U.S. cancels joint military exercise
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The United States canceled a joint military exercise with the Philippines scheduled for February because of a dispute over the custody of a U.S. Marine appealing his rape conviction, U.S. Embassy officials said.
The Philippine Court of Appeals on Tuesday rejected a petition by Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith, 21, to be transferred immediately from a Manila jail to the custody of the U.S. Embassy while he appeals his conviction.
The embassy says a 1998 agreement requires that the U.S. have custody until all judicial proceedings are exhausted. The court said the provision applied only until conviction, regardless of appeals.
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