U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel expressed regret for the handling of two cases of sexual assaults allegedly committed by American military personnel on Okinawa, which have again stoked resentment of the heavy U.S. troop presence on the strategic island in Japan’s far south. Emanuel commented on the issue amid an uproar over reports that two American service members had been charged with sexual assaults months earlier. Both cases were first reported in local media in late June. The cases are a reminder to many Okinawans of the 1995 rape of a 12-year-old girl by three U.S. service members, which sparked massive protests against the U.S. presence.
