U.S. man charged over Japanese woman's death ahead of Obama visit

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Reuters

U.S. man charged over Japanese woman's death ahead of Obama visit
May 19, 2016

TOKYO (Reuters) - An American man working at a U.S. military base in Japan was arrested on Thursday on suspicion of dumping the body of a 20-year-old Japanese woman, police said, a case likely to stir anti-U.S. sentiment ahead of a visit by President Barack Obama.

The 32-year-old civilian working at the base on the island of Okinawa admitted to abandoning the corpse but did not make any comments about whether he had killed the woman, an Okinawa police spokesman said.

Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida summoned Caroline Kennedy, U.S. ambassador to Japan, to lodge a protest.
"I expressed a strong regret to Ambassador Kennedy and lodged a stern protest. I told her an incident like this is inexcusable and that I feel strong indignation," Kishida told reporters.

. . .

In Washington, the Pentagon said the individual was a contractor, but did not name him.

Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/u-civilian-charged-over-japan-womans-death-ahead-120834213.html?nhp=1

[Judi Lynn]

1. US defense secretary apologizes to Japan after American accused of dumping woman’s body

US defense secretary apologizes to Japan after American accused of dumping woman’s body
Reuters
21 May 2016 at 20:58 ET

U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter called his Japanese counterpart on Saturday to express regrets after an American working at a U.S. military base in Japan was arrested on suspicion of dumping the body of a Japanese woman.

The case in Okinawa has sparked a protest from Tokyo and could add to resentment of the large U.S. military presence on the island, where Japanese have long been upset by crimes committed by Americans. It also is likely to stir anti-U.S. sentiment as President Barack Obama visits Japan next week.

In his call to Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, Carter “extended his sincere apologies to the victim’s family and friends,” Defense Department spokesman Peter Cook said in a statement.

. . .

Earlier this year, a U.S. serviceman stationed in Okinawa was arrested on suspicion of raping a woman. In the most infamous post-war case involving Americans on Okinawa, three American servicemen raped a 12-year-old girl in 1995.

More:
http://www.rawstory.com/2016/05/us-defense-secretary-apologizes-to-japan-after-american-accused-of-dumping-womans-body/