CAUGHT?

Tokyo Cops Make Bust In Connection to Kennedy Death Threats

No clue yet as to his motive.

TOKYO—Tokyo police have arrested a 52-year old man in Okinawa as part of an investigation into a series of telephoned threats against the U.S. Embassy, as well as possible death threats made specifically against Ambassador Caroline Kennedy and another U.S. official.

Mitsuyoshi Kamiya was arrested on Thursday for allegedly making multiple calls to the US Embassy earlier this month, and threatening to blow it up. He was charged with forcible obstruction of business, and police are interrogating him under suspicion he also made up to 30 telephoned death threats to Kennedy and Alfred Magleby, the consul general based on the southern island of Okinawa. Tokyo police raided his home in search of clues as to his motive.

The police said that Kamiya allegedly made three calls between March 5 and March 14 from a public telephone in Naha City in Okinawa to the American Embassy in Tokyo saying that he would blow up the embassy and US military facilities in Okinawa. Sources say the Tokyo Metropolitan Police had staked out the public phones and were monitoring them from the start of March.

Kamiya admitted to making three phone calls, according to the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, who added he allegedly spoke in English when making the calls.

The flurry of death threats against Kennedy and Magleby, which started in February and could lead to additional charges, were also made in slightly Japanese-accented English.

According to police sources, Kamiya lives in Naha City. While Japanese authorities generally release information on a suspect’s occupation or list them as unemployed, they have yet to do so in the current case.

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Jake Adelstein

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