Okinawa was held by the U.S. after WWII until 1972, when it was returned to Japanese rule, so an undercurrent of resentment likely existed even without American servicemen assaulting locals. But there are precedents with regards to violence against women: In 1995, a U.S. soldier was accused of raping a 12-year-old girl in a similar incident outside Camp Courtney, and, in 2002, a Marine named Michael Brown was accused of attempted rape, and eventually convicted of the slightly lesser charge of attempted indecent assault.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is visiting Japan next week, and this will certainly be a topic of conversation. The AP describes Camp Courtney as " a linchpin in U.S. military posture in Asia," but the larger question is why the U.S. has such an enormous presence in Asia to begin with. After the the Soviet Union collapsed in '91, the threat of military action from Japan and surrounding countries was basically quelled. Is our military presence in the rest of the world in place to prevent the "Axis of Evil" from working against us, or is it just part of a gross imperialist mission to control the world?

US Marines Warned Of Japan's Anger [AP]
All U.S. Military Personnel In Okinawa, Iwakuni Under Curfew [Breitbart]
737 U.S. Military Bases = Global Empire [Alternet]