U.S. tested biological weapons on Okinawa in 1960s

Very terrible thing to do but let's remember, different people with a very diffenent mindset. Those things were done quite often back then, and even though it was not right, it is a different group of people. Let's get off the hating and remember that today's people are not the same that existed in the past. We can't keep going on hating each other for things that were done by a whole different group of people.

The problem hasn't gone away.

Recently, traces of Agent Orange were discovered under a Junior High School soccer ground.

http://www.japanfocus.org/-Jon-Mitchell/4039

One of the things that Nakaima was supposed to do but TOTALLY FAILED to do was to organise a new SOFA agreement so that the people who live in Okinawa can find out exactly what environmental dangers they are being subjected to by the US military bases.

Forget the "that was a long time ago" excuse. Failure to report this outrageous act was ongoing up until yesterday. And that is outrageous enough in itself.

Who knows what else they have not told us? Its always 50 years or so they try to keep this stuff hidden. That's 50 years worth of who knows what horrible secrets kept hidden strictly for PR purposes and to hell with the well-being of the people.

Clearly, we need more Snowdens and Mannings and fewer apologists and sycophants.

But once again, we are talking about actions that are in the past.

Are we? After all the NSA revelations, and demands for more secrecy, and news like this that happened 50 years ago but we're just finding out about now - do you REALLY think we are talking about actions in the past?

How do you know that the US doesn't currently possess biological weapons? I don't THINK they do, but who knows? Do you trust anything coming from the US government's mouth? When have they ever been honest and forthright? They hide the truth from their own citizens, you know.

The US did it over their own people in San Francisco in 1950, using a bacteria called Serratia marcescens. 11 got very sick, one died. Operation Sea-Spray. Well documented.

A lot of countries did things like that back then. The point is that it was done and later America stopping developing biological weapons and later destroyed it's stockpiles. There are other countries that are not as open to admit questionable things and try to make things better.

Sorry that you don't like the Americans being in Okinawa. There are lots of people in the Philippines that survived the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan due to our Airmen, Marines... and the V-22 Osprey being so closeby.

zichi

They also lost that nuclear bomb in 1965, on board a B43 bomber, which is now at the bottom of the ocean somewhere off Okinawa

B43 bomber? Must be one of those Area 51 jobs because I've never heard of one...

I remember when we found out that the u,s tested agent orange on us here in canada, sickening that they don't care about anyone other then their own nation, makes me sick, and then they ask why we don't like America.

What sort of evil regime would develop biological weapons with the intent to destroy rice crops?

Thanks SanDiegoluv! and if you are form San Diego,California, you know there are a whole bunch of US mil.bases around that part of the state and god knows what they have dumped on them bases or around them. Makes you wonder, doesn't it?? Asbestos etc...all cause cancer and who knows what other god awful chemicals the US mil. has been using to test on their own troops, etc..Tuskagee and only Black US soldiers ring any bells??

this is so sick, but the worst is that to this day, secretly of course, the main objective of the US military research centers is to come up with weapons of mass destruction. those little rice eating bugs are nothing compared to what they've developed in their labs today.

Zichi, seems you got some wires crossed. The incident you referred to was " December 5, 1965 – coast of Japan –Loss of a nuclear bomb A U.S. Navy A-4E Skyhawk aircraft with one B43 nuclear bomb on board fell off the aircraft carrier Ticonderoga into 16,200 feet (4,900 m) of water while the ship was underway from Vietnam to Yokosuka, Japan. The plane, pilot and weapon were never recovered. There is dispute over exactly where the incident took place —the U.S. Defense Department originally stated it took place 500 miles (800 km) off the coast of Japan, but Navy documents later show it happened about 80 miles (130 km) from the Ryukyu Islands and 200 miles (320 km) from Okinawa."

But, that really has nothing to do with this article and the disturbingly creepy experimenting that apparantly was conducted in Okinawa. I'm very curious about this document Kyodo "acquired". Was it LEAKED or was it "provided" officially?

Don't get too upset. Japan tested biological weapons on Americans, Australians and British in the 1940s.

No surprise coming from a country that purposely infected African Americans with syphilis, didn't tell them, and watched them suffer.

EXACTLY! Good point, IGLOO. Finally some sense on this post.

