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'We must never repeat the horrors of war': Japanese PM Shinzo Abe offers condolences at Pearl Harbour
By Jeff Mason
Pearl Harbour, Hawaii: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has offered his condolences to the people killed in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour in 1941, after visiting the memorial to the sunken battleship USS Arizona.
"President Obama, the people of the United States of America and the people around the world, as the prime minister of Japan I offer my sincere and everlasting condolences to the souls of those who have lost their lives here," Abe said on Tuesday.
"We must never repeat the horrors of war. This is the solemn vow we, the people of Japan, have taken," Abe said.
"To the souls of the servicemen who lie in eternal rest aboard the USS Arizona, to the American people, and to all the peoples around the world, I pledge that unwavering vow here as the prime minister of Japan," he said.
Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, left, and US President Barack Obama speak with Pearl Harbor veterans, from left, Sterling Cale, Al Rodrigues and Everett Hyland in Honolulu. Credit: AP
Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbour with torpedo planes, bombers and fighter planes on the morning of December 7, 1941, pounding the US fleet moored there in the hope of destroying US power in the Pacific.
Abe did not apologise for the attack.
Earlier he and US President Barack Obama tossed petals into the water aboard the USS Arizona Memorial to honour those who died at Pearl Harbour during World War II.
The two leaders approached a gap in the floating white memorial and tossed purple petals into the water. The rusting wreckage of the sunken ship where more than 1000 US service members are entombed can be seen just under the water's surface.
Barack Obama and Shinzo Abe pause after participating in a wreath laying ceremony overlooking the wreckage of the sunken ship where more than 1000 US service members are entombed.Credit: AP
Obama and Abe closed their eyes and stood silently for a few moments before concluding their visit to the memorial and boarding a boat to nearby Joint Base Pearl Harbour-Hickam, where both leaders spoke.
Obama said the Japanese PM's historic visit showed the power of reconciliation.
Shinzo Abe embraces World War II Pearl Harbour survivor Sterling Cale on Kilo Pier, overlooking the USS Arizona Memorial on Tuesday.Credit: AP
"A reminder that even the deepest wounds of war can give way to friendship and a lasting peace," Obama said.
After their remarks, both leaders greeted US veterans who survived the attack.
Barack Obama listens as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks on Kilo Pier in Joint Base Pearl Harbour-Hickam, Hawaii.Credit: AP
On Monday, Abe stopped at several memorials in Hawaii during a trip intended to show a strong alliance between his country and the United States.
Obama used his historic visit to Hiroshima in May to acknowledge the suffering of the estimated 140,000 killed during the US bombing on August 6, 1945 and its aftermath, and to call for an end to nuclear weapons.
Pearl Harbour survivors wait for President Barack Obama to speak at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, on Tuesday.Credit: AP
Japan hopes to present a strong alliance with the United States amid concerns about China's expanding military capability.
The leaders' meeting was also meant to reinforce the US-Japan partnership ahead of the January 20 presidential inauguration of Donald Trump, whose opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact and campaign threat to force allied countries to pay more to host US forces raised concerns among allies such as Japan.
Abe met with Trump in New York in November and called him a "trustworthy leader".
Trump last week called for the United States to "greatly strengthen and expand" its nuclear capability and reportedly welcomed an international arms race.
Reuters, AP