President Obama Will Not Apologise For Hiroshima Bombing

Even as U.S. President Barack Obama affirmed on Sunday that he will visit Hiroshima to strengthen friendly ties, he clarified that he would not apologize for the US attack on the first city in the world to suffer an atomic bombing

Obama would be the first sitting U.S. president to visit and travel to the nuclear bomb site this Friday, accompanied by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

He explained to Japanese national broadcaster NHK that leaders need to opt for "hard choices" when faced with trouble. Hence, he would not include any apologies.

"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-a-half years, that every leader makes very difficult decisions, particularly during wartime."

It was on Aug. 6, 1945, that the bomb was dropped in the western Japanese city, killing thousands instantly, while about 140,000 more died at the end of the year. It was followed by Nagasaki getting hit on Aug. 9, six days after which Japan surrendered.

Most Americans feel that the bombings were essential to end the war and "save" U.S. although most historians slam that view. The Japanese are firm that the attack was not justified.

Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2009 partly due to his leanings towards nuclear non-proliferation. But now he adds that more emphasis should be placed on the current relationship between Washington and Tokyo, who are key allies.

"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.

There are many critics who point out that by "not apologising", Obama will simply open the ways for Japan to look victimised.

Obama still takes a careful and diplomatic middle stance, saying that the visit is all about a "time to reflect" on the ravages of war.

"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."

Now that, many would agree, is just a sequence of carefully worded non-sequiturs.