US puts Okinawan Troops under Curfew

[ExtremelyHappy]

The US has had a real problem with troops on Okinawa. Been going on for years, but looks like the last incident finally pushed authorities on both sides over the edge. Probably a good thing. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7254105.stm

[BlueMouse]

i think US troops should withdraw from japan cuz i think it's sorta weird...they stay there for another while and u'll have a settlement of white folks in japan, and japanese americans like the metis forming

[OldiesLover]

There is no doubt about it... Americans should've been outta there decades ago.

However, our American military just loves spendin' money, and the Okinawan Command has long been considered the U.S. Military's Secret Lil Vacation Resort.

There are quite a few other such Vacation Resorts. All of this in a time of War, no less.
:giveup:

[Candyman]

America should be out of alot of places but it's not going to happen because the U.S. wants to be a presence around the world and maintain a presence in the Asia-Pacific region. And I wouldn't mind seeing the U.S. leave Okinawa. My time there wasn't all that pleasant. It's a nice island but far from a vacation resort. I couldn't wait to leave it once I had the chance. And it only takes one incident there makes international headlines and brings about the protests and calls for the U.S. to leave, then goes back to normal until the next incident. And our government does whatever it can to make nice because there is no where else you can put those bases.

What's clear is that the Okinawans don't want us there and every single incident will continue to make international news until we leave. So I think it's time we should. But no matter where you put a U.S. base there will be problems, they just wont make headlines unless it's something really crazy.

[STM]

The Japanese government actually pays quite a bit towards US base upkeep in Japan. They've also started moving more troops to Guam. This might speed up the process. I think the Japanese reaction is more muted this time around (compared to when the 3 marines raped the 12 yr old girl) because they're more worried about NK and PRC.

But I'll be honest, this case has enjo-kosai gone wrong written all over it. For those who don't know, enjo-kosai is "compensated dating" where women are paid to keep someone company. It often, but not always, involves sex. If not, then why did she (at age 14) agree to get on his motorcycle and ride away? Even if relatively safe Japan they teach kids not to ride with strangers and this is especially true around US bases. Interestingly, the Japanese newspaper coverage that I saw often left out those details. What he's accused of doing is still very wrong, but I think there's a lot more to the case than is being admitted.

[BlueMouse]

America should be out of alot of places but it's not going to happen because the U.S. wants to be a presence around the world and maintain a presence in the Asia-Pacific region. And I wouldn't mind seeing the U.S. leave Okinawa. My time there wasn't all that pleasant. It's a nice island but far from a vacation resort. I couldn't wait to leave it once I had the chance. And it only takes one incident there makes international headlines and brings about the protests and calls for the U.S. to leave, then goes back to normal until the next incident. And our government does whatever it can to make nice because there is no where else you can put those bases.

What's clear is that the Okinawans don't want us there and every single incident will continue to make international news until we leave. So I think it's time we should. But no matter where you put a U.S. base there will be problems, they just wont make headlines unless it's something really crazy.

ohh candyman u're one of the stationed unit in okinawa?
are there rules and ethics that you guys need to follow, as in dealing with local residents or anything? and as there are 40,000 servicemen there in okinawa there, how about the firepower there?

i think the US base in japan does only so much to tell the n. koreans they're there, and perhaps only useful against n. koreans in case of conflict. as for prc, the sole US base poses minimal threat because it's within the range of many PRC ballistic missiles. maybe the 7th fleet poses more firepower and projection, but no one believes US will enter the conflict against PRC for ROC, same as unlikely PRC will invade the japan as aggressor.

[Candyman]

When I was in the Marines, I was stationed there for a year. I worked in a technical shop a few feet away from the beach which was cool. Okinawa is mainly Marine bases but the Air Force also has a huge base there as well. We have around 30,000 troops stationed there and you just can't move them to somewhere else, not without taking several years to build new bases and training facilities and housing facilities for the families of personnel. Also you can't build new bases without someone being pissed about it, whether it would be the local populous who wouldn't want to live next to a military base, politicians who don't want to spend the money to build new bases, or a rival country who would see it as defensive posturing and may try and either start some shit or a war we can't fight since we are stretched thin in the Middle East. And you can't just move them all to Guam or back to the U.S. without China or North Korea getting ideas.

Okinawa is also located in a pretty strategic part of the region. In war, you need to quickly send troops to the area of operation. So if you had these troops in Guam and needed to move them to an Asian country, it would be noticeable so the enemy can prepare and also take longer because Guam is located out in the middle of nowhere.

Because Okinawa is such a small island, you notice the military presence there. And incidences such as these make the news quick and infuriate alot of people there since they want us to leave, so our government does whatever it takes to make nice because strategically Okinawa is important. I think it also acts as more of a deterrent for China because of how close Okinawa is to Taiwan. We already have 30-40,000 troops in South Korea so that acts as a deterrent for the North Koreans from doing something.

