Majority in U.S. Believes A-Bomb Use Was "Justified": Poll

Washington, April 7 (Jiji Press)--A majority of U.S. citizens, at 56 pct, believes the country's use of atomic bombs on Japanese cities during World War II was "justified," the Pew Research Center said in a survey report Tuesday. Meanwhile, 34 pct said the bombings of Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, and of Nagasaki three days later were "not justified," according to the survey by the U.S. research institute. The results show that the view that atomic bombings were necessary is still widely held among the public in the United States nearly 70 years have passed since the end of World War II. In contrast, 79 pct of Japanese respondents said the atomic bomb attacks were not justified, while only 14 pct answered the opposite. The percentage of U.S. respondents in the "justified" camp reached 70 pct among people aged 65 and older. But the percentage was only 47 pct among those between 18 and 29, showing a wide generation gap in attitudes toward the bombings. The ratios stood at 74 pct of Republicans and 52 pct of Democrats. Among women, 50 pct said the use of the atomic bombs was justified, while the percentage was higher at 62 pct for men. Respondents in the "justified" camp accounted for 40 pct of nonwhites and 65 pct of whites. Despite the still widely held view backing the atomic bomb dropping, the percentage of U.S. citizens supporting the attacks has fallen gradually. In a survey by U.S. polling service Gallup in 1945, just after the end of the war, 85 pct of respondents backed the atomic bomb use. In a Detroit Free Press survey in 1991, 63 pct answered the use of the bombs was justifiable as a means of ending the war. Asked whether Japan has apologized enough for its actions during World War II, 37 pct of U.S. respondents answered yes, 29 pct said Japan has not apologized enough and 24 pct said no apology is now necessary. As for Germany, 33 pct believe the European nation has apologized sufficiently for its actions during the war, 37 pct answered the opposite and 21 pct said there is no need for an apology. The survey, conducted between January and February this year, covered 1,000 U.S. citizens and 1,000 Japanese, aged 18 or older. END