Atomic bombings of Japan deemed needless by U.S. historian

While many in the United States believe the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki hastened the end of World War II, a renowned U.S. historian argues that these attacks were needless because Washington knew that Japan intended to surrender."Bombing the second city, Nagasaki, was not necessary. Also, I would argue that even Hiroshima was not necessary," Kai Bird said in a recent online interview with Kyodo News.The United States dropped an atomic bomb over Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, killing an estimated 140,000 people by the end of that year. Three days later, a second one was detonated o…READ FULL ARTICLE