Japan's Defense Ministry not told of U.S. troops' alleged sex crimes

The Defense Ministry has declined to disclose when and how it obtained information regarding the incidents.

Perhaps they read the news

What exactly would the defense ministry do with this info?

Tell me again that Japan is an equal partner and not a servant to a master.

Interesting that the media kept it's mouth shut as well. The cops were initially the "first" contact and there are beat reporters who follow along, and had to of known about the incidents but never reported them because of the police telling them not to.

Amazing how the "chain of command" or line of information ALL kept their mouths shut, as cops had to have gone up their own chain of command, then to the police agency then to the justice ministry and such.

There are reporters and journalists who cover all these areas, and one's who cover the military issues as well, and everyone kept quiet.

And folks wonder why I dont trust the media here.

Heads are going to roll! Just kidding. It's no surprise information about the heinous crimes were not reported to the Okinawa Prefectural Government even though the victims are Okinawa residents.

Japan needs an Assange. Too much is hidden here.

Come on they have to have read the news every freakin day How would they know what’s going on in the world without hearing or reading the news

These "victims" had every opportunity to report the alleged offence to the police. Seems to me that they now want monetary compensation. I'm sure that Japan's hostage taking legal system will try to oblige.

Not quite aiding and abetting child rape, but not too far from it.

"information touched on privacy and other delicate matters,"

If only the grunts involved were as flaccid as this excuse.

Shocking stuff but all too common and frequently swept under the rug. Especially the perverted crimes against minors by the US military. Raises more questions than answers.

Certain quarters need a good long hard look in the mirror. This conduct obviously reflects a broader, entrenched pattern of behaviour. Just as shameful is the coverup.

I think it is clear that US servicemen are allowed to do whatever they want in Japan, not only in the military field. That explains the anti-China rhetoric present every single day in all the Japanese media, spread out by Washington. Feel sorry for this country, but as we know this is not the only place used for these purposes.

And folks wonder why I dont trust the media here.

Which media, exactly, do you trust?

This stuff is never reported in America anyway so “saving them from embarrassment” is completely pointless. Japan swears America cares what goes on in and around these bases and the soldiers appointed here

Show some spine and prioritize your citizens Japan, not the ones in the bases you have no choice but to host

Hi GillislowTier

There is "always" a choice to host the US bases and not to be slavish to a government which is clear to prioritize his own interests. Like the rest of the world with this warmongering approach, selling weapons to finance conflicts and telling people it is all because of China or Russia. The plain truth is that the Japanese government cannot even protect his own citizens (women to be exact) from the arrogance of Us marines in Okinawa, and that's a fact if you read any type of news. When the Minister of Foreign Affairs is eventually allowed to publish these stories.

Sadly I guess that's the "price" to pay when you are under US occupation for almost 80 years. Not that Japan has a choice on the matter, especially after loosing the war as the main aggressor, and now have 3 "friendly" neighbors (China, NK, Russia) , who would wipe Japan out of the map if not for all those USA bases out there.

In an ideal world, those US criminals should receive a double severity penalty, especially they are active service and supposedly be disciplined...

GillislowTier

Your comment was spot on:

“There is "always" a choice to host the US bases and not to be slavish to a government which is clear to prioritize his own interests. Like the rest of the world with this warmongering approach, selling weapons to finance conflicts and telling people it is all because of China or Russia.”

What would happen to the US economy if they stopped hawking weapons and war machines?

Interesting that the media kept it's mouth shut as well.

They didn't

Perhaps you were on holiday

Taiwan...isnt the "Defence Minister " supposed to oversee matters pertaining to defence...including crimes by the occupying forces.?

Where do you live ?

Disneyland...where bad things are never spoken of.?

What would happen to the US economy if they stopped hawking weapons and war machines?

Probably not much. At $25trillion even the highest record of foreign arms sales at $175billion isn’t even 1% of the Is GDP.

US GDP

What exactly would the defense ministry do with this info?

Act on it.

Get the Americans to stop sending so many perverts who kidnap and sexually attack children.

Must be an ingrained reason this is happening. Maybe they can't help themselves.

Obvious solution is to remove American forces, which are an ongoing danger to minors.

What would happen to the US economy if they stopped hawking weapons and war machines?

That is a good point BertieWooster, but there will always be someone (BeerDeliveryGuy) who is going to tell you otherwise.

We keep hearing that Russian expansion is driven by a war economy and that the sanctions (pretty much: buy US shale gas instead, three times the price of the Russian oil) will penalize Moscow. It did not happen. 

Truth is that US has over 650 military bases around the world (officially), against 4 or 5 (yes, four or five) listed by China. And Washington is asking countries like Japan to pay the costs and keep their mouth shut about crimes. Which is unacceptable.

