US sailor jailed for Japan murder

[dipsydoodle]

Source: BBC News

A US sailor has been jailed for life for killing a Japanese taxi driver, in a case which strained relations.

Olatunbosun Ugbogu, 23, a Nigerian national, was sentenced in the Yokohama District Court.

He was convicted of killing Masaaki Takahashi, 61, who was found with stab wounds in his neck near a US base in Yokosuka, near Tokyo, in March 2008.

Ugbogu's lawyers had argued that he was insane at the time, but the judge ruled that he was fully competent.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8176130.stm

[saigon68]

1. Why is the US still in Japan?

The sale of alcohol at its Yokosuka base was banned, and travel restrictions imposed, in an effort to placate the local population.

There are about 50,000 US military personnel in Japan, and the relationship with the local population is often uneasy.

[psychopomp]

2. We are keeping them on the go

just in case the Chinese start to pop off.

But yeah, this case really could not have happened at a worse time. Things were already bad since a number of crimes and alleged crimes around six years or so ago in Okinawa had already poisoned the atmosphere.

[saigon68]

3. I'm sure 50,000 pencil pushers in the military

In Japan are going to "STOP THE CHINESE"

LOL

[psychopomp]

4. For a military guy you are quite uninformed about the strength of US forces based in Japan

Kadena Air Base, Yokosuka's 7th fleet, Iwakuni, Sasebo... the list goes on. You probably also didn't know that under the US-Japan security treaty the US can use any airstrip in the country. And anyway, my point was that the US is keeping the Japanese on the go so that we will have a strong ally in the region ready to fight with us if the Chinese pop off.

[saigon68]

17. If the Chinese "Pop Off"

The money in your wallet will be worthless. Since they own 30% of our national debt.

As for the Chinese military capabilities, some guys at Yakota AB in Japan won't stop WW 3

[ShamelessHussy]

5. The Protection Racket, is an old service provided by empires

and gangsters...

[psychopomp]

9. But gangsters don't protect against any real outside threat

Japan has a couple of very unsympathetic neighbors off its coast. Both of which are hostile to the United States (China just less perceptibly so..).

[ShamelessHussy]

14. That's what empire's always say, too.

[hack89]

12. Because they want us there

it saves the Japanese government hundreds of millions in defense spending. It is also the only reason they haven't gone nuke.

[ShamelessHussy]

15. Nonsense

There is STRONG opposition to the bases there.

And there is a huge debate about Japan being forced to pay for the removal of US Marines to Guam.

And I don't blame them. I would not want foreign Military on our soil either but might trumps rights, everytime.

[rollingrock]

6. I don't know how any government can tolerate the presence

of a foreign military base on their soil. don't these people have any pride?

[Angleae]

7. It's called $$$$$$

These military bases pump millions into the local economy.

[rollingrock]

8. You can pump money into your economy

by legalizing child labor, which will attract foreign investment, though of course the social consequences of doing that outweighs any economic benefits. But I guess some people just care about the money part.

[psychopomp]

11. I'd like to see a citation for that claim

The Japanese government shells out billions a year to support the US presence and the bases are self-sufficient as far as shopping goes so I don't know how the government nets any $$$$$$ from this arrangement.

[ShamelessHussy]

16. They pay large ammounts of money for the bases, more than any other ally and they are very UNPOPULAR

How much support, both direct and indirect, does Japan provide to help shoulder the cost of the U.S. forces in Japan?

According to a 2004 report by the U.S. Department of Defense, Japan contributed direct financial support worth $3.23 billion and indirect support worth $1.18 billion in fiscal 2002, which offset as much as 74.5 percent of the total costs for the U.S. to station its forces in Japan.

"Japan . . . provides over $4 billion in host-nation support — the most generous of any U.S. ally — and remains steadfast in supporting its share of the costs of alliance transformation," Adm. Timothy Keating, naval commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on March 11.

Japan's direct financial support includes paying the salaries of some 25,000 nonmilitary workers at U.S. military facilities in Japan. Japan also pays for the electricity, gas, water and sewage as well as for the cooking and heating fuels at U.S. military housing facilities.

source...
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080325i1.html

[psychopomp]

10. Wouldn't you want to have the most powerful military in the world

covering your ass if you had North Korea off the coast from your country?

[slackmaster]

13. Presence of US military is by mutual agreement under terms of the San Francisco Treaty

Which took effect in 1952.