Atomic Bombings Had To Happen : Japanese Official

[Avary_Ninja]

Ok, there's a bit of a storm kicking up in japan's political landscape. The reason is that the Defence Minister said that the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and nagasaki in World War 2 were inevitable.

Japanese official: A-bomb was inevitable

TOKYO (AP) -- Japan's defense minister said Saturday that the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States during World War II was an inevitable way to end the war.

Fumio Kyuma's comments drew sharp criticism from survivors, and some opposition lawmakers called for his dismissal. He later apologized, saying Sunday at a news conference in Nagasaki that "I am sorry if my comments gave the impression I disrespect the victims," Kyodo News agency reported.

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

Kyuma, who is from Nagasaki, said the bombing caused great suffering in the city. Part of his speech Saturday was aired by public broadcaster NHK.

"I understand that the bombing ended the war, and I think that it couldn't be helped," Kyuma said in the speech at a university in Chiba, just east of Tokyo.

He also said he did not resent the U.S. because the bombs prevented the Soviet Union from entering the war with Japan, according to Kyodo News agency.

The remarks, rare for a Japanese Cabinet minister, were quickly criticized by atomic bomb victims.

On Aug. 6, 1945, the U.S. dropped a bomb nicknamed "Little Boy" on Hiroshima, killing at least 140,000 people in the world's first atomic bomb attack. Three days later, it dropped another atomic bomb, "Fat Man," on Nagasaki. City officials say about 74,000 died.

Japan, which had attacked the United States at Pearl Harbor, surrendered on Aug. 15, 1945.

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

"The U.S. justifies the bombings saying they saved American lives," said Nobuo Miyake, 78, director-general of a group of victims living in Tokyo. "It's outrageous for a Japanese politician to voice such thinking. Japan is a victim."

Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue was quoted as saying by Kyodo, "The use of nuclear weapons constitutes the indiscriminate massacre of ordinary citizens, and it cannot be justified for any reason."

Opposition Social Democratic Party called for Kyuma's dismissal.

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

Officials at the defense ministry and Kyuma's office were not immediately available for comment Sunday.

The prime minister tried to play down Kyuma's comments.

"I understand he explained American views in those days," Abe was quoted as saying by Kyodo. "At any rate, it is Japan's mission to abolish nuclear weapons and Japan is playing a key role at the U.N.," he said, according to Kyodo.

In America, the bombings are 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 also some Americans - believe President 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.

In January, Kyuma called the U.S. decision to invade Iraq a "mistake" because it was based on the false premise that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction.

Kyuma later said those remarks, too, were misinterpreted. He said he meant to say that he thought at the time that the United States needed to be "more cautious."

[cocoluvnihon]

How rude he has no right to say that! He should keep that to himself, and the fact that he said "bombing shoud of happened no offense to victims" adds salt to injury!

[Avary_Ninja]

Originally Posted by YaksokuDa

Dropping the things should be classed as war crimes.

Mind you, you have to look at the events in the proper context of World War 2.

For once a politician said something reasonable. Unfortunately, electorates in the Western-style democracies lack the political maturity to look at fatcs, use and logic, and act reasonably.

[kireikoori]

They didn't hit the proper target. They were only supposed to target military, not civilians.

WWII was bad. Germans killed loads of people. Japan killed just as many.
The bombing weren't too great either. I don't know if it was justified or not. But I'm very sad that it had to be used. Sad to think of Japan, my favorite country being bombed.

I'm just glad it's all over and that Japan and America are on friendly terms.

[Acidreptile]

He says things,and when people complain he says he was "misinterpreted".What a coward!

[Gorotsuki]

Nagasaki Mayor Tomihisa Taue was quoted as saying by Kyodo, "The use of nuclear weapons constitutes the indiscriminate massacre of ordinary citizens, and it cannot be justified for any reason."


I agree with that...the bombs killed many civilians...if the problem was military bases I am sure they could have found another way to destroy them like oh the other bombs they have besides nucular ones. Just a huge bomb to cause extreme devistation and scare people worldwide..

Nagasaki was the second of two cities, chosen for their lack of military significance, to be destroyed by a new kind of weapon, where with a single bomb one could wipe out an entire population. That's why cities with minimal military significance were chosen, such cities would have no previous bombing damage to complicate the analysis of the before-and-after pictures. Tens of thousands of civilians killed instantly, more thousands left to die slowly as involuntary human subjects in this new military experimentation and testing.

For a military base, quite outrageous. (>_<)

[jasonbvr]

In the eyes of the rich and powerful, we are all just statistics.

[kireikoori]

Originally Posted by YaksokuDa

The A-bomb is up there with the Holocaust and everything. It was a war crime, mass murder of another race just so they didn't have to go through the process of facing suicidal Japanese. At the time they acted just as bad as good old commies.

Nanking is up there with the Holocaust. The A-bomb is bad I agree but not quite up there.

I wish we had never dropped the A-bomb on Japan myself. But everytime I say that people tell me it was necessary to end the war and save alot of lives. Not sure if I agree. Just because I'm not absolutely sure of everything about the war. And I don't spend much time looking into it. It's too depressing thinking of my country when it was at war with Japan. All those people that died in our bombing of their country.

Some people say that the holocaust was exaggerated. Or even didn't happen. Some say the same about Nanking. Some say that the bombing of Japan wasn't necessary. I don't know. It seems like anymore that every view on world war two is tainted by some political view.

[enyafriend]

The desire to capture the world was wrong, that led to the invasion in Asia and attacked on Pearl Harbor was wrong, that led to the A-bomb dropped in Japan was just as wrong. Period.

[kireikoori]

I agree. The bombing of Japan was wrong. A war crime infact. Same with the bombing of Dresden.