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EDITORIAL

August 6, 2006

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Why couldn't the tragic atomic bombings of Japan in 1945 have been avoided?

Today marks the 61st anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, and Wednesday will mark the same for Nagasaki. Isn't it time to calmly discuss who was responsible for the bombings, without being swayed by ideological or political confrontations between conservatives and progressives?

Under the rules of engagement agreed to by the warring parties before World War II, the use of weapons which could inflict unnecessary suffering on defenseless cities were prohibited. Some observers suggest that the atomic bombings could violate this agreement.

Just 10 years have passed since the International Court of Justice in The Hague issued an advisory opinion that, in general, the use of nuclear weapons violates international law. Even in the cities obliterated by the atomic bombs in 1945, movements have sprouted that question why the bombs were dropped and where responsibility for their development and the decision to drop them rests.

[Editor's Note: The Court decided that the threat or use of nuclear weapons would generally be contrary to the rules of international law applicable in armed conflict, and would violate the principles and rules of humanitarian law. The panel's vote on was seven to seven, with the President of the Court, Judge Muhamad Bedjaoui of Algeria, casting the deciding vote ].

In July, a mock international trial held in Hiroshima by citizens who were mainly atomic bomb victims and lawyers, found 15 Americans defendants who had roles in the decision-making process that led to the use the atomic bomb, including former U.S. President Harry Truman, guilty of crimes against humanity.

DIFFERING PERCEPTIONS

The commonly accepted view in the United States is that the atomic bombings helped hasten the end of the war; thereby reducing the number of casualties had the fighting dragged on. Because such a wide gap in perceptions remains between Japan and the United States over the atomic bombings, it is imperative to discuss the matter.

The mock trial was likely conducted with considerable anti-America sentiment, typical of anti-nuclear events. Certainly, Calm, rational discussion was at a premium.

Some observers suggest that the bombings could have been avoided if the war had ended earlier. Chances for the guns to fall silent presented themselves on many occasions, such as just after Germany's surrender , the end of fighting on Okinawa , or the announcement of the Potsdam Declaration , in which the Allied Powers presented Japan with conditions for surrender.

But discussion of responsibility for the destruction wrought by the atomic bombs must also examine the actions of Japanese leaders, who dilly-dallied when it come to ending the war.

MISSED OPPORTUNITY

The memorials for the atomic bombings come about a month after North Korea, in defiance of warnings from the international community, test-fired seven missiles which could be used to carry nuclear warheads. That is why Hiroshima and Nagasaki officials have an excellent opportunity to convey the anger of atomic bomb victims over Pyongyang's brazen act.

But Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba will not touch upon such a message in the Peace Declaration he will make today [August 6]. Instead, the body of his declaration will call for a program of action, which will urge 1,403 cities belonging to "Mayors for Peace," an organization headed by Akiba, to press the nuclear powers to confirm which of their cities is targeted, and if they are, to exclude them from the target list.

But realistically, would any nation disclose its top military secrets, such as which cities are in its nuclear sights?

If Akiba's declaration consists of nothing but starry-eyed slogans, far removed from the current international situation, he will be turning a blind eye to the grave nuclear threat facing Japan.

VIDEO FROM 1946: A TALE OF TWO CITIES;

A FILM FROM THE U.S. WAR DEPARTMENT

FILM FROM U.S. WAR DEPARTMENT : A film about what happenned with the Atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, 1946, 00:12:03

"The atomic age is born."

After the Bombs Fell, 1945