President Obama And His Desire To Visit Hiroshima And Nagasaki

Obama Declines To Defend U.S. Bombing Of Hiroshima, Nagasaki -- Newsbusters

Defending the decision of the United States to drop nuclear weapons on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during WWII is not a comfortable thing to do when you're in Japan. But if you're President of the United States, you must do it. Diplomatically, yes. With sympathy for the civilian victims, yes. But you must do it.

But when it came time today for Barack Obama to fulfill that fundamental duty, he failed. The very first reporter [from Fuji TV] called on at the joint press conference with PBO and Japanese PM Hatoyama in Tokyo today put the question to Pres. Obama in blunt and explicit terms:

JAPANESE REPORTER: What is your understanding of the historical meaning of the A-bombing in Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Do you think it was the right decision?

Obama took a deep breath, paused . . . and punted.

Read more ....

More News on President Obama's Remarks On Hiroshima And Nagasaki

Hiroshima: The dreaded invitation -- Washington Post
Japanese hope Obama will visit A-bomb cities soon -- AP
Obama says he wants to visit Hiroshima in future -- AP
Obama's nuclear tightrope -- Boston.com
How long can Obama hold out before apologizing for Hiroshima and Nagasaki? -- Hot Air

My Comment: I must confess that I am surprised. I had expected him to apologize .... but he did not .... but when you watch the above video it is obvious that he wants to. But if he did ..... the firestorm that would have resulted back home would have neutered his Presidency and his support among many of his Democrat allies .... a situation that he would never risk. Such an apology would have also alienated what he hopes to accomplish with many of Japan's neighbors in the region. They suffered terribly under Japanese occupation, and view the atomic bombings as the moment that they themselves became liberated from Japanese repression and mass murder.

As for myself, I was in Hiroshima in 1988, and I attended the annual "moment of reflection" in the Peace Park on August 6. It is a moving event, and one that no one will ever forget. But while the act of dropping the bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki was terrible, if I was in President Truman shoes I would have probably done the same thing. The Second World War had been ongoing for years .... the Japanese Generals were determined to fight to the death .... it had to stop .... and everyone in Washington knew that the atomic attacks would stop the carnage.

The order was given. The bombs were dropped on August 6 and August 9. On August 15, 1945 the Japanese finally surrendered, ending what had become the worst conflict in the history of mankind.