U.S. rejects Manila's call to hand over marines

http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/01/17/news/phils.php

U.S. rejects Manila's call to hand over marines

The Associated Press

TUESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2006

MANILA The United States has formally rejected a Philippine request that it hand over four marines charged with rape.

In a letter to the Philippine government, the U.S. Embassy invoked a bilateral agreement that grants the United States custody of the suspects during legal proceedings.

"The U.S. government shall continue to exercise custody until completion of all judicial proceedings," in line with the Visiting Forces Agreement, the letter said.

The letter was seen by The Associated Press on Tuesday and its contents confirmed by a U.S. Embassy spokesman, Matthew Lussenhop.

Some Philippine lawmakers have called for abrogating the agreement if their government fails to get custody of the marines.

Separately, about 300 American and Filipino troops began joint exercises Tuesday in the restive southern Philippines, part of annual counterterrorism training in the fight against militants linked to Al Qaeda.

Prosecutors in the legal case allege that Lance Corporal Daniel Smith raped a 22-year-old woman on Nov. 1 in a van at Subic Bay, a former U.S. naval base northwest of Manila, as fellow marines cheered him on.

Smith claims the sex was consensual.

Also charged were Lance Corporal Keith Silkwood, Lance Corporal Dominic Duplantis and Staff Sergeant Chad Carpentier, part of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Force stationed in Okinawa, Japan.

The embassy has not released their hometowns.