Japanese Official Sorry For WWII Remarks

Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma apologized Sunday for saying the U.S. atomic bombings of Japan during World War II "couldn't be helped," a news report said, in an apparent move to contain damage ahead of parliamentary elections next month.

"I am sorry if my comments gave the impression I disrespect the victims," Kyodo News agency quoted Kyuma as saying at a news conference in Nagasaki, where he is from. "I will refrain from making such comments."

The United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki near the end of World War II, in the world's only nuclear attacks.

In a speech Saturday, Kyuma said, "I understand that the bombing ended the war, and I think that it couldn't be helped." His comments drew sharp criticism from survivors, and some opposition lawmakers called for his dismissal.

"The bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki destroyed the two cities at once ... killing hundreds of thousands of people," said Terumi Tanaka, secretary-general of Nihon Hidankyo, an A-bomb survivors group.

"His remarks are nothing but verbal abuse. ... We demand the minister retract his comments immediately," Tanaka said in a statement late Saturday.

The opposition Social Democratic Party called for Kyuma's removal from office.

"We will question Prime Minister (Shinzo) Abe's appointment of him and we will call for the minister's dismissal," party policy chief Tomoko Abe said Sunday on TV Asahi before the apology was reported.

The defense minister had earlier tried to quell criticism by saying his comments had been misinterpreted.

Kyuma told reporters late Saturday he meant to say the bombing "could not be helped from the American point of view."

Prime Minister Abe reportedly played down Kyuma's remarks on Saturday, saying his understanding was that Kyuma was explaining American views.

However, other prominent members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party were more critical.

Shoichi Nakagawa, LDP policy chief, urged Kyuma on Sunday to "explain what he really meant and quickly respond if he thinks his comments have caused trouble," without elaborating.

The embarrassment comes as Abe's scandal-tainted government struggles to gain support from voters ahead of July 29 upper house elections.

"This will greatly impact the upper house vote as we have yet to contain the headwind" from a widening pension scandal, LDP lawmaker Yoichi Masuzoe was quoted as saying by the Nikkei business newspaper Sunday.

On Aug. 6, 1945, the U.S. dropped a bomb on Hiroshima, killing at least 140,000 people. Three days later it dropped another on Nagasaki, where city officials say about 74,000 died. Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, 1945.

Bombing survivors have developed various illnesses, including cancer and liver diseases, from radiation exposure.

In the United States, the bombs were widely seen as a weapon of last resort against an enemy that was determined to fight to the death, but instead surrendered unconditionally six days after Nagasaki was attacked.

Critics — including many Japanese and some Americans — believe U.S. President Harry Truman's government had other motives: a wish to test a terrifying weapon and the need to strengthen Washington's hand against Moscow in what would become the Cold War.

[toolmangler-2009]

A sad comentary on our youths eeducation. "atomic bombs aren't nuclear"

UMMMM... What are they dim wit?
Posted by zoltaric at 02:49 PM : Jul 02, 2007


He must have been a little "Deep into his cup" or else be one of those "9/11 never happened" junkies.

[zoltaric]

ummmm atomic bombs aren't nuclear people...if they were then Nagasaki and Hiroshima would still be uninhabitable which they are not .. anyway more Japanese were killed during the firebombing of Tokyo ..
Posted by draugwolf at 11:23 AM : Jul 01, 2007

A sad comentary on our youths eeducation. "atomic bombs aren't nuclear"

UMMMM... What are they dim wit?

[toldyouso21]

The DM was correct from the standpoint that to ensure that Japan and Germany understood the stakes and never, ever attacked America again the instigator of pushing America in the war would be punished for all the world to see. To see the power, might and what could await anyone who dared to attack us. So they were bombed. it was inevitable and probably necessary. Not to win the war--but to underline in no uncertain terms that if countries attacked our homeland, we would obliterate them. This especially is necessary for cultures that do not mind individual death (like the ME and Asia) as long as their memory and descendants go on.

This is also the route we should have taken after 9/11. If we had obliterated Afghanistan, then the message to suicide terrorists, would have been--"If you attack us, we destroy everything you love and all of your memories and future dreams--we will leave nothing and no one to mourn you, or even remember you"

THAT is a burden/end very few would want to assume or leave for their own people.

[toolmangler-2009]

Posted by draugwolf at 11:23 AM : Jul 01, 2007


They were exploded at 2000 ft above the ground, the wind scattered the radioactivity all around and lowered the concentration.

[draugwolf]

ummmm atomic bombs aren't nuclear people...if they were then Nagasaki and Hiroshima would still be uninhabitable which they are not .. anyway more Japanese were killed during the firebombing of Tokyo ..

[oleander8]

"History is written by the winner...", or something like that.

[ibquito]

Those in an uproar over Defense Minister Fumio Kyuma's comments: Would you please apologize for the cowardy sneak attack on Pearl Harbor and deceptive political tactics used by leaders at that time in history? Actions committed by Japan led to war, which ultimately led to consequences, including detonation of nuclear weapons. It is unfortunate and sad, but remember who started it, at least in this case.

[Geneius]

retiredmilty:

I would like to add the Bataan death march and other atrocities committed by Japan during the war in the pacific.

The Japanese were arming their civilians with sharpened bamboo sticks and anything else that could be used against our troops to defend their "god" emperor. They were suing for peace, but on their terms, not ours.

If the bombs saved only one American life ( we know they saved many more)then I applaud their use.

[bwright923]

The timeline I was told in my college history class was that after V-E day and the way that Stalin took control of his sector of Berlin, the US was very wary. Just shortly before the bombs were droped Stalin declared war on Japan. The bombs were droped to force an early surrender to the Americans. It was done just as much to keep the Japaneese from surrendering to the Soviets as it was to end Japaneese aggression. In the grand scheme of things, I think this saved many more lives than the unfortunate event ended.

[tomtomasters]

Yeah I remember Pearl Harbor, the place where American Naval ships were building up in a plan to attack Japan. America wanted their own Hong Kong in Asia, and they were selling Opium in China, controling Nanjing, and the opium merchants. They were trying to get into Japan, but Japan didn't want opium in their country. They attacked Pearl Harbor first. Japans invasion of China stopped the Opium trade, and berid of America and British control on the mainland. Opium was defeated.

Truman targeted civilian populations instead of military targets. Truman became a terrorist, a nut case. Since that time America has detonated 1,120 Atomic bombs in the Pacific, Nevada, and New Mexico. USA 1120, Russia 715, China 45, UK 45, France 210, India 6, Pakistan 6.There is no such thing as a test. It is real, and it contaminates and wrecks our food chain, and infects our bodies and its chemistry. How many radioactive or poisoned fish have you consumed from the ocean? How about all the coral reefs that are simply dying off around the world? The terrorists are the nuclear nuts.