Instead of going through the usual diplomatic channels, Sen. Mike Lee tweeted directly at Japan’s prime minister, saying he had a short span of time in which to return a jailed Navy lieutenant to U.S. custody, or else face repercussions.
The thread continued, with Lee arguing that SOFA is “far too generous to Japan” and peppering his comments with ominous phrases. “You can’t pretend you weren’t warned,” he tweeted at one point. He also insinuated that he could scuttle a deal for Japan to buy missiles from the U.S. and abruptly shortened the window for Alkonis’ release: “Also, you’ve got 24 hours, not 48,” he wrote. “Hand him over. Now.
In some of his final tweets before the suspension, Lee continued to demand Kishida return the U.S. Navy officer to serve out a sentence at home. On Wednesday, he wrote, “you have 40 minutes left. Hand Lt. Ridge Alkonis over to the U.S. Navy. Now.” The follow-up tweet to Kishida consisted of Japanese characters that translate as “what goes around comes around.”
It remains unclear whether Lee’s threatening tone prompted the suspension, or if he violated Twitter community guidelines in some other way. It’s also unclear exactly how Lee proposed to modify the conditions of SOFA, a treaty that has been in place since 1960, as none of his Senateprovide him the means to influence the policy.
Politicians and commenters on the right, meanwhile, called for Twitter to explain the suspension and reinstate Lee’s personal profile, with some appealing directly to owner
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