Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi has expressed support for a world without nuclear weapons after his proposal for debates without any taboos on nuclear policy sparked controversy, including among hibakusha atomic bombing survivors.
¡°I strongly sympathize with the earnest desire of hibakusha for a world without nuclear weapons,¡± Koizumi told a news conference Tuesday.
In an online program last month, Koizumi said that Japan cannot avoid discussions on the difficult issue of nuclear policy. This drew criticism from a hibakusha organization in the city of Hiroshima, which suffered an atomic bombing on Aug. 6, 1945, in the closing days of World War II. The group said that Koizumi¡¯s remark was ¡°unforgivable.¡±
¡°Speaking of defense policy in general, I said that it is important to discuss without excluding any options,¡± Koizumi said Tuesday. ¡°We will continue to work proactively to maintain and strengthen the international system of (nuclear) disarmament and nonproliferation.¡±
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