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  Loki520 at 09:38 PM JST - 31st March

  outhousejt

  "US Navy will make it as hard as possible for the J-police in any case where the suspect is a US Navy."

  Incorrect. The Navy is FULLY cooperative, at ALL times, with the Jcops. EVERY thing is done according to the SOFA.

  Alphaape is correct. WHEN the Jcops ask, suspects will be IMMEDIATELY provided by us.

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  outhousejt at 09:50 PM JST - 31st March

  US Navy is not FULLY coorporative. It pretends to be. Any chance it can get it will shelter the criminals from the Japanese authority. It is only a crime if you get caught. It is the same in Iraq and other places. Up until 3 Navy raped a 12 year old there was no such agreement even. No good will from US Navy. In the long run I think these murders might be good to get out the occupying US force out of Japan and all the countries it is occupying in the world with their imperialistic agenda.

  This is the Navy which represents a country which has waged wars on 20 or so countries since WW2 and killed millions of people. They are not nice, admirable people.

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  Bogi at 09:55 PM JST - 31st March

  pathat > "Have you paid any attention to the discussions on JT over the years about this topic and the changes to the SOFA since the mid-`90s?"

  I usually stay away from stories about the US military in Japan as they just put me in a foul mood. My (exaggerated) comment was meant to draw attention to the, what I consider to be unreasonable, protection that military personnel receive for all kinds of crimes - not only murder and the like. I am aware of the SOFA and I do recall just a couple of weeks ago a group of politicians calling for its revision.

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  mcnatts at 02:37 AM JST - 1st April

  You know...having served in the US Army for 8 years, and spending several years stationed in both S. Korea and Iraq, there is just one thing i have to say. Not all soldiers are like that. These few, who lack morals, who lack respect for not only themselves but the country they have the opportunity to be in, are doing nothing more then perpetuating the internationally low opinion of Americans in general. I am proud of my service, because I did it to protect those around me - but I left that same service because i did not support where the government was going with it. For every country i've been stationed in - I made sure to take the time to make friends with the locals. To learn about their history, customs, traditions, and beliefs. I made sure to show that respect whenever and whereever I went - because it was the right thing to do.

  If this person committed the crime, he deserves to receive full punishment - according to Japanese law. However, this will not happen until the Navy deals with the AWOL issue. This is not to say his AWOL is more severe then taking a life - rather it is taking care of the, in this case, smaller administrative issue of dissertion. When he is discharged based on that, he will then be handed over to J-cops as a US Civilian, who committed a horrible crime. And regardless of what is happening locally - I have always thought SOFA agreements should be re-evaluated every 5 - 10 years regardless. Social and political environments change signifigantly in that time and SOFA should directly reflect that.

  I feel no sympathy or compassion for him, if he is proven to have committed this crime. The only sypmathy, concern, or compassion I have to offer is to the family of Masaaki Takahashi - who has lost someone irreplaceable.

  Sorry for the rant, things like this just burn me up! I mean, I'm trying my hardest to teach my children to respect all people regardless, yet I'm continually having to try to explain these thoughtless and senseless acts...grr

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  robin_hood at 08:15 AM JST - 1st April

  "US Navy will make it as hard as possible for the J-police in any case where the suspect is a US Navy."

  No, don't necessarily agree with that...

  It appears that the JN police are playing it safe, making sure they have all of their ducks in row, before indicting this guy..

  I'm betting they have more than enough evidence to convict this piece of Nigerian trash, they just don't want to blow it, as they have shown they are capable of doing on numerous other occasions...

  As soon as the JN cops request to speak with this guy, the U.S. will basically have no choice, but to honor their request, in keeping with their new "Special Consideration" policy.

  As soon as the JN cops go to CNFJ and say, "Look we got a bloody knife with this guys finger prints all over it." The U.S. will hand him over in a second.

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  sarcasm123 at 10:21 AM JST - 1st April

  "Not all soldiers are like that. These few, who lack morals, who lack respect for not only themselves but the country they have the opportunity to be in, are doing nothing more then perpetuating the internationally low opinion of Americans in general."

  Some study a few years back showed that the majority of US military people would keep silent if their buddy commits a (war) crime.

  "These few"??

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  kendodan at 11:08 AM JST - 1st April

  For those of you who doubt that people join the military for patriotism,honor. www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23886008

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  DanTheManInJapan at 04:06 PM JST - 1st April

  @VoxMan

  "the basis for all these news reports about the sailor "hinting" was mis-translated from the orignal Japanese to English."

  Not that I doubt your word or anything, but can you provide a link to confirm that? Or did you see that on a television report?

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  mcnatts at 09:30 PM JST - 1st April

  Some study a few years back showed that the majority of US military people would keep silent if their buddy commits a (war) crime.

  "These few"??

  ..."some study"? Thats vague. one should take statements along these lines, without reference to the actual study, with a grain of salt. After all - 90% of stats are manipulated to suite the purpose of the study...

  And I don't think anyone I know would cover up murder...

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  VoXman at 12:56 AM JST - 2nd April

  ouhousejt said

  "I am writing a book called. US Millitary The Greatest Catastrophy Since AIDS and Vietnam I am on chapter 8. The war on terror is just a myth. The real war is about securing as in ripping off as many golf cources from the indegenous people."

  I thought everyone posting should read this passage from our fellow poster outhousejt. I think it sums up who he is and what he is about. Clearly delusional and a bit narcissistic. I really enjoy the intellectual debates that occur in this forum, But frankly, is this all the America bashers can put on the field? Can there not be anyone out there who can debate on behalf of the Japan first side that does not spew this constant tirade of racist, non-factual hate against America. I mean really folks? I love America. But truly, I could easily play the devils advocate here and point out literally 100s of fact based reasons why US policy in Japan is wrong, without resorting to some of nazi-esque propaganda. Really people, I don't see anyone insulting the pro-Japan lobby here in this forum. Nor do they regurgitate the pure hate that the few on the opposition show us each day in their hosts. We don't hate you, so stop hating us!

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  VoXman at 12:59 AM JST - 2nd April

  DantheMan:

  The report came from TVasahi. They said that the Kanagawa Superintendent reported that the original press release implied that the POI had more or less admitted he was involved or had committed the murder. They in fact retracted the statement and pointed out that he had not in any way implicated himself nor was he a suspect at the time of their report.

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  TheGeneral at 07:22 AM JST - 2nd April

  Voxman - you're saying that the news reports (quoting Japanese police) that say he has not just hinted but rather confessed are wrong?

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  VoXman at 10:24 AM JST - 2nd April

  He hasn't confessed to anything. He been in the brig for almost 2 weeks and everyone close to the situation says he's been tight lipped. Not hinting or confession. In addition, the Kanagawa Police have stated that they haven't questioned him yet, so at best their knowledge is second hand from what ever NCIS has told them from their questioning.

  Hope that helps to clarify things.

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  notimpressed at 10:56 AM JST - 2nd April

  so in other words, they are aluding to his phone call from nearby at a similar time as the crime, hints at the possibility of his involvement...I feel like the J-cops, even if he did it, are grasping at straws. I agree with anyone being wary of handing someoone over to J-cops, because it is a well known fact that thier practises are sub-par. So lo-and behold the J-cops need to gather evidence, do you think they still remember how to do that? Probably all sitting and reading a textbook with diagrams on how to take a print.

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  TheGeneral at 06:14 PM JST - 3rd April

  He hasn't confessed to anything. He been in the brig for almost 2 weeks and everyone close to the situation says he's been tight lipped.

  So you were. And were wrong. The reports were correct. He had confessed.

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