An apology for Okinawa incident

TOKYO, JULY 3. The new U.S. Ambassador to Japan, Mr. Howard Baker stepped off his plane today and into a simmering diplomatic row, swiftly pledging co-operation with police who want to arrest a U.S. airman in the rape of a young Japanese woman.

Just hours earlier, the commander of U.S. forces on Japan's southern Okinawa island voiced his deep regret over the incident after fingerprints found on a car hood led police to demand that the U.S. military hand over U.S. Air Force sergeant Timothy Woodland in the alleged rape of the young woman early last Friday. ``As President (George W.) Bush said, and I repeat, we express regret, sincere regret about this incident,'' Mr. Baker said upon his arrival at Tokyo's Narita airport. ``We promise full co-operation in finding the facts and dealing with the situation.''

The latest in a string of offences by U.S. Forces on the island could trigger yet more local demands from residents fed up with the military presence for a reduction in the huge bases that cover 20 per cent of Okinawa land. If U.S. officials comply with Japanese police demands to arrest Woodland, it would be only the second time U.S. Forces in Japan have handed over a serviceman to Japanese investigators before formal charges have been filed.

Earlier, Lieutenant General Earl Hailston met senior officials of the Okinawa prefecture and said he regretted the incident, just the latest in a string of crimes and misdemeanours, mostly sexual offences, by U.S. serviceman stationed on the sub-tropical island. ``We are disappointed and deeply and sincerely regret the incident as it involves a U.S. service member,'' Lt. Gen. Hailston said in a televised meeting with Okinawa officials. ``We assure you full cooperation on the investigation,'' he said. However, he did not say whether the U.S. had decided to comply with the request to hand over Woodland, from the 353rd special operations group, based at the huge Kadena air base.

An arrest warrant was issued late yesterday for Woodland after police said they had found his fingerprints on a car at the crime scene along with the prints of the woman.

The woman, in her 20s, told investigators she had been raped by a black foreigner in the early hours of Friday in the parking lot of the American village shopping district in Chatan, some 1,600 km south of Tokyo.

Woodland has denied the rape. Jiji news agency quoted him as telling police he had consensual sex with the woman.

- Reuters

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Section  : International
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