Before I got there, they had a curfew in place because somebody did something stupid and it made the news but it was lifted by the time I got to the island. When I first got there, I went through three days of orientation. They tell us that we are all ambassadors for the military which is true and to prevent incidences such as these and because people get their impression of the military at large by the actions of the one person that they encounter. So if an Okinawan meets someone who is a jackass, they will think that about all military members unless they know better. And if one Marine does something, it gets magnified ten times than if it was done by another member of the Armed Forces and puts a black eye on the entire Marine Corps. We also fall under the Status of Forces Agreement for the country that we happened to be stationed in. So if someone in the military committed a crime, they could go to an Okinawan prison eating fish heads and rice for who knows how long.

There is more to this case because you never see a 14 year old Okinawan with just some old American dude, especially one in the military. Not since that girl got raped. If she was of age, no one would think much about it, but being that young would have definitely raised some eyebrows because the rape is still fresh in people's minds and is brought up every time an incident occurs and sets off a firestorm. So that chick must have been doing something that she wasn't supposed to be doing such as advertising herself for someone to have a good time with for money to be able to come in contact with him.

Even if it isn't true, the allegation of rape sets off a firestorm. When I was there, this Filipino chick in her late 20's to early 30's who was probably in Okinawa illegally and probably sucked dick in the back of some dirty ass bar to make a living said she was raped by this guy who had an exemplary military record. It made the local news and got the protesters out in droves and had me worried because it effects everyone when something like that happens, but she was lying about it. But even the allegation brings about an investigation with the quickness. And if she was a young Okinawan instead of a middle aged Filipina, it would have made international headlines.

Regardless of if a rape occurred or not or whether she was paid or not, this guy should not even be near a 14 year old girl to be in this situation in the first place. He could have easily found a prostitute. And if this was some Okinawan dude with a 14 year old girl, we'd never hear about it.

[redeux]

in over 97% of the cases of assualt/rape/adw/187/647-5150 its the same subgroup of EP's that cause the problems and bring the hate...
you don't have to be a savant to make the connections , ask any CID and he'll tell you in an instant who/what the perps are in almost every case brought to the jags...
same thing stateside...
the boy in this case will be wearing his balls in a baggy in his pocket if he ever sees daylight again...

[BlueMouse]

as a person interested in military and history and strategy, i agree the okinawa base is extremely important in strategic means to the US armed forces. if okinawa is removed, guam will be the sole point remaining in the hemisphere. and even in the matter of fact, okinawa is the only american pin in the far east, so it's highly unlikely the US moves out for the next 150 years unless US receives a major blow to the nation, forcing national, foreign policies to change, and national grand strategy(leading withdrawl of forces)

US strategy is a smart one, which even i will do, is when you have extra troops, placing them strategicall around the globe means to keep every part of the world under watch

[redeux]

Details emerge of Okinawan girl's alleged rape encounter with "terrifying" Marine

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/culture/waiwai/news/images/20080215p2g00m0dm008000p_size5.jpg
U.S. Marines are dangerous, screams Shukan Shincho (2/21) and the junior high schoolgirl knew that for sure, but still ended up going along with the staff sergeant now under arrest for raping her -- a charge he vehemently denies.
U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Tyrone Luther Hadnott apparently met the 14-year-old girl the weekly refers to by the pseudonym "Chiaki Hibi" in a place called Koza Music Town, an entertainment area in the city of Okinawa.
At about 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 10, Hadnott rode into the area on his Harley Davidson and began talking to a group of three schoolgirls, including Chiaki, who had just attended a fashion show at Koza Music Town.
"Chiaki was originally part of a group of five, but by 8:30 there were only three of them still hanging out together. Hadnott asked Chiaki something like where she'd bought the knit hat she was wearing. They got talking in a mix of English and Japanese, and after about four or five minutes, Chiaki asked him if he'd give her a ride on his bike as a joke. He said 'OK,' and that's how she got on the bike," an investigation insider tells Shukan Shincho.
The girl apparently thought the Marine would give her a lift home. Her two friends assumed she was only going for a joyride and would come back in 10 minutes at most.
"The bike headed off to Kitanakagusuku, a kilometer away, where Hadnott's home is," the insider says.
Kitanakagusuku was once mostly inhabited by non-Japanese, the vast majority of them associated with the U.S. military in Okinawa. Now, however, there is also a strong mix of Japanese living in the district, the weekly notes. Hadnott lived in the district with a Japanese wife, from whom he has been separated for about two years. One of his neighbors described the staff sergeant for the magazine.
"He's well-built, standing over 180 centimeters tall. He's a fair-skinned black guy who looks more like a Caucasian. If you met him, he'd say things in Japanese like 'konnichiwa (hello),' 'atsui desu ne (it's hot isn't it?)' and the like. But then, I remember his TV antenna blew down in a typhoon and he said 'antenna ga kowarechatta (my antenna's busted),' so I figured he spoke quite a bit of Japanese," the neighbor tells Shukan Shincho. "For some reason, he shared his house with an older white guy. They were always taking all these Japanese women in their 20s into the house."
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/culture/waiwai/news/images/20080215p2g00m0dm009000p_size5.jpg Tyrone Luther Hadnott, the U.S. Marine accused of raping a junior high school girl.