United States of America was the country with the highest military spending worldwide in 2023, over 900 billion U.S. dollars, more than double of China and Russia put together. This is not made up, just go to the latest fact sheet of SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute). 

The top 5 world's largest arms manufacturers are all based in the United States. Wall Street to be exact. Lockheed Martin, RTX Corporation, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, General Dynamics. You don’t need to be a genius to check their stock price since the beginning of hostilities in Ukraine and Israel and their insane earnings. Still, we have our bright fellow readers who talk about liberal democracies and the power of deterrence. The world really is upside down.

FosToday 02:12 pm JST

Truth is that US has over 650 military bases around the world (officially), against 4 or 5 (yes, four or five) listed by China. And Washington is asking countries like Japan to pay the costs and keep their mouth shut about crimes. Which is unacceptable.

United States of America was the country with the highest military spending worldwide in 2023, over 900 billion U.S. dollars, more than double of China and Russia put together. This is not made up, just go to the latest fact sheet of SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute). 

The top 5 world's largest arms manufacturers are all based in the United States. Wall Street to be exact. Lockheed Martin, RTX Corporation, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, General Dynamics. You don’t need to be a genius to check their stock price since the beginning of hostilities in Ukraine and Israel and their insane earnings. Still, we have our bright fellow readers who talk about liberal democracies and the power of deterrence. The world really is upside down.

It's not easy to throw back China and Russia from our treaty allies but we will do so.

BertieWoosterToday 11:02 am JST

What would happen to the US economy if they stopped hawking weapons and war machines?

Not much: they are 3% of US GDP.

JJEToday 01:23 pm JST

What exactly would the defense ministry do with this info?

Act on it.

Get the Americans to stop sending so many perverts who kidnap and sexually attack children.

Must be an ingrained reason this is happening. Maybe they can't help themselves.

Obvious solution is to remove American forces, which are an ongoing danger to minors.

Don't let statistics hit you on the way out: there is no evidence that the US marines in Okinawa commit sexual assault any more frequently than 20-30 year old Japanese men.

Alan Harrison

Today 08:27 am JST

These "victims" had every opportunity to report the alleged offence to the police. Seems to me that they now want monetary compensation. I'm sure that Japan's hostage taking legal system will try to oblige.

Disgusting as usual

Don't let the statistics enlighten. When it is cut proportionately, US servicemen there - or elsewhere - are disproportionately represented for sexual attacks on minors.

Here is another provable statistic - there would be zero attacks on children by these offenders if none of them were there in the first place.

JJEToday 04:20 pm JST

Don't let the statistics enlighten. When it is cut proportionately, US servicemen there - or elsewhere - are disproportionately represented for sexual attacks on minors.

Sources not found. Got it. My statistics: 2,700/125,000,000*18000 = 0.388, so one every three years expected, and that is before accounting for gender and age.

Here is another provable statistic - there would be zero attacks on children by these offenders if none of them were there in the first place.

Yes, no US marines means no crime by US marines. If only we all were capable of such stunning logic.

Here it is, same old same old.

TaiwanIsNotChina

It's not easy to throw back China and Russia from our treaty allies but we will do so.

Not much: they are 3% of US GDP.

Here it is: same old same old. Declaration of war to Russia and China because that would mean threatening the economic hegemony of Japan's sacred ally: USA. It's "only" 3% based on what statistics?

"But at least we are talking about liberal democracies". The same country which is providing weapons of mass destruction to Israel, to wipe out an entire generation of women and children. But that does not matter. We will forgive everything because we need protection against China.

FosToday 04:26 pm JST

USA. It's "only" 3% based on what statistics?

https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/united-states-defense-market

That actually says it is more like 1%. Sorry for horribly overestimating.

The same country which is providing weapons of mass destruction to Israel, to wipe out an entire generation of women and children. But that does not matter.

Large conventional bombs are not weapons of mass destruction.

We will forgive everything because we need protection against China.

Well does Japan need protection or not? You got Chinese ships circling your islands.

TaiwanIsNotChina

That actually says it is more like 1%. Sorry for horribly overestimating.

Your sources are Mordori Intelligence based in Hyderabad, India, with a telephone number which starts with +1 (Usa) as a main contact?  That is a bit odd to say the least. 

I have just mentioned that officially Washington runs 650 military bases around the world and you support the idea that US Defense expenditure is only 1% of GDP? That is less of the capital market of BlackRock which controls most of the weapons manufacturers in Wall Street. 

For your information large conventional bombs Made in USA (again, see BlackRock) helped to kill more than 37.000 people in Gaza, together with tanks, artillery ammunition, rockets. 

As a fact the 2,000-pound bomb has multiple variants, they can detonate above ground and cause widespread damage in an open or urban area, killing thousands, and that’s the U.S. had paused the delivery.

And I don’t see any Chinese patrolling Japanese water in a real world. Beijing never invaded Japan, unless we are reading different books on history.