Sometimes I wonder what else the US Gov is hiding. Im getting sick of this in the name of security crap.

@Elbuda. Great point. Yes, as TRUE Americans we must demand the truth. All people should demand the truth from their countries's governments. I am appalled that such information is only coming out right now. Although, I do understand why. Nothing will make people more angry then to know what governments are actually doing at the time. Very sad indeed.

Its proof that the US gov always lies and does not deserve the trust of the people. Its time for the us military to leave Okinawa. The marines are an expeditionary force, they have no detterance capabilities.

Every country has propaganda and its citizens are brainwashed to believe a certain way that appeal to their own masses and if you believe differently, then I have a warm Alaskan beachfront property to sell you. Too many haters wanting the USA to be open and honest when their own country's leaders are not even close to being so as well. The Kyodo News Agency obtained this from the US government. Seriously, Alex, would your government do the same? I seriously doing it. I am done with this nonsense. USA haters, enjoy your bashing session. You only look silly though.

The U.S. is "believed to have had China and Southeast Asia in mind in developing such crop-harming agents", the report stated.

I doubt the US ever crossed China off the list. Something for China to chew on.

SO WHAT? Read a history book. or use a brain cell. Look at the dates!!!! What was the biggest threat in the ENTIRE world at that time and for the next 30 years? The spread of communism... what for it.......................... through asia! What was asia's number one crop? you guess it? rice. So it only made sense to try and make a weapon like this (at that time). It would have been a brilliant way to try and stop your enemy. No weapon is clean. No weapon is nice. No weapon is friendly.

Ah, yes, yes, yes. Another day, another platform for the usual, "America is infinitely evil. The rest of the world is immeasurably good" crowd, otherwise know as "The usual pap." Can we move on now? With this tired song and dance being played out every time the U.S. sneezes wrong, it's difficult to recognize the countless people and places around the world that could and would be in far greater straits if the U.S. simply didn't exist.

YuriOtani,

Allow me to make some minor edits to your post:

"It is not just once or twice and Japan needs to be held accountable for its actions. Japan needs to come clean about its role in the Greater East Asia War. Too many lies have weakened its position today."

Does your fervent demand for truth and justice remain as unswayed?

Different world, different circumstances. The US wasn't hiding this information any more or less than the Japanese government hides its own complicity in, say, giving the US tacit permission to transport nuclear weapons through Japanese waters in the 1970s.

SItting here, some 40 years after the fact, whinging about the US somehow avoiding accountabiity or failing to come clean about Okinawa (whatever in the world that sinister-sounding statement is supposed to mean), despite this information coming to light free of spying, "uncovered documents," or Ed Snowden, is completely and utterly laughable in a political landscape in which high ranking Japanese elected officials continue to this day to deny Japan bears any culpability for its actions in East Asia during WWII.

Your protests are disingenous at best.

So again, does your fervent demand for truth and justice remain as unswayed? I suspect not.

Only an idiot would blindly believe anything and everything their goverment spoon feds them!!! As an American and as a simple citizen of the world, we should all demand a stop to this inhumane madness!! So who supplied Saddam Hussein against the Kurds??How many poor, innocent Vietnamese stii suffer from Agent Orange?? What did the Russians use in Afghanistan?? Just a few questions to keep under or hats!!

@jared - As if your country or any other country's government is transparent and honest about it's own doings and deserves the trust of the people? I apologise. But honest governments do not exist and you and others like you are using this post as a spring board for your USA bashing. Feel better about where you are from now at the USA's expense? Good for you.

@Elbuda - Yes, I am from San Diego and I do know what is going on there. And I am not too happy about it. But once again, are there any honest governments? Most likely not. Tuskagee Airman? Once again, ages ago. Different people. Different mindset.

Hating is not going to do anything here at all. We Americans have to address these issues and fix them. Let me ask you this? Do you bashers come from countries that have transparent governments? Doubt it. If so, let me know. I might want to move there. This is something the USA admitted to though. If it wanted to, it could have just kept it secret or burned the records. I wonder what your countries would do with the same situation.

BurakuminDes,

What sort of evil regime would develop biological weapons with the intent to destroy rice crops?

Good question.

The same evil regime that destroyed thousands of acres of farm land, villages and people with Agent Orange not a million years ago in the Vietnam "war."

