U.S. congressional report fears further delay in Henoko plan

A congressional research office published a report Tuesday, expressing concerns that the recent murder case involving a civilian worker of a base contractor would have an adverse effect on the planned relocation of MCAS Futenma to Henoko causing possibly a further delay with already stalled plan.

“Concerns remain about the implementation of an agreement to relocate the controversial Futenma base on Okinawa due to opposition from the local population, particularly after the May 2016 murder of an Okinawan woman, allegedly by the worker,” the report said, adding that, “The fact that the alleged perpetrator, Kenneth Franklin Shinzato, was a former U.S. Marine sparked memories of a 1995 incident in which three U.S. service members raped an Okinawan girl.”

13:37 29 Mar , 2024