Richard Halloran: Will Obama Apologize for Hiroshima & Nagasaki?
[Richard Halloran, a free lance writer in Honolulu, was a military correspondent for The New York Times for ten years. He can be reached at oranhall@hawaii.rr.com]
Within a couple of hours of landing in Japan on Friday, President Barack Obama walked into a political minefield by implicitly promising someday to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the targets of American atomic bombs in 1945.
After meeting with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, Mr. Obama was asked by a Japanese reporter in an evening press conference whether he would go to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where no US president has ever been. "What is your understanding of the historical meaning of the A-bombing in Hiroshima and Nagasaki?" the Japanese asked. "Do you think that it was the right decision?"
"I certainly would be honored," the president replied. "It would be meaningful for me to visit those two cities in the future."
The Japanese reporter persisted, asking again whether the US was right in dropping the atomic bombs. Mr. Obama slid off the question, turning to the charged issue of North Korea's efforts to acquire nuclear weapons.
A presidential journey to the only cities to have experienced a nuclear assault would underscore Mr. Obama's intent to rid the world of nuclear arms. If not handled with sensitivity, however, the visit could trigger emotional outbursts from Japanese victims of the bombings and from Japanese who experience a "nuclear allergy."
Many Japanese, particularly left-wing organizations, would most likely demand that the US apologize for dropping the bombs, which would stir up rancor in the US. That would call into question the judgment of President Harry Truman, who made the decision to drop the bombs. In turn, that would put President Obama in a politically difficult position.
Among Americans, veterans of World War II, especially survivors of Japan's surprise attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, would be vigilant for any sign of remorse for an action that many believe ended World War II with Japan's surrender, sparing the lives of tens of thousands of Americans poised to invade Japan...
Read entire article at Real Clear Politics
Within a couple of hours of landing in Japan on Friday, President Barack Obama walked into a political minefield by implicitly promising someday to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the targets of American atomic bombs in 1945.
After meeting with Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, Mr. Obama was asked by a Japanese reporter in an evening press conference whether he would go to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where no US president has ever been. "What is your understanding of the historical meaning of the A-bombing in Hiroshima and Nagasaki?" the Japanese asked. "Do you think that it was the right decision?"
"I certainly would be honored," the president replied. "It would be meaningful for me to visit those two cities in the future."
The Japanese reporter persisted, asking again whether the US was right in dropping the atomic bombs. Mr. Obama slid off the question, turning to the charged issue of North Korea's efforts to acquire nuclear weapons.
A presidential journey to the only cities to have experienced a nuclear assault would underscore Mr. Obama's intent to rid the world of nuclear arms. If not handled with sensitivity, however, the visit could trigger emotional outbursts from Japanese victims of the bombings and from Japanese who experience a "nuclear allergy."
Many Japanese, particularly left-wing organizations, would most likely demand that the US apologize for dropping the bombs, which would stir up rancor in the US. That would call into question the judgment of President Harry Truman, who made the decision to drop the bombs. In turn, that would put President Obama in a politically difficult position.
Among Americans, veterans of World War II, especially survivors of Japan's surprise attack on the US naval base at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, would be vigilant for any sign of remorse for an action that many believe ended World War II with Japan's surrender, sparing the lives of tens of thousands of Americans poised to invade Japan...