On the Sept. 28 "Eyes on the World" photo page, there was a serious mistake in the explanation of what Japanese citizens were protesting at Yokosuka. The USS George Washington is not "the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to be deployed outside the United States." In fact, the entire U.S. fleet of aircraft carriers is nuclear powered.
What makes the George Washington unique and controversial is the fact that it is the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to be deployed in Japan. Its predecessor, the USS Kitty Hawk, was a conventionally powered vessel that fit more with the Japanese stance of not possessing nuclear materials. That policy has been eroded over the years with Japan's use of nuclear power.
The agreement during the Koizumi administration to host the nuclear-powered George Washington is another sign that the Japanese government is further ignoring the lessons of the past. That is what the protesters were speaking out against.
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