Tokyo - Japanese police yesterday arrested a US airman suspected of raping a woman in Okinawa, ending a diplomatic stand-off that had strained relations between the allies. Police arrested US Air Force Staff Sgt Timothy Woodland (24) stationed at Kadena Air Base in central Okinawa.
The rape allegedly took place before dawn on June 29th in the parking lot of the American Village, a shopping and amusement centre outside the sprawling Kadena military base, about 18 km north of Okinawa's capital, Naha.
His arrest came hours after the US ambassador, Mr Howard Baker, said in Tokyo the US had agreed to hand the suspect over to Japanese police after being assured the suspect would be treated fairly.