U.S. Supreme Court strikes down Stolen Valor law
The U.S. Supreme Court has struck down a federal law making it a crime to lie about having received the Medal of Honor and other prized military awards.
The court voted 6-3 June 28 in favor of Xavier Alvarez, a former local elected official in California who falsely claimed he was a decorated war veteran.
Alvarez had pleaded guilty to violating a 2006 law that was adopted with the U.S. at war in Afghanistan and Iraq and aimed at people making phony claims of heroism in battle.
The court, in a judgment written by Justice Anthony Kennedy, ordered that his conviction be thrown out. AP
Japan, South Korea sign 1st military pact since World War II
Japan and South Korea have agreed to share intelligence in their first joint military pact since World War II.
Japan’s Cabinet approved the pact June 29. It will allow sharing intelligence in such areas as missile defense, North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and other regional security matters. It has already been approved by South Korea and was signed in Tokyo later in the day.
The pact reflects mutual concerns that more cooperation is needed to enhance security readiness, and is seen as a breakthrough in ties between the two neighbors.
Japan ruled Korea as a colony for several decades until the end of World War II in 1945, and Seoul has often been wary of Japan’s postwar military development. AP
