safety of the region's seawater and seafood amid continued discharges of treated and diluted radioactive water from the tsunami-destroyed Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

China has banned Japanese seafood because of the discards, a move Emanuel has criticized as unjustified.

More information on CBS News

Sources 1/ https://Google.com/ 2/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-ambassador-japan-regret-alleged-sex-assaults-military-personnel-okinawa/ The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos