Bush uses Japan's democratic success to justify war on terror

Bush on Tuesday, commemorating the 60th anniversary of Japan's formal surrender in World War II, invoked the lessons of that war to justify the ongoing military campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan.
http://japantoday.com/e/

Woman attempts suicide in Koizumi protest as he kicked off his re-election campaign

TOKYO, Japan (UPI) -- A 50-year-old woman stabbed herself in the neck and stomach in a suicide attempt after trying to drive a car into the Japanese prime minister`s official residence as he kicked off his re-election campaign.
She shut herself in the vehicle and stabbed herself in the neck and stomach. Officers broke the windows of the van and grabbed her. Some 20 to 30 copies of leaflets entitled "Stop the Koizumi administration" were found in the van.

Bush Approval by Party Identification

Bush Approval by Party Identification
	Current poll	2005 average (not including current poll)	Presidency average (2001-2005)
	%	%	%
Overall	40	49	61
Republicans	82	89	92
Independents	32	41	56
Democrats	13	17	35

Bush Approval Rating Continues to Drop
http://www.gallup.com/poll/content/default.aspx?ci=18148

U.S. Drafts Plans to Keep 100,000 Troops in Iraq Until 2009

The Pentagon is drafting plans to keep over 100,000 troops in Iraq for the next four years. Gen. Peter Schoomaker told the Associated Press, the Army is already making plans for troop deployments in Iraq through the year 2009. He admitted that keeping over 100,000 troops in Iraq that long is a possibility but he described it as a "worst case" scenario.
Democracy Now! | Headlines for August 22, 2005
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/22/1433231

UN Disarmament Conference in Kyoto

A United Nations conference on disarmament ended on Friday in Kyoto with calls to resolve the issues of nuclear development by Iran and North Korea.

Participants from non-nuclear nations, however, said the United States and the other nuclear powers should be the first to disarm.
NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation)

NASA Targeting March for Next Shuttle Launch

NASA is now targeting March 2006 for the next Space Shuttle mission, STS-121. Discovery will be used for STS-121 instead of Atlantis, putting NASA in a better position for future missions to the Space Station. Atlantis will fly the following mission, STS-115, carrying Space Station truss segments which are too heavy to be carried by Discovery.
http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/main/index.html

Do what you said, Japanese Prime Minister, the liar !

Statement by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi
(Provisional Translation)
http://www.kantei.go.jp/

On the 60th anniversary of the end of the war, I reaffirm my determination that Japan must never again take the path to war, reflecting that the peace and prosperity we enjoy today are founded on the ultimate sacrifices of those who lost their lives for the war against their will.
More than three million compatriots died in the war -- in the battle field thinking about their homeland and worrying about their families, while others perished amidst the destruction of war, or after the war in remote foreign countries.

In the past, Japan, through its colonial rule and aggression, caused tremendous damage and suffering to the people of many countries, particularly to those of Asian nations. Sincerely facing these facts of history, I once again express my feelings of deep remorse and heartfelt apology, and also express the feelings of mourning for all victims, both at home and abroad, in the war. I am determined not to allow the lessons of that horrible war to erode, and to contribute to the peace and prosperity of the world without ever again waging a war.

After the war, Japan rebuilt itself from a devastated land owing to the ceaseless efforts of its people and the assistance extended by many countries, and accepted the San Francisco Peace Treaty, being the first step of its reversion to the international community. Japan has resolutely maintained its principle of resolving all matters by peaceful means and not by force, and proactively extended material and personnel assistance for the sake of the peace and prosperity of the world through official development assistance (ODA) and United Nations peace keeping operations.

Japan's post war history has indeed been six decades of manifesting its remorse on the war through actions.

The post war generations now exceed 70% of Japan's population. Each and every Japanese, through his or her own experience and peace-oriented education, sincerely seeks international peace. Today, many Japanese are actively engaged in activities for peace and humanitarian assistance around the world, through such organizations as the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers, and have been receiving much trust and high appreciation from the local people. Exchange with Asian countries in a wide variety of areas, such as economy and culture, has also increased on an unprecedented scale. I believe it is necessary to work hand in hand with other Asian countries, especially with China and the Republic of Korea, which are Japan's neighboring countries separated only by a strip of water, to maintain peace and pursue the development of the region. Through squarely facing the past and rightly recognizing the history, I intend to build a future-oriented cooperative relationship based on mutual understanding and trust with Asian countries.

