When the world gets closer.

We help you see farther.

Sign up to our expressly international daily newsletter.

Already a subscriber? Log in.

You've reach your limit of free articles.

Get unlimited access to Worldcrunch

You can cancel anytime.

SUBSCRIBERS BENEFITS

Ad-free experience NEW

Exclusive international news coverage

Access to Worldcrunch archives

Monthly Access

30-day free trial, then $2.90 per month.

Annual Access BEST VALUE

$19.90 per year, save $14.90 compared to monthly billing.save $14.90.

Subscribe to Worldcrunch
Japan

New Rape Accusations Against U.S. Servicemen In Okinawa

ASAHI SHIMBUN, KYODO (Japan) THEGUARDIAN (UK), U.S. ARMY (USA)

Worldcrunch

Two U.S. Navy sailors in Okinawa, have been accused of raping a Japanese woman, reports the Asahi Shimbun. The case comes amidst American military efforts to combat sex crimes following several high-profile cases over the past decade.

The two 23-year-old sailors allegedly perpetrated the rape after they had been drinking off the base. Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto said: “This is an extremely egregious and vile incident. It goes way beyond the limits of what is tolerable. I feel that there must have been a failure in how the U.S. military trained its personnel.”

According to the Asahi Shimbun, the alleged perpetrators have been identified as Seaman Christopher Browning and Petty Officer 3rd Class Skyler Dozierwalker, of the Naval air station in Fort Worth Texas. They are accused of raping a woman as she walked home from work on Oct. 16.

“I feel such anger that my body is shaking,” said Tsuyoshi Gibu, the mayor of Kin, where 60% of the U.S. military bases of Okinawa are located.

Coincidentally, at the time of the attack, he was in Tokyo lobbying the central government on issues concerning the U.S. military presence in Okinawa, including asking for new measures to prevent crime by U.S. military personnel.

The U.S. military has had a long history of conflict with the local Japanese population. Last month, large numbers of Okinawans turned out to protest the placement of 12 Osprey vertical-takeoff helicopters at Futenma air base, which is in the center of a large town, Ginowa. Okinawans believe the helicopters are dangerous, Kyodoreports.

The U.S. presence dates back to the end of World War II, and the Okinawa base is the most important in the western Pacific. The Japanese government depends on the U.S. military for much of its defense.

The current standoff between Japan and China over the Senkoku/Diaoyu islands, 410 kilometers (250 miles) from Okinawa, has only increased Japan’s reliance on the support of the U.S.

There have been seven rapes in Okinawa by U.S. soldiers since 1960, according to the Guardian. In 1995 a 12-year-old was kidnapped as she walked on the beach and gang-raped by American soldiers, sparking outrage that had lingered for many locals.

In a move to stave off potential problems in Okinawa and “change a culture within the U.S. Army,” special training on sexual harassment and assault has been given to soldiers based in Okinawa, the U.S. Army website reported in September.

The program “encourages all soldiers to get involved before an assault occurs,” the army site reported. No training has yet been given to Navy sailors.

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

Economy

Lex Tusk? How Poland’s Controversial "Russian Influence" Law Will Subvert Democracy

The new “lex Tusk” includes language about companies and their management. But is this likely to be a fair investigation into breaking sanctions on Russia, or a political witch-hunt in the business sphere?

Photo of President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda

Polish President Andrzej Duda

Piotr Miaczynski, Leszek Kostrzewski

-Analysis-

WARSAW — Poland’s new Commission for investigating Russian influence, which President Andrzej Duda signed into law on Monday, will be able to summon representatives of any company for inquiry. It has sparked a major controversy in Polish politics, as political opponents of the government warn that the Commission has been given near absolute power to investigate and punish any citizen, business or organization.

And opposition politicians are expected to be high on the list of would-be suspects, starting with Donald Tusk, who is challenging the ruling PiS government to return to the presidency next fall. For that reason, it has been sardonically dubbed: Lex Tusk.

University of Warsaw law professor Michal Romanowski notes that the interests of any firm can be considered favorable to Russia. “These are instruments which the likes of Putin and Orban would not be ashamed of," Romanowski said.

The law on the Commission for examining Russian influences has "atomic" prerogatives sewn into it. Nine members of the Commission with the rank of secretary of state will be able to summon virtually anyone, with the powers of severe punishment.

Under the new law, these Commissioners will become arbiters of nearly absolute power, and will be able to use the resources of nearly any organ of the state, including the secret services, in order to demand access to every available document. They will be able to prosecute people for acts which were not prohibited at the time they were committed.

Their prerogatives are broader than that of the President or the Prime Minister, wider than those of any court. And there is virtually no oversight over their actions.

Nobody can feel safe. This includes companies, their management, lawyers, journalists, and trade unionists.

Keep reading...Show less

You've reached your limit of free articles.

To read the full story, start your free trial today.

Get unlimited access. Cancel anytime.

Exclusive coverage from the world's top sources, in English for the first time.

Insights from the widest range of perspectives, languages and countries.

Already a subscriber? Log in.

You've reach your limit of free articles.

Get unlimited access to Worldcrunch

You can cancel anytime.

SUBSCRIBERS BENEFITS

Ad-free experience NEW

Exclusive international news coverage

Access to Worldcrunch archives

Monthly Access

30-day free trial, then $2.90 per month.

Annual Access BEST VALUE

$19.90 per year, save $14.90 compared to monthly billing.save $14.90.

Subscribe to Worldcrunch

The latest