Death threats sent to U.S. Japan envoy Caroline Kennedy

AP Photo

By Nick Gass

3/18/15 7:34 AM EDT

Updated 3/18/15 10:28 AM EDT

Police in Japan say they are investigating phone calls threatening to kill U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy and another American official, according to a report from The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Tokyo authorities are reportedly also probing similar calls to the U.S. Embassy that threatened Alfred Magleby, the consul general based on the island of Okinawa, where approximately half of the U.S. troops in Japan are based.

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We take any threats to U.S. diplomats seriously. We take every step possible to protect our personnel. We are working with the Japanese government to ensure the necessary measures are in place. We will not comment on the specific details of any threats or the steps we take to address them, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.

AP cites Japanese media reports that the threats came from someone speaking English. The motive remains unknown.

The investigation comes weeks after Mark Lippert, the U.S. ambassador to South Korea, was hospitalized and required stitches to his face after a knife attack in Seoul.

Kennedy, the daughter of President John F. Kennedy and first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, has served as ambassador to Japan since 2013.

Source: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/03/caroline-kennedy-japan-death-threats-116175.html