US Troops Confined to Base in Japanese Uproar

Military personnel confined to bases indefinitely
By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 20, 2008 6:44 AM CST
US Troops Confined to Base in Japanese Uproar
Protesters shout slogans during a rally titled "We don't need dangerous neighbors" Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2008 in Chatan, an Okinawan town where a U.S. Marine was allegedly raped a 14-year-old Japanese girl last week. The U.S. military imposed tight restrictions on all personnel in Okinawa on Wednesday,...   (Associated Press)

The US military has ordered 45,000 American troops, civilian employees and their families in Japan restricted to their military bases, homes and workplaces in a move to quell growing Japanese outrage at problem Marines. The orders, in place indefinitely, will effectively bar Marines nationwide and all military personnel on Okinawa from visiting local restaurants and nightclubs.

The furor among Japanese citizens was triggered by the recent arrest in Okinawa of a Marine suspected of raping a 14-year-old girl. The US military subsequently arrested two other Marines for rape in a separate case. "The intent is not to just inconvenience people," said a US military spokesman. "Hopefully, people will realize,  'Got it, and we will behave.'" (More Japan stories.)

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