When the U.S. and Great Britain conducted a joint subcritical nuclear test on the morning on February 15th, the time on the Peace Watch Tower in the East Building of the Peace Memorial Museum located in Nakaku, Hiroshima was reset at "0." The clock tells how many days have passed since the last nuclear test. This is the third time the hands had to be reset at "0" since the clock was installed in August 2001. The 62 days since the previous resetting was the shortest interval between tests since the clock was installed. A-bomb survivors and other Hiroshima residents are angrily asking, "When will nuclear tests ever stop?"

Under the eyes of Sumio Doi, managing director of the non-profit organization Peace Watch Club, Museum Director Minoru Hataguchi input into the computer the date the test was conducted. This changed the digital display of days since the last nuclear test to "0".

Director Hataguchi said grimly, "And now Great Britain too. It's very disturbing that the 'spirit of Hiroshima' isn't getting across to people." Director Doi said indignantly, "In only six months we've had to reset it three times. Words fail me. We have to oppose these tests so this resetting of the clock doesn't become a commonplace thing."

Sunao Tsuboi, chairperson of Hidankyo (the Hiroshima Chapter of the Japan Confederation of A and H Bomb Sufferers Organizations) (Chairman of the Board of Directors: Kazuto Fujikawa), who is departing for the U.S. on February 15th for exchange with U.S. peace organizations, said with feeling, "I want to get across to people that we have to stand up, not as members of a particular race or country, but as citizens of the world, to oppose tests and research that are conducted for the purpose of killing people."

Starting at noon, eight organizations, including the other prefectural chapter of the Hidankyo (Chairman: Kazushi Kaneko) and the prefectural chapter of Gensuikyo (Japan Council against A and H Bombs) conducted a sit-in protest in front of the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims in Peace Memorial Park located in Naka-ku. The prefectural Gensuikin and the prefectural Peace Movement Center are both planning to conduct sit-in protests in front of the Cenotaph starting at 6:00 p.m.

U.S., Britain conduct subcritical nuclear experiment

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 Kyodo - The United States and Britain successfully conducted their first joint subcritical nuclear experiment beneath the Nevada desert Thursday, the U.S. Energy Department said.

The experiment was conducted in a tunnel 300 meters below ground at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, the department said.

Britain participated in the experiment under the terms of the 1958 Mutual Defense Agreement, becoming the third country to carry out a subcritical nuclear test.

The U.S. first conducted such a test in 1997, followed by Russia.

The latest experiment is the 16th of its kind for the U.S. and the third under the administration of President George W. Bush.

The U.S. claims subcritical nuclear tests, which do not involve nuclear explosions, are intended to produce scientific data and technical information to maintain the safety and reliability of its nuclear arsenal.

Britain decided to join in the test because it also needs to verify the safety of its nuclear weapons.

Antinuclear groups criticize subcritical nuclear tests as running counter to the spirit of the 1996 Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty on nuclear arms.

The Energy Department says the tests do not violate the treaty because no critical mass is formed and no nuclear chain reaction occurs. ==Kyodo 2002-02-15

(Caption)Director Hataguchi after he reset the Peace Watch Tower display of the number of days since the last nuclear test to "0" (9:00 a.m. on February 15 at the East Building of the Peace Memorial Museum in Naka-ku, Hiroshima)