Trump angers A-bombed cities by comparing them to attack on Iran
Terumi Tanaka, who represents Nihon Hidankyo (the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, speaks to high school students in Sapporo on May 24. (Asahi Shimbun file photo)
Hibakusha and local officials are outraged that U.S. President Donald Trump likened the recent U.S. attack on Iran's nuclear facilities to the 1945 U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Terumi Tanaka, who represents Nihon Hidankyo (the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations), called Trump's remarks 'out of line.'
'Nothing has changed 80 years after the war,' Tanaka said, referring to how the U.S. flaunts its military power without looking at 'what happened under the mushroom cloud.'
Trump made the remarks on June 25 while fielding questions from reporters during his meeting with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in the Hague, Netherlands.
Regarding the 'cease-fire agreement' reached between Iran and Israel after an armed conflict over nuclear development, Trump touted the results of the U.S. bombing attack on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Trump stated his belief that the U.S. military intervention directly led to ending the war between Iran and Israel.
'That hit ended the war," he said. "I don't want to use an example of Hiroshima. I don't want to use an example of Nagasaki. But that was essentially the same thing. That ended that war. This ended (this) war.'
Officials of Hiroshima and Nagasaki immediately reacted to the remarks.
The Hiroshima city assembly on June 26 unanimously passed a resolution stating, 'As the atomic-bombed city of Hiroshima, we must never overlook or tolerate statements that justify the dropping of the atomic bombs or situations that threaten civil liberties.'
The resolution also referred to the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, urging 'a peaceful resolution of all armed conflicts from a humanitarian standpoint.'
Nagasaki Mayor Shiro Suzuki told reporters that he was not aware of the exact purpose of Trump's remarks, but added, 'If the remarks were to justify the dropping of the atomic bombs, it would be extremely regrettable as an atomic-bombed city.'
Hibakusha are angered that Trump's comparison seems to glorify achieving peace through the use of force.
Near the end of World War II, U.S. President Harry S. Truman justified the dropping of the atomic bombs to save the lives of many American soldiers.
However, some 210,000 people died in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and those who survived continue to suffer from atomic bomb disease.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to Nihon Hidankyo in October 2024, citing the weakening of the 'nuclear taboo.'
Amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Israel's invasion of Gaza, Tanaka worries that if the situations continue to escalate, the end result will be the use of nuclear weapons.
'This is why we have no choice but to abolish nuclear weapons,' he said emphatically.
(This article was compiled from reports written by Yosuke Watanabe, Jin Hirakawa, Hayashi Yanagawa, Takashi Ogawa, and correspondent Kayoko Geji.)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Asahi Shimbun
2 hours ago
- Asahi Shimbun
EDITORIAL: Japan must decide on scale of defense buildup, not Trump
NATO has set a new goal for member nations regarding defense spending, including related expenses, by raising the objective from the former 2 percent of gross domestic product to 5 percent. The move is in response to arguments made by the Trump administration, which has also indicated the need for a similar increase on the part of Asian allies of the United States, including Japan. In the postwar era, Japan's defense spending had been kept at about 1 percent of GDP, but in late 2022 then Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced a comprehensive strengthening of defense capabilities. The Kishida Cabinet decided to increase defense spending, including related expenses, over a five-year period to eventually reach 2 percent of GDP. In the current fiscal year budget, defense spending totaled 9.9 trillion yen ($68.6 billion), which translates to 1.8 percent of GDP. But the government has still not decided when to increase income taxes to partially pay for the added expenditures. There are reports that Washington has informally asked the government to set a specific numerical goal of 3.5 percent of GDP for defense spending, excluding related expenses. That can only be described as an outrageous request. Japan must play the leading role in determining the scale of its defense capabilities. The current goal of 2 percent was decided on because it coincided with the then NATO standard despite the differences in the national security environment and historical developments with Japan. The pledge made by Kishida in 2022 to decide on the contents, budget and revenues for Japan's defense buildup as a single set has not been fulfilled. As a result, there is the possibility that equipment with a dubious cost-effectiveness might be included. The administration demonstrated irresponsibility through insufficient Diet deliberations and by putting off how to secure stable revenue sources even while it faced very serious fiscal circumstances. At a recent news conference, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said while there was a need for greater communication with the United States, he added that Japan would decide for itself what it required without being held to a monetary amount beforehand. It remains to be seen if he can maintain that stance. While NATO responded to