The same regime that invaded Iraq and destroyed whole cities, killing hundreds of thousands.

The same regime that EVEN NOW, sends drones to kill SUSPECTED terrorists and anyone else who happens to be standing near when the blast hits.

Innocent or Guilty.

It doesn't seem to matter to this regime.

And it's all cloaked in secrecy.

Your hatred for the US is always so obvious and obnoxious, Bertie.

Regime? Regime? Not a regime at all. You are saying it like it was the same leader over a short period of time. IT was so many presidents. We are talking several different people. How much USA bashing do you have to do to feel comfortable about your homeland, Bertie? Find a new hobby, Bertie. This one is nauseating.

Back on topic please.

I doubt that the men doing the research thought that it was secretive, immoral, or malicious. Likely they viewed it simply as testing weed kill. I also doubt that they, themselves, used any personal-safety equipment. I very well could be wrong, but that is how I read it.

And yet Shinzo Abe still aligns with Japan's enemy.

zichi

That's were we would disagree because my point would be since the U.S. bases are not open to inspection even by the Japanese authority there's no way to know what weapons are kept in them and whether it would include biological and nuclear or atomic weapon?

What's aboard an American naval vessel steaming in the Pacific Ocean well out in international waters is no one's business but the U.S. Navy. And why would U.S. bases be open to inspection by the host nation when it is sovereign U.S. territory while covered by the SOFA? My god next you'll be expecting our embassies and consulates to be made accessible to Japanese police so they can search for unregistered bicycles...

The common people in America are interested in Peace and in preserving the planet for everyone. Please do not confuse us with an evil government that we want dead and buried. We will all make a mistake if we judge the people, ourselves and others, instead of evil governments that want to use the people. My hope is that people of the world will stand up against their evil governments instead of falling for propaganda and evil devices.

The fungus, which is known to occur in 85 countries, is estimated to destroy enough rice to feed 60 million people each year.

"History: Rice blast was probably the disease known as rice fever disease in China as early as 1637. It was reported as Imochi-byo in Japan in 1704, and brusone in Italy in 1828. It was reported in the USA as early as 1876 and in India in 1913."

Since this rice disease has been around for so many years and still causes extensive crop damage each year, it would seem that biological testing is still needed to find an effective method of eradicating the disease.

Horrible stuff, but a whole lot less horrible than the 'biological testing' that units like 731 conducted, or other chemical weapons they are STILL cleaning up in mainland China.

At least the U.S. government has come clean on it now. And it was a different generation and time back then which was even before the 1975 biological weapons ban. It would be awful to see something like that used in any future conflict simply because it would harm more civilians than those responsible for a conflict in leadership and military positions.

This is really no big deal. It seems to have been a relativity small, isolated experiment and they at least took precautions to prevent local contamination. I doubt they were hiding anything per say, it seems the news organisation or somebody asked for information on biological experiments in Okinawa and they openly provided the information. Chill peeps.

Seriously, Alex, would your government do the same?

Lol, my own country is occupied by the USA, we do everything the USA aks us to do. My country is a puppet state that follows the USA orders, of course I don't trust it. Yeah, every country has propaganda and its citizens are brainwashed to believe a certain way that appeal to their own masses, but in the puppet states the masterminds are always the superpowers that handle them.

Mary the problem is when it is impossible to tell the "good" countries from the "bad" countries. I can only speculate this was an improved version of the rice disease. The question is was it released by the USA? I wonder what other agents were tested in Okinawa? Smith it took about 50 years for the US to admit to this vial act. There is no rational defense for this act. I wonder if the US released cancer causing agents to see the effect on the Okinawa population? The USA needs to come clean and release all of the things they did on Okinawa. Then pay for the clean up, the USA starting killing Okinawa people with the Steel Typhoon and the deaths have not stopped to this date.

YuriOtani: "Makes me wonder what other secrets the Americans are hiding? The US can spout about China until the cows come home but they have done far worse than China to the people of Japan."

The US did terrible things here, and for that I believe they truly need to continue to apologize. Not just for Okinawa but for the atomic bombings as well. But at the time these chemical weapons testing were not unlawful. Now they are, and now they are not doing them. I find it interesting you insist China and South Korea stop talking about Japan's past atrocities then insist Japan (when you bother to include the rest of the nation) keep in mind any wrongdoings by the US military.

