U.S. forces to swiftly identify deserters for Japanese police arrest

Friday 16th May, 07:19 AM JST

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8 Comments

lunach1ck at 07:56 AM JST - 16th May

This seems too little-too late...like 50 years too late.
OssanULTRA at 08:09 AM JST - 16th May

It does boggle the mind that a concept so simple, to inform the Japanese police of deserters so that when they are sighted because they stand out like the proverbial you know what in the punch bowl, at least the US military could get a phone call.
USNinJapan2 at 09:33 AM JST - 16th May

As if this was being done already...
USNinJapan2 at 09:35 AM JST - 16th May

As if this wasn't being done already. I guess now the Japanese authorities will take interest for a change when they're notified...
ALHQQ at 04:27 PM JST - 16th May

I would think something like this would naturually be included in a Status of Forces Agreement of some sort form the begninning of US occupation in Japan. I would like to beleive this is a start!
ca1ic0cat at 08:48 PM JST - 16th May

Yeah, I would have thought that any armed forces would want to notify the local authorities of criminals on the loose too. But I'm forgetting about loss of face, am I not?
USNinJapan2 at 10:35 PM JST - 16th May

Please understand that it always has been standard procedure for the US military's various investigative bodies (in the Navy's case NCIS) and to notify Japanese authorities (police, immigration, etc.) when one of its members officially is determined to be a deserter. Up until now the Japanese authorities were not interested in these reports because from their perspective the deserter had not broken any Japanese laws and our notification was received as little more than a courtesy call.
nandakandamanda at 03:33 PM JST - 18th May

Besides, at what point can you be certain that someone who is AWOL is officially a "deserter" who needs reporting to a different set of authorities, setting possibly irreversible wheels in motion?

What if they are taken ill, or get involved in some kind of accident and are unable to report back? What if they've gone to a temple for contemplation on their future and then decide that they will come back and face the future in a more positive way? Will all this leeway now be lost?