http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_bombings_of_Hiroshima_and_Nagasaki

On May 10–11, 1945, the Target Committee at Los Alamos, led by J. Robert Oppenheimer, recommended Kyoto, Hiroshima, Yokohama, and the arsenal at Kokura as possible targets. The target selection was subject to the following criteria:

* The target was larger than three miles in diameter and was an important target in a large urban area.
* The blast would create effective damage.
* The target was unlikely to be attacked by August 1945. "Any small and strictly military objective should be located in a much larger area subject to blast damage in order to avoid undue risks of the weapon being lost due to bad placing of the bomb."[16]

These cities were largely untouched during the nightly bombing raids and the Army Air Force agreed to leave them off the target list so accurate assessment of the weapon could be made. Hiroshima was described as "an important army depot and port of embarkation in the middle of an urban industrial area. It is a good radar target and it is such a size that a large part of the city could be extensively damaged. There are adjacent hills which are likely to produce a focusing effect which would considerably increase the blast damage. Due to rivers it is not a good incendiary target."[16] The goal of the weapon was to convince Japan to surrender unconditionally in accordance with the terms of the Potsdam Declaration. The Target Committee stated that "It was agreed that psychological factors in the target selection were of great importance. Two aspects of this are (1) obtaining the greatest psychological effect against Japan and (2) making the initial use sufficiently spectacular for the importance of the weapon to be internationally recognized when publicity on it is released. Kyoto had the advantage of being an important center for military industry, as well an intellectual center and hence better able to appreciate the significance of the weapon. The Emperor's palace in Tokyo has a greater fame than any other target but is of least strategic value."[16]

During World War II, Edwin O. Reischauer was the Japan expert for the U.S. Army Intelligence Service, in which role he is incorrectly said to have prevented the bombing of Kyoto.[17] In his autobiography, Reischauer specifically refuted the validity of this claim:

"...the only person deserving credit for saving Kyoto from destruction is Henry L. Stimson, the Secretary of War at the time, who had known and admired Kyoto ever since his honeymoon there several decades earlier."[18]

tell that to the people that lived through it.
lol wikipedia.

it's called teaching a lesson... muslims will learn a few lessons soon too

when exactly?

as soon as it happens

i won't hold my breath. your guy Bush said you'd conquer us in less than a year...we're still waiting. seeing how the recruitment rate is down 30 percent and our birth rate is up, i don't see how any of your predictions will happen. besides most americans think the world will end in 2012 so what does it really matter? lol

smh,,, unbelievable

how many people are succumbing to bigotry based on a minority of a population? imagine if the world followed suit, none of us would survive

women should hate men for they are the MAJORITY of rapists

jews and christians should hate each other for what happened to Jesus

minorities should not be too fond of the caucasian majority for the treatment of minorities in america's history


when does SOMEONE step up to being the better person, the better community , the better country , by being the first to take a step towards ENDING the cycle of hate and blame?


good grief!!!!

All of this anger is misdirected. The ones who should be confronted are the radical Islamists who preach hate and who are responsible for the twisting and abuse of the Quran to justify violence.

It is wrong to blame Muslims in general for the actions of Al-Qaeda and it is also equally wrong to attempt to justify or apologize for Al-Qaeda or Hamas. Murdering innocent civilian people is wrong and unjustifiable regardless of any land dispute, trash talking, cartoons of the prophet or Quran burning.

All of the effort of both Muslims and non-Muslims should be directed at confronting and stopping terrorist ideology and activities.

Really? That's why he had Saddam and his b%$ch son's running and hiding within the first week of attakcs? Thats why we toppled that government completley in less then two weeks and within three months gave them their first full functioning government in decaded?

Thats why in Afganistan The taliban fell like a deck on cards in two weeks and after a week of bombing they approached the US saying they will give us Bin Laden because we were kicking their a$$? Not to mention taking them out of power completely within a week and a half.

Other then the occasional nutjob or child with and IED vest, the situation is handled. Were just there because we like killing terrerist's who like to terrorize their own people both in Iraq and Afganistan.

Oh, so your defending AQ now? BTW your screen name has been passed along to the DHS. I sure hope your in Kentucky right now.

lolol

Screw the people that lived through it, they Messed with the USofA and felt our might just like Iran, Pakistan and the rest of the terrorists are gonna feel.

We've showed considerable restraint, but now that Patraeus is down there now, there is no restraint! They are all DEAD.

TRUE americans,,lol

100% Baby!

start with the man in the mirror,,,,,,its like watching Susan Smith degrade Jeffrey Dahmer, because she had a 'reason' for killing her babies where as Jeff was clearly some nut for both killing and EATING his victims..


momma used to sya,,

when you point one finger at someone else , you still have four pointing back at you

Have to agree with this...

If one could have quit the military just like that, the military wouldn't have instituted the stop-loss thing, both to stop those who were due to leave, and stop others who wanted out. I can say I got royally sick of listening to the whiny military folk who were in and wanted the college benefits, but didn't want to deal with the fact of going over to Iraq after 9/11. My estimation of the military went downhill big time for a while.

Time to pay the piper, folks...

As far as the whole religious thing, I wonder, if we invaded India, if he would have any issues slaughtering Hindu believers. Somehow, I seriously doubt it.

That said, the military politicks what they say nicely. No serious honesty there. I got myself un-harrassed by the recruiters while there when I told them I would be willing to join if I could go kill people. Seems to be, they don't like when one is THAT blatant. Darn.

The guy is just a coward, plain and simple.

Bump

not in my book, he is a young man who doesnt want to kill


Physical bravery is an animal instinct; moral bravery is much higher and truer courage.
Wendell Phillips

The opposite of bravery is not cowardice but conformity.
Robert Anthony