Review confirms basis of Japan's sex slave apology

TOKYO — A Japanese panel confirmed the validity of a study that led to Japan's landmark 1993 apology for forcing Asian women into wartime prostitution, even as South Korea blasted the review as a move that "picks again at the painful wounds" of victims.

The probe, whose results were released Friday, shows how even 70 years later, World War II history remains an extremely sensitive topic in East Asia, especially when Japan's relations with its two closest neighbors are soured by territorial disputes.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been criticized by South Korea and China for backpedaling from past Japanese apologies and acknowledgements of wartime atrocities, and the two countries saw the investigation into about 250 documents as an attempt to undermine the 1993 apology.

Historians say 20,000 to 200,000 women from across Asia, many of them Koreans, were forced to provide sex to Japan's front-line soldiers. Japanese nationalists contend that the so-called "comfort women" in wartime brothels were voluntary prostitutes, not sex slaves, and that Japan has been unfairly criticized for a practice they say is common in any country at war.

The five-member panel examined how the study, which included interviews with 16 former Korean victims, was conducted. It did not evaluate its historical findings.

"We concluded that the content of the study was valid," said lawyer Keiichi Tadaki, who headed the group.

But Seoul criticized the review as contradictory, meaningless and unnecessary, saying that Tokyo should know that any action "that again picks at the painful wounds of the victims will never be forgiven by the international society," according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Noh Kwang-il. He urged Japan to admit its responsibility and immediately propose a solution that the elderly victims can accept.

Many South Korean women have demanded a full apology accompanied by official government compensation.

In 1995, Japan provided through a private fund 2 million yen ($20,000) each to about 280 women in the Philippines, Taiwan and South Korea, and funded nursing homes and medical assistance for Indonesian and former Dutch sex slaves. In South Korea, only seven women accepted the money out of more than 200 eligible recipients.

Government spokesman Yoshihide Suga reiterated Abe's pledge not to revise the 1993 apology, offered by then-Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono and known as the "Kono Statement," which acknowledged that many women were forced to provide sex for Japanese soldiers. Suga added that evaluation of the historical evidence should be left up to historians and scholars.

"South Korea is one of Japan's most important neighbors and we continue to seek to improve our relations through various levels of dialogue," Suga said.

As the Korean women grow older, they and supporters have stepped up their protests, including building statues in the U.S. to gain international support for their cause, upsetting the Japanese rightists.

The panel started its review in April after Nobuo Ishihara, a top bureaucrat who helped in the 1993 study, questioned the authenticity of the interviews, while suggesting Seoul possibly pressured Tokyo into acknowledging the women were coerced. Ishihara spoke at parliament as a witness for a nationalist lawmaker who demanded the review.

Tadaki, who briefed reporters on the contents of the report, said Japan had enough evidence from other documents to produce the apology and that the interviews with the women were supplementary and intended to show Japan's compassion rather than to verify historical evidence.

His team's report acknowledged Tokyo and Seoul negotiated at length over the wording, and that it did not distort historical facts or cause either side to compromise its position, he said.

The report said Seoul urged Tokyo to show sincerity and acknowledge coercion to make an apology acceptable to the South Koreans. The two countries agreed to keep secret their negotiations over the apology statement.

The report noted Ishihara had insisted Japan should never acknowledge all "comfort women" were forced. It said Japan was initially reluctant to meet the women due to fear it would create an uncontrollable and endless situation.

The United States counts both Japan and South Korea as key allies. The State Department said it took note of Suga's statement and the Abe government's position to uphold the apology.

"Because South Korea and Japan have so many common interests, it's important they find a way to resolve the past in the most productive manner and look to the future on how they can work together on issues they share," spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters in Washington.

Relations are already strained in the region, and adding to the ire, the South Korean navy on Friday conducted live-fire exercises in seas near islands that are claimed by both countries. Top Japanese officials protested the drills, but South Korean officials said the exercises were routine and rejected Tokyo's demands to cancel them.

Naval War College holds graduation

NEWPORT, R.I. — More than 350 military officers and government employees have graduated from the Naval War College.

The war college held its commencement ceremony Friday in Newport, Rhode Island. The graduating class includes 279 members of the Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Army, Coast Guard as well as civilian government employees, and 94 international naval officers from 56 countries.

Navy Adm. John M. Richardson, director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, addressed the graduates.

Obama: Post-9/11 GI Bill keeps promise to newest vets

You pick the school, and we’ll help pick up the bill.

That’s the basic promise America made to our veterans of World War II 70 years ago with the signing of the original GI Bill. It’s the same promise we’re keeping with our newest veterans and their families through the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Now as then, investing in the education and skills of our veterans is one of the smartest investments we can make in America.

For some 8 million World War II veterans, the original GI Bill meant the chance to realize a college education, get on-the-job training or buy their first home. They became teachers and small-business owners, doctors and nurses, engineers and scientists. One of them was my grandfather. A soldier in Patton’s Army, he came home, went to college on the GI Bill and raised his family. In his later years he helped raise me, too.

The GI Bill also transformed America. With the careers it sparked, the homes it helped our veterans buy, and the prosperity it generated, it paid for itself several times over and helped lay the foundation for the largest middle class in history.

Like generations before them, our men and women in uniform today deserve the chance to live the American dream they helped to defend. That’s why, under the Post-9/11 GI Bill, we’ve already helped more than 1 million veterans and family members pursue their education.

Now, with our troops coming home from Afghanistan and a new generation of veterans returning to civilian life, even more will be eligible for this opportunity in the years to come. As commander in chief, I want everyone who is eligible to know what the Post-9/11 GI Bill can do for them. A good place to start is http://ift.tt/TePl5a, which has important information on the benefits available, including assistance to help pay for tuition, housing and books, and how to transfer benefits to a family member.

