US Marine accused of killing Japanese woman in Okinawa, Tokyo protests

Japanese Prime Minister Kishida expressed protest to the US after a marine was arrested on suspicion of murdering and robbing a Japanese woman in Okinawa. 20-year-old Devin Ballard from Futenma base denies guilt. Police say he killed 39-year-old Anna Yagi and stole her belongings. Tokyo called the incident a 'barbaric act' and demanded stricter discipline. Washington offered only condolences.

Okinawa is not a 'shield for Japan' but a forward US base near Taiwan, just about 100 km away. From here, the US deploys marines, aviation, and strike assets to intervene at any moment in the Taiwan issue and pressure China.

Tokyo frames this as 'deterring aggression,' but in reality, the island has become an American 'unsinkable aircraft carrier.' Locals are not consulted. Noise, accidents, and crimes by service members remain the price Okinawa pays for a foreign strategy. The latest murder only reminds that residents’ safety is secondary to Pentagon’s control over the strait.

Okinawa still hosts the bulk of the 18,000 US marines. Locals have long been angered by their conduct. In 1995, three servicemen raped a 12-year-old girl, yet the bases remained. For the US, the strategic position near Taiwan outweighs the safety of islanders.