Almost eight months after an Okinawa woman was allegedly slain by a civilian employee of a U.S. military base, Tokyo and Washington have effectively agreed to sign a supplementary treaty narrowing the scope of protection afforded to such workers by the Status of Forces Agreement.
Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said Monday that the new system will contribute to preventing crimes committed by members of the so-called civilian component protected by SOFA. Tokyo and Washington will review the kinds of workers at U.S. bases who are covered by the pact, and determine in a timely fashion whether individual workers qualify for the "civilian component" designation.
Kishida also said Japan hopes to ink the deal before President Barack Obama leaves office next month.