Posted on 03/21/2008 10:32:39 PM PDT by AmericanInTokyo
US military finds sailor in slain taxi driver's case: report
Weekend March 22, 2008
The US military Saturday took into custody a deserter in Japan wanted for questioning over the killing of a taxi driver, a report said.
The US military, which has been looking for the sailor since early this month, informed Japan early Saturday that he was found in the military hub of Yokosuka near Tokyo, Kyodo News said, quoting police sources.
The report said the sailor's credit card was found Wednesday in a parked taxi in which the 61-year-old driver was stabbed to death with a kitchen knife, which penetrated his neck so deeply that it reached its lung.
A local police spokesman declined comment, directing queries to the US military, where a spokesperson could not immediately be reached.
The US Navy earlier condemned the incident and said it would fully cooperate in the probe.
Japan has had tense relations recently with the US military after a series of alleged crimes linked to troops.
More than 40,000 US troops are stationed in Japan under a security alliance with the close US ally, which has been pacifist since defeat in World War II.
Japanese media said that the sailor, 22, had been missing since the beginning of the month. He was serving on the US Navy's 7th Fleet in Yokosuka.
The city, some 65 kilometres (40 miles) south of the Japanese capital on the mouth of Tokyo Bay, is the biggest US naval hub in the Pacific.
Reports have said that the slain driver was suspected of arguing with the customer over the fare, which police said was about 17,000 yen (170 dollars).
Police found about 62,000 yen in cash in a bag left in the driver's seat and tens of thousands of yen in Takahashi's pocket, according to Kyodo News.
The incident comes a month after a furore on the southern island of Okinawa, the biggest US military hub in Japan, after a US Marine was arrested for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl.
Japanese prosecutors decided not to press charges as the girl did not want to pursue the high-profile case. The US military, however, is still considering action against the Marine.
Residents of Okinawa have called a rally at which they hope to draw more than 10,000 people on Sunday to protest crimes and accidents by US soldiers and military personnel. AFP
Where DO they get these guys?!
Enough already.
What the bloody hell is going on over there?
Time to bring back gibbeting.
Who in the hell is Takashiki, the taxi driver? His name is only mentioned once and not identified. This is a terrible report.
Takahashi, Takashiki....whatever. I still don’t know who he is.
Semper Fi,
Kelly
Japan could tax and raise a Navy and do it fair share, and would lose, steam, crush, burn, drown about the same.
But they don't
So, too bad for them.
Anytime the Japanese want to take up the expense, and political fallout of a funding a modern Navy, capable of defending it's oil supplies from the Persian Gulf and exports as far away as Europe, go ahead.
I'm getting a little tired of the world palming off the expense to the American taxpayer and looking down at lower class American working class.
You sign off like you're a Marine or former Marine... ...and you don't know the importance of these bases over there??
“You sign off like you’re a Marine or former Marine”
Yes, I am a Marine.
“and you don’t know the importance of these bases over there?”
Why don’t you inform us all why those troops are serving us better in Japan, Germany & Korea than Afghanistan & Iraq?
THIS, I wanna hear! LMAO
Because Iraq and Afganistan are not the only problem areas and because they will not be the flash points forever. The military has bases world-wide for a reason and that is that no part of the world is outside of our sphere of interests and not part of the world is ever safe. You make sure that you can respond from whatever part of the world becomes the next problem area.
And yes, I was a Marine NCO and am a retired AF officer; I’m LMAO at your short-sighted view.
“I’m LMAO at your short-sighted view?”
The families of my fellow dead Marines who gave their all in Iraq and I don’t find your laughter very funny.
Get off your high horse. If we ever find ourselves at war in Korea, you and all of your living fellow Marines will be glad we have a large base in Okinawa, and others in Japan.
“Get off your high horse. If we ever find ourselves at war in Korea, you and all of your living fellow Marines will be glad we have a large base in Okinawa, and others in Japan?”
We’ve got news for ya
we at war in Iraq & Afghanistan not Korea
Japan has a Navy.
That’s why I used the word “if”.
And I’ve done a tour in Afghanistan, and my two oldest have been in Iraq, so I think I’m aware of those.
Yeah, I mean a real one, fitting it’s sea lanes, wealth, and dependency on trade and oil.
And how would you define that, relative to the other Navies of the world?
World's largest Navy? 2nd? 3rd?
Getting back to my original theme. Japan, Europe, the World, has benefited by open sea lanes for sixty years, complements of the US Taxpayer and the officers and sailors of the US Navy.
In the case of Japan, if they don't like it, then the Japanese taxpayer can pick up the tab, say another $100 billion US per year, and 50 or so sailor deaths, for making sure Japan gets its oil and can deliver it's goods through the rougher neighborhoods of the world.
I doubt that will happen anytime soon. Too expensive and too political, so it's left up to the ugly Americans to pay and do.
So, from an effectiveness standpoint, what's wrong with the Japanese Navy.
“If” is the biggest word in the dictionary.
Lets keep our focus on the war at hand and not the war that might come in the future.
If we don’t win this WOT; we won’t have to worry about any future wars now will we!
And I don’t know about you & your sons but the Marines I know might appreciate their units rotating out of Iraq a little more often...I know their families would sure appreciate it.
Thank you and your sons for their service.
Happy Easter!
Semper Fi,
Kelly
Is the perp a “brotha” like the other case?
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