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U.S. Sergeant Faces Arrest for Okinawa Rape
A court issued an arrest warrant Monday against a U.S. Air Force sergeant suspected of raping an Okinawan woman against the side of a car in a trendy tourist area.
Japanese authorities moved with unusual swiftness for an arrest warrant against the suspect, identified by police as Timothy B. Woodland. Police said he denied involvement during questioning.
Only once before has a suspected American serviceman been turned over to Japanese custody before indictment. This would be the first time on Okinawa, home to the largest U.S. military base in Asia.
The island's governor, Keiichi Inamine, said authorities had sought a warrant ¡ª issued by a district court ¡ª "to get the process moving as soon as possible."
"This is a vicious crime that violates human rights, and is absolutely unforgivable," Inamine said.
The attack has revived anger among Okinawa residents over the presence of some 26,000 U.S. troops on the southern Japanese island ¡ª though it has not raised the sort of mass protests sparked by the rape of a 12-year-old schoolgirl by three American servicemen six years ago.
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