Despite the furious reaction by Japanese leaders, the government has committed to a U.S. base plan and protests have so far been small in Okinawa, home to half of the more than 40,000 U.S. troops in Japan.

Japanese police last week arrested Staff Sergeant Tyrone Luther Hadnott, 38, after a girl, 14, said he raped her in his car. Hadnott has admitted trying to forcibly kiss her but denied rape.

In a measure of the high local sensitivity over crimes by troops in Okinawa, the U.S. and Japanese governments acted quickly.

U.S. Ambassador Thomas Schieffer flew immediately to Okinawa, bowing in apology and promising to review ethical training for U.S. forces. Japan said joint meetings are scheduled soon to review rules on troops.

The latest incident rekindled memories of the gang-rape in 1995 of a 12-year-old girl by three U.S. soldiers, which set off major protests on the island and set in motion a process to reduce the number of U.S. troops there.

But Masaaki Gabe, professor of international politics at Okinawa’s Ryukyu University, said that Okinawans would not unite like before.

“Okinawa is now under a political climate different than 1995,” Gabe said.

Okinawa was then under left-leaning governor Masahide Ota, a critic of the military presence.

Incumbent Governor Hirokazu Nakaima, an ally of Japan’s ruling conservative Liberal Democratic Party, was elected in 2006 over an anti-base rival on promises to improve the island’s troubled economy.

The U.S. troops contribute some five percent to the economy of Okinawa, which has one of Japan’s highest unemployment rates, and Tokyo awards subsidies to communities willing to host U.S. troops.

“The present governor obviously does not want to worsen the relationship with the central government,” Gabe said.

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