As veterans and their families think about which school is right for them, it’s worth considering several factors.

Does the school adhere to our Principles of Excellence? We created these standards to protect our veterans from dishonest recruiting and predatory practices. For example, does the school provide students with a clear statement of all costs? Does it provide students with a point of contact for financial advice? Does it provide a clear educational plan, so you get what you pay for? So far about 6,000 colleges and universities have signed on to our principles and pledged to do right by our veterans and their families.

Does the school foster an environment that supports veterans? Under the “8 Keys to Success” we unveiled last year, there are specific steps colleges and universities can take to truly welcome and encourage veterans on campus. For example, is there a culture of inclusiveness that invests in veterans’ academic success? Is there a centralized place on campus that coordinates services for veterans? Are faculty and staff trained to understand the unique needs of veterans and how to best serve them? So far nearly 400 colleges and universities have joined this effort to help our veterans complete their education and get their degree.

Even with the Post-9/11 GI Bill, will you still need student loans? The high cost of college is leaving too many students, including veterans, in debt. That’s why, even as we work to make college more affordable, we’re doing more to protect students from crushing debt. We’re making it easier to automatically reduce the interest rates our service members and veterans pay on their student loans.

Congress can also do its part by passing legislation that would allow veterans attending a state college or university to pay in-state tuition, regardless of their residency.

Finally, when you go looking for that civilian job, are you taking advantage of the latest resources? Our improved transition assistance program helps our newest veterans and their spouses plan their new careers. We’re making it easier for veterans to transfer their military training to the licenses and credentials needed for civilian jobs. We’re matching veterans looking for jobs with companies looking to hire veterans and military spouses through our Veterans Employment Center, online at ebenefits.va.gov. Every company in America needs to know — if you want someone who will get the job done, hire a veteran.

The original GI Bill helped produce a generation of leaders, including three presidents, three Supreme Court Justices, more than a dozen Nobel laureates, and two dozen Pulitzer Prize winners. Once again, the investments we make in our newest veterans today will produce the leaders America needs tomorrow. On this 70th anniversary, we pledge to uphold that promise once more and keep our veterans and our country strong for decades to come.

Community colleges to offer quick business degree

KENNEWICK, WASH. — College students typically complete a specific number of credits in a certain amount of time to earn a degree — whether it’s an associate or a doctorate.

But a new pilot program involving about a dozen of Washington state’s community colleges aims to take the issue of time out of the equation.

The colleges are on track to begin offering in January a new online-based degree in business administration that is competency-based, meaning students can move as quickly as they can prove they have mastered what they’re learning.

College administrators say such a program could be especially valuable to military veterans because they are likely to have relevant experience in a technical area that would help them advance quickly.

“We’re more focused on what’s learned, not time spent,” Columbia Basin College President Rich Cummins told the Herald.

There are pitfalls, specifically that students and educators will need to adjust their approach to learning, officials said. But they added that this is where education needs to go to be accessible and meet the demand for qualified workers.

“I think we all recognize we have different kinds of students,” said Connie Broughton, project director for the Washington State Board of Community & Technical Colleges.

The individual colleges and state officials have spent months developing the pilot program.

They are expecting as many as 222 students from across the state to enroll in the first year. It will cost $1.4 million to get it rolling, including hiring about a dozen instructors and other staff. Tuition is estimated to be lower than that for a traditional degree but is still being determined, college officials said.

Participating students will take 18 courses on the same material as any other student pursuing an associate degree in business administration, which typically takes two years, Broughton said.

But officials said a competency-based system could provide students a degree six months faster so long as they demonstrate knowledge. Students also will be able to transfer to four-year universities with the degree.

Online programs aren’t new to community colleges and already reach thousands of students, college officials said. But a competency-based degree would be attractive to people who perhaps started a degree but weren’t able to finish because of the time required or others with relevant experience, such as veterans.

“Even our younger students are working in high school and developing good skills,” said Janet Gullickson, president of Spokane Falls Community College.

There are models on which to base the pilot program, including Spokane Falls’ new competency-based certificate in business technology. But there will have to be an even stronger emphasis on assessment and testing, Cummins said, to ensure only students who have shown proficiency are moving forward.

Students may struggle, too, officials said. They’ll be expected to earn the equivalent of a B on assessments before progressing to the next unit. They’ll also need a lot of self-motivation if they want to earn their degree quickly.

“It turns all kinds of things on their heads,” Broughton said.

College officials said they are confident they’ll be able to make sure the program’s graduates are fully trained. They’re also taking steps to ensure students have guidance and encouragement along the way, as part of the seed money for the pilot would pay for completion coaches who would help students with questions and concerns.

Members of CBC’s board also indicated at a recent meeting they were pleased with where the program was headed, with board member Kedrich Jackson specifically noting how it would rely upon adaptive learning to make sure students fully understand lessons.

“That’s the best way to learn,” he said.

Ohio law seeks to help vets get education, jobs

COLUMBUS, OHIO — The governor has signed a bill aimed at improving military veterans’ and service members’ access to higher education and jobs. It’s also intended to help prevent military identity fraud and theft.

The legislation signed by Gov. John Kasich on Monday provides more uniform standards for awarding credit for military experience by Ohio’s public colleges and state boards issuing occupational licenses and certification.

The law establishes the Military Transfer Assurance Guide to set standards for colleges across the state to measure and recognize military experience in awarding college credit. Supporters say the changes should help veterans and service members more easily enter the civilian workforce.

Rep. Mike Dovilla was the bill’s main sponsor. He says the legislation also provides harsher penalties for identity fraud and theft against active-duty military service members and their spouses.

Attorney General Mike DeWine helped push for the enhanced penalties that he says will make Ohio one of the toughest states in punishing those crimes.