Professor Yoshi Tsurumi's criticism of President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Taro Aso for not prosecuting or apologizing for "war crimes" (May 3 article, "U.S. imitating Japan's denial of responsibility") strikes me as one of the the more convoluted and, frankly, ludicrous opinion pieces I have encountered.
Democratic societies are in a war against al-Qaida, a global terrorist organization that has killed thousands of innocent people, including North Americans, Asians, Arabs, Jews, Christians, Muslims and Buddhists. Al-Qaida wants to destroy the very freedoms that Tsurumi, and I, enjoy.
In my view Tsurumi would do well to remember that keeping the United States and Japan safe is a serious ongoing business, the result of government efforts and citizens' actions involving diligence, resources and a number of very tough men and women who are going after murderers and terrorists while we sleep peacefully in our beds at night.
I thank the Bush administration, and now the Obama administration, that since Sept. 11, 2001, the U.S. has not experienced another terrorist attack.