The international community is now faced with more complex and difficult challenges than ever imagined before: progress of the developing counties, alleviation of poverty, conservation of the global environment, nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and the prevention and eradication of terrorism. In order to contribute to world peace, Japan will proactively fulfill its role as a responsible member of the international community, upholding its pledge not to engage in war and based on its experience as the only nation to have suffered from the atomic bombings and the path it has followed over the 60 years after war.

On this occasion marking the 60th anniversary of the war's end, Japan, as a peace-loving nation, expresses here again that it will work to achieve peace and prosperity of all humankind with all its resources, together with all the nations of shared aspiration.

August 15, 2005

Junichiro Koizumi
Prime Minister of Japan

Aug 9th Concert LIVE for Peace in Nagasaki available

Concert for Peace 2005 : View the Concert LIVE
http://www.nhk.or.jp/peacecon/english/live.html

Times for LIVE internet broadcast
Nagasaki : Tue 9 Aug 19:30 - 20:43 (JST)
9 Aug 10:30 - 11:43 (UT)
9 Aug 06:30 - 07:43 (EDT)
9 Aug 05:30 - 06:43 (EST)
9 Aug 05:30 - 06:43 (CDT)
9 Aug 04:30 - 05:43 (CST)
9 Aug 03:30 - 04:43 (PDT)
9 Aug 02:30 - 03:43 (PST)
The Concerts for Peace in Nagasaki will be available for viewing LIVE (English version only)

Hiroshima Survivor Speaking at an anti-nuclear weapons rally in New York

Sunao Tsuboi survived the bombing of Hiroshima. Speaking at an anti-nuclear weapons rally in New York, he said, "Even if you luckily survive you...suffer from psychological and physical disruption...until your life ends."
Democracy Now! | Hiroshima Survivor: No More Hiroshimas, No More Nagasakis, No More War
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/05/1549218

The men who bombed Hiroshima

They were young men hoping to help end World War II.
The day before the mission we sat through briefings on Tinian island where they told us who was assigned to which plane, and we ran through what we were going to do.
BBC NEWS | Americas | The men who bombed Hiroshima
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4718579.stm

Bush's Exit Plan: Fomenting War in Iraq

Bush administration officials have announced exit strategies for Iraq with a target of next Spring for an initial pullout. But the death toll continues to rise.
Democracy Now! | Bush's Exit Plan: Fomenting War in Iraq
http://www.democracynow.org/

Shuttle crew confident about fix

Mission managers decided Monday to remove two gap fillers that are protruding from areas between heat-shielding tiles on the Discovery's underbelly. During the spacewalk, Mission Specialist Steve Robinson will venture under the Shuttle on the tip of the International Space Station's robotic arm, locate the protrusions and gently tug until they come out. If that does not work, Robinson will have tools to cut off the protrusions.
"This is going to be a very delicate task," Robinson said, "but as I say a simple one."
NASA - Return to Flight
http://www.nasa.gov/returntoflight/main/index.html

One blog created 'every second'

The blogosphere is continuing to grow, with a weblog created every second, according to blog trackers Technorati.
In its latest State of the Blogosphere report, it said the number of blogs it was tracking now stood at more than 14.2m blogs, up from 7.8m in March.
BBC NEWS | Technology | One blog created 'every second'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4737671.stm

Aug 6th Concert LIVE for Peace in Hiroshima available

Concert for Peace 2005 : View the Concert LIVE
peacecon/english/live.html

Times for LIVE internet broadcast
Hiroshima : Sat 6 Aug 19:30 - 20:43 (JST)
Nagasaki : Tue 9 Aug 19:30 - 20:43 (JST)
The Concerts for Peace in Hiroshima and Nagasaki will be available for viewing LIVE (English version only)

FDA Approves a Race-Specific Drug for the First Time in History

In June, the Federal Drug Administration approved the drug BiDil to treat heart failure in black patients. It is the first time ever that a medication has been targeted to a specific racial group. African-Americans suffer from heart failure at almost twice the rate of whites.
Democracy Now! | Will it Address the Real Health Issues Facing African-Americans?
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=05/08/01/1359214