Nagasaki Marks 61st Anniversary of A - Bomb

New York Times ^ | Aug 9, 2006 | Reuters (no fauxtography, tho! ;>)

[Ready4Freddy]

Filed at 1:25 a.m. ET

TOKYO (Reuters) - The mayor of Nagasaki criticized Iran and North Korea for their nuclear programs and had harsh words for the United States for failing to halt nuclear proliferation as the Japanese city marked the 61st anniversary of its atomic bombing.

Elderly survivors, children and dignitaries bowed their heads at the city's Peace Park near ``ground zero'' for a moment of silence at 11:02 a.m. -- the moment when a U.S. bomber dropped the world's second atomic bomb on August 9, 1945.

Earlier, others attended masses at Urakami Cathedral in the city, home to many of Japan's tiny number of Christians.

The anniversaries of the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima three days earlier coincide this year with renewed concerns about nuclear programs by Iran and by North Korea, which last month jolted the region by firing a salvo of missiles.

``Voices of anger and frustration are echoing throughout the city,'' Nagasaki Mayor Itcho Ito told thousands of people gathered to mourn the more than 140,000 people known to have died.

``The time has come for those nations that rely on the force of nuclear armaments to respectfully heed the voices of peace-loving people, not least the atomic bomb survivors.''

Ito also had harsh words for the United States and other nuclear powers for their failure to halt proliferation.

``The nuclear weapon states have not demonstrated sincerity in their efforts at disarmament. The United States of America in particular has issued a tacit approval of nuclear weapons development by India,'' Ito said.

``At the same time, nuclear weapons declarant North Korea is threatening the peace and security of Japan and the world as a whole.

[Ready4Freddy]

Coupla more articles here - http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/world/international-japan-korea-shrine.html and here - http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/05/opinion/05bass.html

[2banana]

Elderly survivors, children and dignitaries bowed their heads at the city's Peace Park near ``ground zero'' for a moment of silence at 11:02 a.m. -- the moment when a U.S. bomber dropped the world's second atomic bomb on August 9, 1945.

Any "moments of silence" for Pearl Harbor, The Rape of Nanking, the Treatment of POWs or the medical experimentation on the Chinese?

[goldstategop]

I want the US to build more atom bombs. We may need to use them on Iran to save civilization from the Muslim devil.

(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)

[redstates4ever]

"The time has come for those nations that rely on the force of nuclear armaments to respectfully heed the voices of peace-loving people, not least the atomic bomb survivors."

What about the cabal of terrorists who have no nation and serve only radical Islam? Hmmmmmmmmmm?

[Skooz]

I guess I missed the ceremonies for the 69th anniversary of the rape of Nanking.

[Non-Sequitur]

Nagasaki Marks 61st Anniversary of A - Bomb.

I hope they have a blast.

Sorry. Couldn't resist.

[LIConFem]

"Any "moments of silence" for Pearl Harbor, The Rape of Nanking, the Treatment of POWs or the medical experimentation on the Chinese?"

Oh, please! None of those things ever happened! I mean, if they did, they'd be covered in Japanese history books, right??

[goldstategop]

Without a nuclear arsenal, the US and Israel wouldn't survive another Pearl Harbor. Somehow, they overlook that in Japan - they forget who attacked America on December 7, 1941. Its still a day that will live on in infamy forever.

(Go Israel, Go! Slap 'Em Down Hezbullies.)

[LIConFem]

"I hope they have a blast"

That joke will have a half-life of about 45 seconds.

;o)

[Ready4Freddy]

The 2 articles I listed in my comment (sorry, I thought they'd link automagically) deal w/ the Japanese PM's annual visits to the Yasukuni war shrine. Really pisses of China & Korea when he does that.

[Zeppelin]

Yeah, but what kind of chain-reaction will it create?

And what kind of fallout should we expect?

[Tennessee_Bob]

Greetings from Oak Ridge! Is the mayor still asking for us to apologize? He can kiss my a$$.

[Veeram]

As one veteran who fought the Japanese said " If there hadn't been an attack on Pearl Harbor, there never would have been bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki "

[Tribune7]

They should of set off a really, really big firecracker.

[2harddrive]

That was the world's first use of a plutonium implosion bomb, (not counting the test at the tower in Alamogordo) as opposed to the U-235 gun-barrel type bomb that took out Hiroshima. (There never was a need to test it.)

[chatham]

Maybe if the Japanese put as much effort into stopping the proliferation of atomic weapons as they do making and shipping their cars to America they might have had some success themselves.

After their Barbaric treatment of many countries in their quest to rule the world they are very lucky and should be eternally grateful to America for not annihilating them to extinction as a punishment and instead America showed them how to live as a Democracy.

Our troops are still there as a protection, and this Jerk Mayor is a Disgrace to the Human Race.

[reagandemo]

Well about 25 miles form where I live is a small rural community that has quite a few American Heroes that survived the Baton Death March. I am sure that they will be happy to give you their take on this matter.

[LS]

I'll never forget on the 50th anniversary of the dropping of the Hiroshima bomb, one of the networks was interviewing Asians who had lived under the Japanese rule, and asked one elderly Korean woman, "did you agree with dropping the second bomb on Nagasaki?"

She asked, "How many bombs did they have?"

The reporter said, "Two, but were making more."

She said "They should have dropped all of them."

[bwteim]

If the city does not yet have a mascot, may I suggest:

[Ready4Freddy]

LOL!! Thanks, bwteim! That's perfect!