In negotiations with U.S. officials, Japan asked for changes in the Status of Forces Agreement to allow Japanese police to take prompt custody of U.S. servicemen accused of crimes, the official said.
Provisions of the accord, which protect U.S. troops from arrest by Japanese police and allow U.S. authorities to detain suspects until their indictment by Japan, have been the target of fierce protest in the wake of the Sept. 4 rape of a 12-year-old schoolgirl, allegedly by three U.S. servicemen.
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