U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy received several death threats by phone in February, Japanese media reported Tuesday.
The calls came into the U.S. Embassy from a man who spoke English, NTV reported. The caller said he was going to kill Kennedy. Similar calls were also made to the U.S. consul in Naha, Okinawa, threatening to kill Alfred R Magleby, who has been the U.S. consul general since 2012.
The U.S. Embassy, which is located in Tokyo's Minato Ward, declined to comment on matters of security pertaining to the ambassador.
© Japan Today
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Commodore Shmidlap (Retired)
One can only hope he keeps up the phone calls until they can locate him and determine what his problem is and the best way to deal with it.
Elbuda Mexicano
Speaking English, ok that narrows this crazy nut case to somebody down in Okinawa?? My guess, pissed off because the US military is boring them holes near Nago to make new runways over the sea.
lucabrasi
Which makes you wonder how on Earth this story ever made the headlines in the first place....
uniden
because assassinating US diplomats will solve the security alliance and Okinawa base issues. who knew it was that simple?
harvey pekar
Caroline Kennedy removed her name from the list to replace Hillary Clinton as a US senator when Hillary became Secretary of State due to what she said were "personal reasons". Those reasons turned out to be death threats.
Her father was killed, her uncle was killed, her mother took Caroline and John Jr. out of the country out of fear and Jackie remarried because the man promised to protect her family.
Her whole life she's dealt with threats, CIA conspiracies, and pressure. I know she's got the wealth and the name, but she's paid for it.
The only controversial thing she's done as Ambassador is openly criticizing the dolphin hunt. She even pledged to reduce the burden of the American military presence in Okinawa for whatever its worth. And She had previously visited Hiroshima with her uncle, Senator Ted Kennedy, in 1978. She was the second U.S. ambassador to attend the annual memorial.
Leave her alone.
HongoTAFEinmate
Harvey you are right. I don't rate her much as a diplomat (Tokyo has become a political posting), but nobody deserves to be under the gun to the extent that you pointed out.
And for others out there, assaulting, killing diplomats is not cool, whether its some nutter in Seoul or a crazy from down south.
tinawatanabe
It's hard to believe any Japanese wants to hurt Ms. Kennedy.
liarsnfools
It is despicable for there to be threats to Ambassador Kennedy. She has a very low mostly for show profile, and so it is surprising to find anyone who can find her benign and innocuous identity threatening or hateful in any way.
WA4TKG
WHO SAID the caller was JAPANESE ?
Wc626
With that "other dude" gettn' all SLASHED-UP in tha' face while serving his post in S. Korea, the US State Dept. will investigate the threat seriously. . . . . As mentioned above (unfortunately) the Kennedy's have some sort of political legacy of being killed while in office.
toshiko
@tinawatanabeMAR. 17, 2015 - 06:22PM JST It's hard to believe any Japanese wants to hurt Ms. Kennedy.
tina: the article stated a man spoke in English. A man. The article does not say Japanese.
Wc626
The US Embassy is a fortress.
tinawatanabe
The article does not say not Japanese.
ReformedBasher
So was Edojo. But Sakuradamon.
drakedogma
Because the US ambassadors have SO much power, next he should threaten the guy who cleans the toilets in the white house
wtfjapan
Speaking English, ok that narrows this crazy nut case to somebody down in Okinawa? your assuming too many things, the call could have easily come from any other country or nationality.
boweevil
News as to the motivation behind the calls seems to be conspicuosly absent. Some one with a political philosophy that is a tad too close for comfort to the prevailing national political narrative-but just a click or two too far to the right?
bajhista65
@Harvey Pekar... Yes... Kennedy have a point. But USA doesn't want her points. That simple. Imagine if USA Military base will be scrapped from Okinawa. No income for USA Military hehehe.
tinawatanabe
USA Military bases are all over in Japan, 85 places. The largest in the world.