From: "Salil Tripathi" <salil61-AT-hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: The wrong historical example?
Date: Wed, 07 Nov 2001 09:17:26 +0000


Dear Liam

I agree with you; my comment (to which I know, you were not responding 
directly) is not at all meant to exonerate the Dr Strangeloves in our midst. 
These cynical Dept of Defence officials are so removed from reality that 
they genuinely belong to another planet.

However, I do believe that the co-pilot could indeed have access to the 
information about the choice of targets, particularly if the co-pilot is 
speaking from hind-sight. If he has been told to target Kokura, and it has 
changed to Nagasaki at the last minute, isn't it possible, that in later 
years, he'd want to find out the reason behind the change? Your comment 
about the foot-soldier v commander would be valid, if the co-pilot knew, at 
the moment of the bombing, the reason why. But if he found out later, I 
believe it is indeed possible.

The issue of surrender's timing is critical because, as Omar pointed out, 
there are rules of the war; and if the US indeed bombed Hiroshima and 
Nagasaki after the surrender, it goes beyond even those rules. I agree, the 
idea of "rules of war" itself sounds Orewllian, but then we are in an 
imperfect world :-)

Best,

Salil


>From: Liam Connell <l.connell-AT-herts.ac.uk>
>Reply-To: postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
>To: postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu
>Subject: Re: The wrong historical example?
>Date: Wed, 7 Nov 2001 07:38:16 -0000
>
>Isn't it a bit fanciful to suggest that a co-pilot (or any of the 
>servicemen
>on the actual flight) would be privy to the discussion of any rationale
>behind military targeting of any kind?  I was also under the impression 
>that
>it was a widely established fact that the devices dropped on Nagasaki and
>Hiroshima were of different types, the two bombings being designed to test
>which was most efficient in addition to, and irrespective of, any
>considerations about Japanese surrender.
>
>Relevantly or otherwise I wonder if anyone saw the press briefing yesterday
>on the so-called 'Daisy Cutter' bombs.  The officer (I don't remember name
>and rank so apologies in advance) who gave the briefing could not disguise
>his smile when he explained the workings of the bomb and the fact that it
>was designed to cause casualties.  It may be a truism but the loss of life 
>-
>including civilian lives - is pretty much the defining principle of warfare
>despite the ability of figures like the man giving the briefing yesterday 
>to
>imply that this is a minor technical detail.
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: <Charrl-AT-aol.com>
>To: <postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu>
>Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2001 4:19 AM
>Subject: Re: The wrong historical example?
>
>
> > The information I have received on the decision to bomb Nagasaki comes
>from
> > retired Lt. Colonel Fred Olivi, USAF, who was a co-pilot of the plane
>which
> > dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki August 9, 1945.  He told me the 
>story
>of
> > the bombing, including the last minute switch in plans, in May and June 
>of
> > 1999.
> >
> > I would be very interested to know who it was who taught students the
> > targeting of Nagasaki was done because it had lots of wooden buildings,
>and
> > to see class notes.
> >
> > Charles Orlowek
> >
> >
> >      --- from list postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---
> >
>
>
>
>      --- from list postcolonial-AT-lists.village.virginia.edu ---


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