US Marine charged with arson attacks on Okinawa
A US Marine has been charged with a series of arson attacks on the Japanese island of Okinawa.
Lance Corporal Kurt Billie has been handed over to Japanese prosecutors by the US Marine Corps.
The 23-year-old is charged with deliberately starting two fires on January 15 in a bar area in the town of Chatan.
He is also suspected of a January 20 arson attack that damaged five bars in the area, completely destroying some.
Okinawa police had obtained an arrest warrant for Billie after questioning him about 10 times with the co-operation of the US Marine Corps.
There has been uproar on Okinawa recently over incidents involving US military personnel.
In Chatan, the town assembly unanimously adopted two resolutions on Thursday demanding all US Marines leave Okinawa and calling for the resignation of the top US commander.
Similar resolutions have been adopted recently in other towns and cities on Okinawa, which accounts for 0.6% of Japan's territory but hosts 75% of the land allocated by Tokyo for the US military.
The island was under US rule after the Second World War until it was returned to Japanese sovereignty in 1972.
