Did Japan give permission to allow US nukes on it's territory?

Image by AP
Hiroshima flame shrine. Photo by Sean in Japan.

The Hiroshima Flame, which stands in the Hiroshima Peace Park, was lit from the embers of the nuclear explosion in 1945 in memory of those who perished. It will remain alight until all nuclear weapons are eliminated. A torch was lit from the Hiroshima Flame on August 5 and is being carried on a march around the world to promote the abolition of nuclear weapons. This torch is to end up at the United Nations in May 2010a major inter-governmental conference on nuclear non-proliferation. (From PressenzaHiroshima 2009-08-04)

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ESSENTIAL Statement: Allegedly, "Japan, the only nation to have suffered nuclear attacks and which has campaigned for the worldwide abolition of the weapons, has had a policy of not possessing, producing or allowing nuclear arms on its territory since 1967. But the confidential US State Department memo prepared in 1960 said the US could use Japanese soil "as needed" in an emergency if communist neighbor North Korea attacked." (from end of article)

nzherald.co.nz or go here

Evidence claimed of secret Japan-US nuclear pact
4:00 AM Monday Nov 23, 2009

TOKYO - A Japanese Government team has found documents on an alleged secret pact with the United States to transport nuclear weapons through its territory, after decades of official denial.

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama's centre-left Government launched a probe into the alleged nuclear pact and other secret agreements with the US days after it took office in September.

The probe team reported to Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada that it had discovered documents linked to the pact from among thousands of files at the Foreign Ministry, the Mainichi Shimbun and Yomiuri Shimbun newspapers reported, citing unnamed ministry sources.

"Foreign Minister admits 'nuclear secret pact"' declared the headline in the Mainichi, while the Yomiuri echoed: "Government view likely to change - 'nuclear secret pact"'.

The existence of the agreement has been denied for decades by previous conservative Administrations, even though US documents declassified last month showed US officials believed they had an understanding with Japan when the allies signed a new security treaty in 1960.

"The question of black or white will become clear in January. We will clear the burden of previous Administrations which had insisted there was no secret pact," Okada said.

The papers said the minister would set up a committee of experts to examine the documents before announcing the Government's final judgment in January of whether the secret pact did indeed exist.

Japan, the only nation to have suffered nuclear attacks and which has campaigned for the worldwide abolition of the weapons, has had a policy of not possessing, producing or allowing nuclear arms on its territory since 1967.

But the confidential US State Department memo prepared in 1960 said the US could use Japanese soil "as needed" in an emergency if communist neighbour North Korea attacked.

- AFP
Copyright ©2009, APN Holdings NZ Limited

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So lets stay alert for that final judgment in January and then find an appropriate way to vigil for peace and to continue to campaign for the worldwide abolition of the weapons - particularly calling the US to task and accountability as would be leaders of a world at war...