Japan’s Okinawa calls for review of US forces pact after killing

The prefectural assembly of Okinawa has called for a review of an agreement overseeing the stationing of United States military forces on the Japanese island. The assembly adopted the resolution on Friday. The vote came after a US Marine was accused of robbing and killing a local woman. The call to adapt the Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement to urge the US military to prevent such incidents will be sent to the US embassy. The assembly also passed a statement to the same effect addressed to the Japanese government. Ryotaro Odo, who heads the assembly’s special committee on US military bases, said the US military was “not functioning as an organisation”, pointing to failures in training and discipline.