Yet another U.S. serviceman arrested for sexual assault in Japan
Posted by Guy on May 2, 2008
Lt. Gen. Edward Rice, can any commander trust troops that lack the minimum discipline? If you have a daughter, would you trust any of your soldiers to babysit for you without molesting her?
TOKYO (Reuters) - Police in northern Japan arrested a U.S. serviceman on Friday for sexually assaulting a young woman, in the latest in a string of such cases involving American military that have sparked anger among Japanese.
A U.S. Marine faces a court martial on charges of kidnapping and raping a 14-year-old girl on Japan’s southern island of Okinawa in February, in a case that sparked demonstrations on the island.
Four other U.S. Marines from a base in southwest Japan also face court martial over the rape of a Japanese woman last year and a U.S. sailor was arrested by Japanese police last month on suspicion of murdering a taxi driver.
The commander of U.S. troops in Japan, Lt. Gen. Edward Rice, said at his first news conference in April he would demand high standards of behavior from the 50,000 or so U.S. military personnel based in Japan.
The communities that host U.S. bases often complain of associated noise, crime and pollution, though some local people rely on them to make a living. (Reporting by Isabel Reynolds)
