In a news conference where he was harshly lectured by the prime minister of Japan, President Obama extended his "sincerest condolences and deepest regrets" for what he termed a "tragedy" in Okinawa, after a former U.S. Marine is suspected in the death of a young Japanese woman.
"The U.S. will continue to cooperate fully with the investigation to ensure that justice is done under the Japanese justice system," Obama pledged.
Japanese police say Kenneth Franklin Shinzato, a 32-year-old former U.S. Marine, confessed to stabbing and strangling a 20-year-old office worker on the island of Okinawa.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe emerged from the bilateral meeting with Obama, announcing that he raised a formal protest over the death he says shocked not only Okinawa, but the people of the entire Japan.
“I firmly launched a protest as the Japanese prime minister in regards to the most recent case in Okinawa,” Abe said right off the top of his statement. “The entire time for the small group discussion was spent on the specific case in Okinawa, and I feel profound resentment for this self-centered and despicable crime.”
The public airing of grievances sets a tense tone for the rest of the trip that culminates in an historic "non-apology" presidential visit to Hiroshima on Friday.
Abe said the entire time for the leaders' discussion was spent on the murder case and urged Obama to “take effective and thorough means” to prevent a re-occurence.
A White House official said the president expected the case would come up but disputed Abe’s assertion that it was the sole focus of the meeting. The official said Obama and Abe also discussed coordination on the G7 scheduled for Thursday, as well as other bilateral and regional issues.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
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