29th anniversary of 'Nuclear-free Kobe Formula'

About 180 people met on March 18 in Kobe City, Hyogo Prefecture, to celebrate the 29th anniversary of "Nuclear-free Kobe Formula".

Kobe City established the "Kobe Formula" that requires every foreign ship entering the Kobe Port to submit a certificate that the ship does not carry nuclear weapons, thus barring nuclear vessels from visiting the port since 1975.

Kajimoto Shushi of the Hyogo Prefectural Council against A and H Bombs (Gensuikyo) gave the keynote speech and emphasized the significance of the "Kobe Formula", which refuses port calls of nuclear battleships for 29 years, including during times when Japanese ports were used as U.S. relay bases during the Iraq War. He also pointed out that the "Kobe Formula" is endangered by the government's policy of giving priority to the U.S. forces regarding the use of Japanese ports and harbors in the event of an emergency.

Niihara Shoji, an analyst of nuclear weapons issues, gave a speech emphasizing that U.S. President Bush committed five international war crimes in the Iraq War and that an ambition to achieve the U.S. domination of the world lies behind the U.S. nuclear policy. (end)