Wednesday marked the 58th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. Three days later, on Aug. 9, 1945, a second atomic bomb exploded over Nagasaki. This is the time for all of us to remember the tragedy and renew our vow to establish world peace and eliminate nuclear weapons.
In the real world, however, nuclear proliferation is a clear and present danger. North Korea's nuclear weapons program poses a direct threat to Japan. It not only endangers the security of Northeast Asia but also is causing a wobble in the security arrangement of the entire world.
The threat of weapons of mass destruction does not come from "rogue states" alone. The Iraq war has raised questions about "preemptive" U.S. attacks. U.S. President George W. Bush's administration, which embraces a hardline strategy that does not rule out a first nuclear strike, is pushing forward with a program to develop earth-penetrating small atomic bombs.