JCP in Diet demands nuclear-capable U.S. B-52 demo flight be cancelled

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

JCP in Diet demands nuclear-capable U.S. B-52 demo flight be cancelled

The Japanese Communist Party in the Diet demanded the cancellation of a demo flight by U.S. B-52 strategic bombers at an airshow at the U.S. Marine Corps Iwakuni Air Station in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The event is scheduled for May 5.

At a House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee meeting on April 23, JCP representative Kasai Akira stated, “Strategic bombers capable of nuclear attacks are coming to the area near Hiroshima, the world’s first atomic-bombed city. This is absolutely unacceptable.”

Asked by Kasai if the B-52s will carry nuclear weapons, Foreign Minister Komura Masahiko said, “There was not prior consultation, so they will not carry nuclear weapons.” In saying this, Komura admitted that the government has not asked the United States for verification.

Although the JCP representative demanded that the government request the U.S. to cancel B-52 flights at the airshow Komura only answered, “We would like to know what local residents might say.”

B-52s were used for saturation bombing during the Vietnam War. They still take part in attacking civilians in the Iraq war and the Afghanistan war. It was found out that last August U.S. strategic bombers carried nuclear warheads a distance of 2000 km in the United States.

B-52 bombers were permanently stationed in Okinawa when it was under U.S. occupation. They left there in 1970 after a crash in 1968 while carrying nuclear weapons. Even after, that they frequently visited Japan.

In 1972, then Foreign Minister Ohira Masayoshi requested the U.S. ambassador to Japan to have the U.S. consider Japanese citizens’ feelings due to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and allow B-52s to fly to the country only in cases of emergency such as major typhoons. The U.S. side answered that it will strictly limit B-52’s flights over Japan.

- Akahata, April 24, 2008