Hadnott allegedly took Chiaki into the house, too.
"For about 20 minutes, he tried to pressure Chiaki into a physical relationship, but she kept refusing and couldn't stop crying. She said she wanted to go and ran out of the house, heading into a grove nearby. Hadnott ran after her, saying he'd take her home in his car. But when they did get into the vehicle, he didn't head for her home in (the city of) Okinawa, but went to (the nearby town of) Chatan instead. Chiaki got a moment to herself and called a male friend on her mobile phone. She begged him for help, but couldn't tell him where she was because she didn't know herself," the investigation insider says. "The phone stayed connected for a short while before the friend on the other end of the line heard someone say 'Shaddup,' something like a slapping sound, then some English and music before the line went dead about 30 minutes later."
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/culture/waiwai/news/images/20080215p2g00m0dm010000p_size5.jpg Shukan Shincho (2/21)

At about the same time back in Koza Music Town, the male friend Chiaki called had met up with the two buddies she had been with when Hadnott came along. The three realized something was amiss. Eventually, they contacted the girl's relatives and, just before 10:30 that night, arrived at Okinawa Police Station. While they were there, Chiaki called and said she was in a park in Chatan. Officers raced to the scene and heard Chiaki's side of what had happened to her.
Based on her statements, they went to Hadnott's Kitanakagusuku home and found a black station wagon the girl had talked about. They also found Hadnott, who admitted he had taken the girl in his car. He would later be arrested for raping her.
"It's ironic this case began at Koza Music Town," Okinawa-based journalist Ryunosuke Megumi tells Shukan Shincho. "After a black American soldier raped a woman a few years ago, the Japanese government, which is responsible for the bases, paid for the area to be built with taxpayers' money as a form of apology."
The magazine promptly rattles off a litany of sex crimes U.S. military members have committed in Okinawa over the past few years.
Those in Koza Music Town say the tragic case would never have happened had Hadnott approached a local girl.
"While kids born in Koza know what benefits the bases have brought the area, they also know really well just how scary the American military can be," a Koza shop owner tells Shukan Shincho. "There's always a tension in the air when dealing with the American soldiers and none of the local girls would ever think about going off with someone in the U.S. military on a whim."
A lawyer based in the city of Okinawa tells a slightly different story.
"Apart from some areas, there are lots of girls around who want to use the English they've studied at school and the best way for them to do that is have a chat with a handsome American soldier," he says.
When told the alleged victim came from distant Ginowan and not Koza, the shop owner was not surprised.
"It simply wouldn't happen to anyone who grew up in Koza," the retailer tells Shukan Shincho. "The bases near Ginowan aren't anywhere near the size of the ones here in Koza. I'd say she probably went with the guy because, unlike the kids from around here, she simply didn't know how terrifying the American soldiers are." (By Ryann Connell)

（Mainichi Japan） February 15, 2008

[Candyman]

Either it didn't go down this way or this girl is extremely stupid. She knows that Marines are dangerous but gets on the bike of a complete stranger that is twice her age and thought he was going to just take her home without telling him to do so. The base by Ginowan is small, but not small enough to not know to go into the damn house of a damn stranger or into the car of a damn stranger.

This guy shouldn't be near a 14 year old in the first place but Okinawan junior high schoolers just don't go off by themselves with Marines twice their age, especially one that is Black and pretty built. She either was doing something she wasn't supposed to be doing or is beyond stupid or lived in a cave for who knows how long because anytime a Marine does something, it's all over the news and the rape of the 12 year old is immediately brought up.

She probably was advertising herself because girls that young just don't run off with people in the military at 8:30 at night by themselves. Not even for a damn joyride. Okinawans are very nice people but distrusting of Americans for the most part. But regardless, he admitted to having her in his car so he is in alot of trouble. Plus the wound is already opened regardless of whether a rape occurred or not so this guy is going to do several years in jail eating fish heads and rice because the Okinawans will be furious if he doesn't go to jail. Most of them don't think rationally.

[ExtremelyHappy]

This could be the world's shortest "Indefinite Curfew:

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080301f1.html

Compliments to both Governments for fixing nothing.

[Candyman]

Latest news:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080301/pl_afp/japanusmilitaryrape_080301201749

The US and Japan are promising a crackdown on crime committed by military personnel now that the prosecution is not pursuing rape charges. Either that girl was raped and wants this to go away or she was doing something she was not supposed to be doing. This guy will still be punished by the military regardless. Also, crimes committed by the military is very low plus patrols are done daily in the towns outside the military bases and at the local hangouts so I don't know what they are going to do differently. Whatever they decide to do won't prevent someone from bringing a chick to a house outside base and committing a sexual assault/rape.

Until the military is completely out of Okinawa, any crime committed by a member of the military will make headlines and get the Okinawans out to protest. So the cycle continues.