Biden won’t say sorry for US atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

President Biden Won’t Apologize for Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima

President Joe Biden has no plans to apologize on behalf of the United States for the use of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima during World War II, according to the White House. Biden arrived in Hiroshima on May 18 for the Group of Seven (G-7) summit, becoming the second sitting U.S. president after Barack Obama to visit the western Japanese city.

No Apology from President Biden

Reporters have asked the White House several times in recent weeks whether the president will issue an apology statement while there. When asked about the apology, national security adviser Jake Sullivan replied, “No.”

“The president won’t be making a statement at the Peace Memorial Park. He’ll be participating with the other G-7 leaders in a wreath-laying and a few other events,” Sullivan told reporters on May 17 aboard Air Force One while en route to Japan.

“But this is not, from his perspective, a bilateral moment. This is him, as one of the G-7 leaders, coming to pay respects both for history but also respects to Prime Minister [Fumio] Kishida, who of course is from Hiroshima.”

Remembering the Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima

On the first day of the summit, Biden and other G-7 leaders will visit the Peace Memorial Park and meet with the survivors of the atomic bomb that leveled the city 78 years ago. During World War II, a U.S. B-29 bomber dropped the world’s first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945. The explosion is believed to have killed 80,000 people directly, with radioactive exposure claiming tens of thousands of additional lives.

A second atomic bomb was detonated over the city of Nagasaki three days later, killing an estimated 40,000 people. Shortly after the bombings, Japanese Emperor Hirohito declared unconditional surrender in World War II in a radio address, stating that “the enemy has begun to employ a new and most cruel bomb, the power of which to damage is indeed incalculable.”

No Apology from the U.S. Government

The U.S. government has never apologized for the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. In 2016, Obama became the first sitting U.S. president since 1945 to visit Hiroshima, and toured the memorial park with then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. During his visit, he delivered a speech and hugged Shigeaki Mori, a survivor of the atomic bombings, known in Japan as “hibakusha.”

• President Biden won’t apologize for the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.
• He will participate in a wreath-laying ceremony and other events with other G-7 leaders.
• Biden and other G-7 leaders will visit the Peace Memorial Park and meet with survivors of the atomic bomb.
• The U.S. government has never apologized for the bombings.
• Obama became the first sitting U.S. president to visit Hiroshima in 2016.

As we remember the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, it’s important to reflect on the devastating impact of war and the importance of peace. Let us honor the memory of those who lost their lives and work towards a future where such tragedies never happen again.