Rice offers regret over alleged rape in Japan

[AlphaCentauri]

Source: Herald

TOKYO: Hoping to prevent outrage here from harming ties between the United States and Japan, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice expressed deep regret on Wednesday over a case in which an American marine is accused of raping a 14-year-old Japanese girl on Okinawa.

Rice stopped here on the final leg of an Asian trip intended to find ways to contain North Korea's nuclear program. She also visited South Korea and China. She ordered her top Asia adviser, Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, to remain to study China's new proposals on North Korea's program.

But in Japan, she spent much of her time trying to control diplomatic damage from the rape case and recent alcohol-related arrests of American servicemen on Okinawa, where most of the more than 40,000 American troops here are based. Japan is a major ally in Washington's bid to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions.

The accused marine, Staff Sergeant Tyrone Luther Hadnott, 38, has denied raping the girl, but the case has inflamed anger over the American military presence. It has also revived bitter memories of the 1995 rape of a 12-year-old girl by three American servicemen on Okinawa, which set off huge protests and forced Washington to consider relocating some of its forces on the island.

"We certainly hope that there will not be lasting effects; it's a longstanding and strong alliance," Rice told reporters. "Our concern right now is to see that justice is done, to get to the bottom of it, and our concern is for the girl and her family. We really, really deeply regret it."



Read more: http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/28/asia/28rice.php

[tularetom]

1. Rice allegedly raped someone in Japan?

I guess georgie ain't gettin the job done in the US.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

2. If only she'd express regret over raping Iraq.

[provis99]

3. Regret over the rape, or regret the marines got caught?

[ben_meyers]

4. Why are will still on Okinawa?

Or in Korea, Germany and every other one of the 170 overseas occupations. Time to bring all the troops home.

[Jack_DeLeon]

5. Title had me really confused...

was thinking of actual rice, and wondering wha?

[comtec]

6. THAT was a very Ricist comment!

Think of all the brown, and while grain, and wild you just insulted!
:rofl:

[Supersedeas]

7. so much substance to off -- and so few important issues on the table