FosToday 04:57 pm JST

TaiwanIsNotChina

That actually says it is more like 1%. Sorry for horribly overestimating.

Your sources are Mordori Intelligence based in Hyderabad, India, with a telephone number which starts with +1 (Usa) as a main contact? That is a bit odd to say the least. 

Here is a US source then: https://www.forbes.com/sites/lorenthompson/2023/01/18/how-the-defense-industry-became-a-defining-feature-of-the-us-economy/

400 billion. Little different from what I posted but keep on trying to make some sort of point.

I have just mentioned that officially Washington runs 650 military bases around the world

Which is not an argument about the US defense industry which various commentators keep thinking is driving world conflict.

and you support the idea that US Defense expenditure is only 1% of GDP? 

If you want to talk about US Defense department spending that is 800 billion, which gets you up to the 3% of GDP figure. Less than Russia per gdp and who can say what is the figure for China.

That is less of the capital market of BlackRock which controls most of the weapons manufacturers in Wall Street. 

BlackRock invests in many many more things than just armaments. Their assets (predominantly nonmilitary) are 0.5% of gdp.

For your information large conventional bombs Made in USA (again, see BlackRock) helped to kill more than 37.000 people in Gaza, together with tanks, artillery ammunition, rockets. 

As a fact the 2,000-pound bomb has multiple variants, they can detonate above ground and cause widespread damage in an open or urban area, killing thousands, and that’s the U.S. had paused the delivery.

But they are not weapons of mass destruction which is what you said. We can always broaden the scope and talk about certain bombs falling in other countries.

And I don’t see any Chinese patrolling Japanese water in a real world.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/06/22/japan/china-ship-senkaku-island-intrude/

Beijing never invaded Japan, unless we are reading different books on history.

China wasn't concerned about naval supremacy prior to the modern era.

Cannot believe we are discussing the good deed of US defense industry, the legit use of US made bombs in Israel and the ethical side of BlackRock....

We are being led in our anti-China hysteria by Washington which is not worried that China will attack Japan, or even the Us coast, but is concerned that its world hegemony is being challenged.

China does not have a history of military aggression beyond the defence of its own borders. 

In contrast, the US has over 650 overseas bases including in Guam, Diego Garcia, ROK and Japan that ring China. The US fleet regularly patrols off the China coast with Tokyo support. The US would have hysterics if Beijing vessels patrolled off the Californian coast or Florida.

For your record: China has not been engaged in military activity for the past forty years. In that time, the US has overthrown numerous governments and illegally invaded many countries.

FosToday 06:14 pm JST

For your record: China has not been engaged in military activity for the past forty years.

For your record:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_China%E2%80%93India_border_standoff

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2020%E2%80%932021_China%E2%80%93India_skirmishes

China does not have a history of military aggression beyond the defence of its own borders.

Tibet, India, Korea, Vietnam, South China Sea, East China Sea.

And no, the unlawful 10-dash line does not count as China's "own borders."

And, of course, Taiwan.

isabelle

You define India and Tibet acts of war? We are talking about skirmishes and stand-offs between two neighbor countries as opposed to the hundreds of thousands of deaths (only in recent history) caused by the US department: Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Palestine to name a few.

South China Sea, East China Sea? And the borders are defined by who? Once again have you ever seen someone maneuvering or stepping up in the Gulf of Mexico without prior approval of Washington? 

An unusual take of history you have Isabelle. Are we blaming China for the war in Korea or even more ridiculously in Vietnam? Based on your vision Russia should have intervened inn 1961 during the Bay of Pigs aggression in Cuba, financed by the CIA, and every time the likes of Kissinger would try to destabilize a country in South America (one for all the coup in Chile in 1973 ordered by Nixon)

I wonder if I am talking to a real person or just another AI clone created by the propaganda which safeguards the billions of dollars of the weapons industry at Wall Street. 

Taiwan? I believe the American are desperate trying to create another Gulf of Tonkin incident. But then again you should go back to history book.

May I remind you that the forum was about two horrible crimes committed by US service men against Japanese local young women, and the Tokyo government decided to hide the news because (supposedly) American military bases are too important to protect the country from the alleged China's aggressiveness?

Is this the price to pay?

US service personnel commit 10 of thousands sexual assault on female service personnel each year

FosJuly 2  10:49 pm JST

You define India and Tibet acts of war?

Tibetans certainly consider it an act a war. In fact they consider it a brutal occupation.

We are talking about skirmishes and stand-offs between two neighbor countries as opposed to the hundreds of thousands of deaths (only in recent history) caused by the US department: Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Palestine to name a few.

We had terrorist training in Afghanistan and missiles being flung out of Yemen. Nothing illegal about putting a stop to either. The US military isn't fighting in "Palestine".

