File spoon-archives/postcolonial.archive/postcolonial_2001/postcolonial.0111, message 79


Date: Wed, 07 Nov 2001 15:09:08 +0000
From: LiamConnell <L.Connell-AT-herts.ac.uk>
Subject: Re: The wrong historical example?


Aren't there questions about whether these bombing contravened the Geneva 
convention's (intended) protection of civilians - as with Dresden?

I heard Dennis Halliday on the radio yesterday restating his position that 
the policy of the Security Council towards Iraq contravened that convention 
and by the same token we need to be wary about what is being perpetrated in 
Afghanistan, especially if some of the current predictions about the 
duration of the military action are accurate.

Of course, the ability of the victors to write history extends to who ends 
up facing trial for War Crimes as I'm sure it will here.

At 09:17 07/11/01 +0000, you wrote:
>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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>
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