World briefs 6/16/03

Report: Japanese police seek arrest of U.S. soldier

TOKYO -- Japanese police requested an arrest warrant today for a U.S. Marine accused of raping a woman on the southern island of Okinawa, according to a news report.

The alleged attack against a 19-year-old woman spurred Japan's prime minister to call Friday for stricter discipline among U.S. forces in Japan.

Okinawa police moved today to request permission to arrest the soldier, the next step to bringing the suspect to trial, Kyodo News reported.

Police spokesman Shinpachi Higashizato and U.S. Forces Japan spokeswoman Master Sgt. Leah Gonzalez could not immediately confirm the report.

The suspect is a 21-year-old Marine lance corporal based in Okinawa, home to more than half of the 47,000 U.S. troops stationed in Japan.

The attack allegedly occurred early May 25 in the town of Kin, according to a statement released last week by the Marines at Camp Butler.

U.S. medics treat civilians in violent area of Colombia

ARAUCA, Colombia -- About 1,000 people received free medical treatment through a program organized by Colombian authorities and U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers working in the lawless region of Arauca, near Venezuela. It was one of the rare times American military personnel have mixed with civilians in Arauca.

Roughly 70 Army special operations forces have been in Arauca state since late January training Colombian troops to protect a key oil pipeline from attacks by leftist rebels.

Even though the American soldiers are barred from participating in missions with Colombian soldiers, leftist rebels have characterized the Americans' arrival as an act of aggression and threatened to step up the violence.

Arauca has become one of Colombia's most dangerous places, with civilians dying regularly in bomb attacks blamed on the larger Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.

Lebanese minister banned from entering U.S.

BEIRUT, Lebanon -- Lebanese Finance Minister Fuad Saniora has been banned from entering the United States for giving money to a society accused of links to the Hezbollah guerrilla group, the minister's spokesman said Sunday.

U.S. Ambassador Vincent Battle told Saniora of the ban two weeks ago, the spokesman said. The U.S. Embassy would not comment on the report.

Saniora's spokesman said the minister donated 1 million Lebanese pounds, or $650, last year to the Islamic Benevolent Society headed by Grand Ayatollah Sheik Mohammed Hussein Fadlallah, often cited as a spiritual leader of Hezbollah. The Lebanese guerrilla group backs the Palestinian uprising and is listed in Washington as a supporter of terrorism.

According to the spokesman, the U.S. ambassador told Saniora that a new U.S. anti-terror law imposes sanctions against groups or individuals who make contributions to organizations considered supporters of terrorism.

Prince William accused of driving too fast

LONDON -- An angry aristocrat on Sunday accused Prince William of driving too fast on his estate, while a royal official separately denied reports the young prince has a long-distance romance.

The driving incident occurred Saturday on Lord Bathurst's estate in western England. William was driving on unpaved roads when he came up behind Bathurst's vehicle and overtook it, as did the police car with him, a club spokesman said.

Bathurst then hit his horn and set out after the Volkswagen, pursuing it for about 400 yards.

William's guard then pulled over Bathurst's Land Rover and reportedly spoke sharply to him as the prince drove away Saturday.

A spokesman for St. James's Palace said on condition of anonymity that "this was a very minor incident in which no one was injured and as far as we are concerned the matter is closed."

-- From wire reports