the demands made by U.S. President Donald Trump, only about 20 of the 32 member nations have attained the 2-percent goal. It is clear that member nations hold different positions based on their recognition of the threat posed by Russia as well as their fiscal circumstances. Despite the new goal, it is uncertain if member nations can achieve it. There is obviously a need for a defense buildup by Japan considering the situation in East Asia where China is making maritime advances and building up its defense arsenal while North Korea is developing nuclear weapons and missiles. Allies and friendly nations will also be called on to augment the relative decline in the national strength of the United States. But expanding defense spending beyond what is possible will not be sustainable and raise concerns about greater instability in the daily lives of the people. There is also the danger that it could lead to an endless arms race with neighboring nations and damage regional stability. Attention must be focused on constructing a comprehensive strategy that balances diplomatic efforts with the strengthening of deterrence. --The Asahi Shimbun, June 30
The Mainichi
2 hours ago
- The Mainichi
Canadian Prime Minister Carney says trade talks with US resume after Canada rescinded tech tax
TORONTO (AP) -- Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said late Sunday trade talks with U.S. have resumed after Canada rescinded its plan to tax U.S. technology firms. U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that he was suspending trade talks with Canada over its plans to continue with its tax on technology firms, which he called "a direct and blatant attack on our country." The Canadian government said "in anticipation" of a trade deal "Canada would rescind" the Digital Serves Tax. The tax was set to go into effect Monday. Carney and Trump spoke on the phone Sunday, and Carney's office said they agreed to resume negotiations. "Today's announcement will support a resumption of negotiations toward the July 21, 2025, timeline set out at this month's G7 Leaders' Summit in Kananaskis," Carney said in a statement. Carney visited Trump in May at the White House, where he was polite but firm. Trump traveled to Canada for the G7 summit in Alberta, where Carney said that Canada and the U.S. had set a 30-day deadline for trade talks. Trump, in a post on his social media network last Friday, said Canada had informed the U.S. that it was sticking to its plan to impose the digital services tax, which applies to Canadian and foreign businesses that engage with online users in Canada. The digital services tax was due to hit companies including Amazon, Google, Meta, Uber and Airbnb with a 3% levy on revenue from Canadian users. It would have applied retroactively, leaving U.S. companies with a $2 billion U.S. bill due at the end of the month. "Rescinding the digital services tax will allow the negotiations of a new economic and security relationship with the United States to make vital progress," Canadian Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said in a statement. Champagne also spoke with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Sunday. Trump's announcement Friday was the latest swerve in the trade war he's launched since taking office for a second term in January. Progress with Canada has been a roller coaster, starting with the U.S. president poking at the nation's northern neighbor and repeatedly suggesting it would be absorbed as a U.S. state. Canada and the U.S. have been discussing easing a series of steep tariffs Trump imposed on goods from America's neighbor. Trump has imposed 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum as well as 25% tariffs on autos. He is also charging a 10% tax on imports from most countries, though he could raise rates on July 9, after the 90-day negotiating period he set would expire. Canada and Mexico face separate tariffs of as much as 25% that Trump put into place under the auspices of stopping fentanyl smuggling, though some products are still protected under the 2020 U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement signed during Trump's first term.
Yomiuri Shimbun
2 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Japan Survey Finds Only 22% of Respondents Trust U.S.; Significant Drop From Joint Poll After Election
A nationwide poll by The Yomiuri Shimbun found that only 22% of respondents 'trust' the United States, with 3% answering 'greatly' and 19% saying 'somewhat.' The number of respondents who trust the United States was down 12 points from 34% in a joint survey conducted by The Yomiuri Shimbun and the U.S. polling firm Gallup, Inc. last November, immediately after U.S. President Donald Trump won the election. Asked how much they trusted the United States, 46% of respondents to the Yomiuri poll said 'not very much' and 22% said 'not at all,' for a total of 68%. This compares to 55% in last year's Japan-U.S. survey. Figures from the joint Japan-U.S. surveys can be compared from the year 2000 on. Since that time, the lowest percentage of respondents who said they trusted the United States in the Yomiuri-Gallup survey was 30%, a figure seen under the first Trump administration in 2018. Then as well, Trump was strongly pushing for a rectification of the U.S. trade deficit with Japan, including in automobiles. The fact that the percentage of respondents who trust the United States fell below that level in the latest Yomiuri poll stems not only from the Trump administration's high tariff policy, but also Trump's remarks and actions regarding the situation in the Middle East and Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
