In Hiroshima, Obama must send N-free world message

Hiroshima stands as an obnoxious reminder of atrocities of a nuclear war. It keeps warning us that such an apocalypse should never be repeated. With Barack Obama’s trip to Hiroshima this month — the first by a sitting US President — hopes are raised the visit would renew push for global nuclear disarmament in light of horror Hiroshima still represents.
Given the sensitivity of the issue in the US, the White House said on Tuesday, there would be no apology for the devastation wrought on the city in the final days of World War II. Yet, Obama’s gesture to visit Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park accompanied by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, is symbolic and demonstrates to veterans in Japan that the sitting American president is
concerned even if he falls short of tendering an apology.
Many in Japan believe such a visit will once more shed light on the catastrophe and deter any nuclear potential adventures. “I hope that here in Hiroshima, he (Obama) will conceive concrete steps towards a nuclear-free world,” said city mayor Kazumi Matsui.
This theme was also echoed by Hidehiko Yuzaki, the governor of Hiroshima prefecture, who said he hoped Obama would see “the reality of how the atomic bomb hurt people here, and would come away with a deep understanding of the scale of the damage”.
Obama’s visit to Hiroshima would demonstrate his enduring personal commitment to the goal of a nuclear weapon-free world, which he proudly advocated in his speech in Prague in April 2009 in the beginning of his term in office. So the visit would be seen as an extension to that end, even as he is months away from leaving the White House.
Further, the trip could reopen the discussion within the United States regarding whether the use of atomic bomb—not only on Hiroshima but also on Nagasaki—was justified, given the massive civilian casualties. This debate is healthy and may lead to positive conclusions that would recommend getting rid of nuclear arsenals.
Some say during the visit, Obama may jump to future and call for the world to rid itself of nuclear weapons. But critics doubt such a move would happen. Obama’s plan to overhaul and upgrade the US nuclear arsenal could spark a dangerous new arms race with China and Russia. The modernisation programme, including purchases of new bombers and ballistic missile submarines, could cost as much as $1 trillion over the next 30 years.
Ahead of Obama, US Secretary of State John Kerry last month laid a wreath near the building, and visited the “gut-wrenching” memorial museum that shows the human cost of the bombing.
Former president Jimmy Carter visited Hiroshima after leaving office, while Richard Nixon went to the city a few years before assuming the presidency.
Japan has long urged world leaders to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki to see the horrors of the atomic bombings and join efforts to eradicate nuclear arms.
Interestingly, Obama will stay clear of anything that can be interpreted as an apology during his visit to Hiroshima. Still, his visit is as an important gesture that acknowledges the horror and devastation caused by the atomic bombs. Hiroshima is an exemplary platform to call for a world free from nuclear weapons.