We just needed to know these fungi to at least be able to eat or not rice.

chucky3176Jan. 13, 2014 - 05:02AM JST Hypocrisy for Japan to claim victimhood.

Show us where in the article anybody is claiming victimhood.

The U.S.'s biggest fault is that their secrets come out. Every country has wiretapping programs, dirty secrets from the past and present but their skeletons stay buried. And as far as nuclear stockpiles and America are concerned, yeah, America used the bomb to win the war.

If Germany had the bomb, they'd have wiped out Europe and you wouldn't be complaining about America today or your Nazi overlords cause you'd be shot. If Japan had the bomb, they'd have wiped out Chine and Korea and YuriOtani could be happy.

Just be happy those things didn't happen.

Well today let us hope everyone is testing on Beijing! Maybe they are and that is why the leaders are so crazy, trying to fulfill their death wish!

Really wish we could read the whole document anyone able to find a link for it?

My two major questions from this article are:

The obtained documents mention test sites including Nago and Shuri, both in Okinawa, but it is not known whether the experiments were conducted within the premises of U.S. bases there, Kyodo said.

There has to be a few people around that would have work on this project, While I doubt they had a rice field on base they may have it is the 60's after all, if not there is probably some rice farmer in Okinawa that was paid to let the US test on his rice. Are there any people that are claiming to be victims of this testing?

In the field tests, the army “used a midget duster to release inoculum alongside fields

My second question is did they where black suits and sunglasses when they where in the field with the midget dusters

Chooky so you are saying the US Government is no better than the Japanese Imperial government? It becomes a issue of creditability all of the lies are undermining the message from America today. All of the lies about no agent orange on Okinawa only to have it dug up at a school. Will it take a "Fukushima" clean up effort to make Okinawa safe for its people?

YuriOtani: "Chooky so you are saying the US Government is no better than the Japanese Imperial government?"

Please stop with the victim thing. You try and make it sound like Okinawa was not involved in any altercations when in fact they were also the aggressors. And as LFR again stated at least this is no secret and the US acknowledges it, unlike the war crimes Japan continues to deny -- including forced suicides of Okinawans, I might add.

Sick. And its not just 50 years ago. Its also sick that we are not being told until today. With friends like America, Japan does not need enemies.

And the fact that tests were also conducted in America really does not mean much. Okinawa is a tiny island with little land to spare, especially since the U.S. decided to take huge swaths of land from the rightful owners and make unnecessarily sprawling bases that look like a conqueror's resort village.

America is suppose to be the shinning city on the hill top and not its not as bad as the others. I suspect the US tested a lot more things in Japan and Okinawa. The American posters can not see the problem. I suspect biological weapons are store on Okinawa now. It is clear the SOFA needs to be changed to return sovereignty of Japan to the people of Japan. Anyway I do not believe for a moment the testing was limited to this one pest specified in the article.

I dont disagree that we have to know the truth. I am very open to that. But once again, we are talking about actions that are in the past. The USA is going to keep these things secret just like any other country, including yours. You wanna fly off on a big hate, that is your problem. Not going to join you in your USA bashing passion. Waste of time. Enough said.

A couple of A-bombs released on civilians was not enough to supply data to those hungry for control. A search for more vile destructive weapons continued. Don't consider the search and efforts to be over.

Makes me wonder what other secrets the Americans are hiding? The US can spout about China until the cows come home but they have done far worse than China to the people of Japan. I wonder what other vial agents the Americans have tested on Okinawa and if it has contributed to the early deaths in my family.

Really folks, are you that easy?

The reality of what happens will never be known to you until you are long dead.

Citing "U.S. military documents it said it had obtained" please......

If you think that information is handed out happily and without being first vetted is a joke.

Who, what, where and when should be looked at before you believe what you are fed.

But if you fall for everything that you read on the net, well then you are your own worst enemy.

I am sorry, but I only believe as much as I know is real.

Anyone remember the so called creditable "Niger uranium" reports?

Remember, what you are told and what is real are totally different.

Take all the information, think on it and then toss out what half of it and what is left is real.

The middle ground is normally the truth, well unless you are a conspiracy nut.

LFR it is not just once or twice and America needs to be held accountable for its actions. The US needs to come clean about Okinawa. Too many lies has weaken its position today.