South China Sea, East China Sea? And the borders are defined by who?

Not by China.

Once again have you ever seen someone maneuvering or stepping up in the Gulf of Mexico without prior approval of Washington? 

China set up spy bases in Cuba and no adverse reaction was taken by the US.

Are we blaming China for the war in Korea or even more ridiculously in Vietnam?

Mao gave Kim Il Sung the greenlight for invasion in Korea so objectively yes. China was not a neutral observer in the war against South Vietnam, either.

Based on your vision Russia should have intervened inn 1961 during the Bay of Pigs aggression in Cuba, financed by the CIA, and every time the likes of Kissinger would try to destabilize a country in South America (one for all the coup in Chile in 1973 ordered by Nixon)

Russia had plenty of unofficial operatives fomenting their world wide revolution.

I wonder if I am talking to a real person or just another AI clone created by the propaganda which safeguards the billions of dollars of the weapons industry at Wall Street. 

But still only 3% of US GDP so not a major driver of decisions by the government.

Taiwan? I believe the American are desperate trying to create another Gulf of Tonkin incident. But then again you should go back to history book.

China can avoid an incident by steering clear of ships and planes in international waters.

YrralToday  12:36 am JST

US service personnel commit 10 of thousands sexual assault on female service personnel each year

There are over two million US active duty service members.

FosJuly 2  06:14 pm JST

Cannot believe we are discussing the good deed of US defense industry, the legit use of US made bombs in Israel and the ethical side of BlackRock.... 

Can't believe we are expected to react faux outrage over only one side.

We are being led in our anti-China hysteria by Washington which is not worried that China will attack Japan, or even the Us coast, but is concerned that its world hegemony is being challenged.

China is more powerful than they were in the 1990s even. They will be resisted as long as they spew poison about liberal democracy.

China does not have a history of military aggression beyond the defence of its own borders. 

Except Korea, Tibet, South China Sea, etc. etc.

In contrast, the US has over 650 overseas bases including in Guam, Diego Garcia, ROK and Japan that ring China. The US fleet regularly patrols off the China coast with Tokyo support. The US would have hysterics if Beijing vessels patrolled off the Californian coast or Florida.

Guam's a US territory. Diego Garcia is the UK's responsibility. ROK and Japan are treaty allies. China would definitely patrol off of the US if they needed to and no one would give a darn.

For your record: China has not been engaged in military activity for the past forty years. In that time, the US has overthrown numerous governments and illegally invaded many countries.

Nice setting of dates to avoid including China's largest war post WW2. The only illegal war the US engaged in was Iraq. You could argue Kosovo as well but genocides should be prevented if we call ourselves a moral species.

All those sexually ill US military must be punished and deported..

Y.G.H. !!..

TaiwanIsChina defending sexually ill people disguised as US soldiers..

Not a surprise.. LOL

Japan needs an Assange. Too much is hidden here.

Tha whole world needs Assange again..

With due respect TaiwanIsNotChina

your strenuous defending of US policy when tens of thousands of Palestinians are dying every day because of American weapons, and above all your take of history are grotesque to say the least.

(Mao gave Kim Il Sung the greenlight for invasion in Korea and China intrusion in the war against South Vietnam?)

May I remind you that the only illegal base in Cuba is Guntanamo and I don't need to remind you what it did and who is running. It in insult to intelligence debating over the issues. Honestly.

FosToday  09:45 am JST

May I remind you that the only illegal base in Cuba is Guntanamo and I don't need to remind you what it did and who is running. It in insult to intelligence debating over the issues. Honestly.

The only illegal war going on right now is because of China's dog and China could end it tomorrow.

It is about United States which does not accept this changing of the regional and global geopolitical guard, and until you figure that out is a pointless conversation we are having.

Once again: China does not go to Gulf of Mexico flexing their muscles because of the rule of diplomacy and the importance of small states in specific regions of the world, as part of the international order.

The interest of Washington on Taiwan is purely economical (see TMSC), you know it, and therefore sheer hypocrisy. 

Cowboys and John Wayne movies with American heroes are long gone, and it is about time!

FosToday  02:05 pm JST

It is about United States which does not accept this changing of the regional and global geopolitical guard, and until you figure that out is a pointless conversation we are having.

You've gone so far off topic, that yes, you can claim anything is about anything..

Once again: China does not go to Gulf of Mexico flexing their muscles because of the rule of diplomacy and the importance of small states in specific regions of the world, as part of the international order. 

Just like they respect international order in the South China Sea? Don't make me laugh.

The interest of Washington on Taiwan is purely economical (see TMSC), you know it, and therefore sheer hypocrisy. 

No, I know it is about basic decency about not obliterating 24 million people.

Cowboys and John Wayne movies with American heroes are long gone, and it is about time!

I wouldn't know. I don't watch either one.