White House Confirms: Obama Will Visit Hiroshima During Visit To Japan

The White House confirms that President Barack Obama will visit Hiroshima, Japan during his trip to the G-7 leadership summit this month.

According to a statement released by Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes, the president will make a historic visit to the site of the world’s first nuclear bombing, where he’ll discuss his vision of a future world free from nuclear weapons.

“As the President has said, the United States has a special responsibility to continue to lead in pursuit of that objective as we are the only nation to have used a nuclear weapon,” Rhodes said.

But Rhodes specified that Obama does not intend to “revisit” the decision made the United States to use the weapon to end World War II.

The president will visit Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and deliver a speech about the historic bombing and it’s context in the history of warfare.

“In making this visit, the President will shine a spotlight on the tremendous and devastating human toll of war,” Rhodes said.