Abe, Obama lay wreaths at Pearl Harbour memorial

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and US President Barack Obama made a symbolic visit to Pearl Harbour, laying wreaths for the victims of a stealth attack that triggered America's entry into World War Two.


Mr Abe and Mr Obama commemorated the dead at the USS Arizona Memorial, built over the remains of the sunken battleship USS Arizona.

Mr Abe became the first Japanese prime minister to visit the memorial, a centrepiece of the historic site.

The two leaders stood solemnly in front of a wall inscribed with the names of those who died in the 1941 attack and took part in a wreath-laying ceremony, followed by a moment's silence.

"In Remembrance, Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan" was written on one wreath and "In Remembrance, Barack Obama, President of the United States" on the other. They then threw flower petals into the water.

"We must never repeat the horrors of war," Mr Abe said at the ceremony.

Standing next to Mr Obama, Mr Abe expressed thanks for the "tolerance extended to Japan" as he hailed the power of reconciliation.

Japanese forces attacked Pearl Harbour with torpedo planes, bombers and fighter planes on the morning of 7 Dec, 1941, pounding the US fleet moored there in the hope of destroying US power in the Pacific.
 [rte.ie]
28/12/16