Okinawa leader says US quick on rape case
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Civic group members shout slogans and hold placards as they attend a protest over the alleged rape of a local woman by two US servicemen in Okinawa, in front of the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo on October 20, 2012. -- PHOTO: AFP
WASHINGTON (AFP) - The leader of Japan's southern island chain of Okinawa on Tuesday welcomed the "quick" United States response to an alleged rape by servicemen of a local woman, saying Washington was taking the case seriously.
Governor Hirokazu Nakaima was visiting Washington for a previously planned symposium on Okinawa's heavy US military presence a week after two 23-year-old sailors were arrested for allegedly assaulting a woman on a street.
Mr Nakaima, who had earlier called the purported crime "insane" and vowed to tell the United States that Okinawans were "fed up", praised the response he heard during his meetings in Washington.
"My impression is that they were very quick in their response," Mr Nakaima told reporters.
