When US President Barack Obama visits  Hiroshima later this week, don’t expect him to apologize for the world’s first nuclear attack. Obama was clear, he would emphasize friendly ties between former enemies. But the president reiterated he would not apologize for the  attack,no matter if it was horrific.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will accompany Obama on a tour the site of the the nuclear bombing this Friday., says that future generations don’t have to apologize for the actions of their fore-fathers.

In an a frank  interview with the   Japanese national broadcaster NHK, Obama said the reality is that leaders often have to make hard choices during times of conflict. No apologies would be included in his speech at Hiroshima.

“It’s important to recognize that in the midst of war, leaders make all kinds of decisions, it’s a job of historians to ask questions and examine them,” Obama said.”But I know, as somebody who’s now sat in this position for the last seven and half years, that every leader makes very difficult decisions, particularly during wartime.”

It is common knowledge that the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were a necessary evil to end the second world war which was bringing the world to the brink of economic disaster. On later years, some historians question that view. Most Japanese believe the bombings were unjustified.

The bomb dropped on Hiroshima on 6 August 1945 killed thousands instantly and about 140,000 by the end of the year. Nagasaki was hit on 9 August and Japan surrendered six days later.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate  Obama, a champion of  nuclear non-proliferation,  felt that emphasis needed to be placed on the current relationship between Washington, one of Japan’s key allies, and Tokyo.

“I think it is also a happy story about how former adversaries came together to become one of the closest partnerships and closest allies in the world,” he said.

“Since I only have a few months left in the office, I thought it was a good time for me to reflect on the nature of war. Part of my goal is to recognize that innocent people caught in war can suffer tremendously,” he said. “And that’s not just the thing of the past. That is happening today in many parts of the world.”

Critics argue that by not apologizing, Obama will allow Japan to stick to the narrative that paints it as a victim.

On its part, the Abe administration has affirmed past government apologies for Japanese actions during the war, but asserts that future generations should not have to apologize for the actions of their ancestors..

Obama said the visit will be a time to reflect on the ‘harsh toll’ that war takes at any time.

[Edited by intern Debrata Sarma]

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