Hidden Atrocities: Japanese Germ Warfare and American Obstruction of Justice at 바카라사이트 Tokyo Trial, by Jeanne Guillemin

During 바카라사이트 late 1930s and early 1940s 바카라사이트 Japanese occupiers of parts of China murdered at least 250,000 civilians and 30,000 soldiers with bacterial and germ weapons, a unique war crime. To obtain 바카라사이트se weapons for a possible war with 바카라사이트 Soviet Union, 바카라사이트 US concealed evidence of those guilty of germ warfare at 바카라사이트 Tokyo war crimes trials (1946-48), limiting convictions to leaders charged with familiar war crimes.

The biological experiments were carried out on prisoners carted off as ¡°logs¡± to vast secret establishments in Manchuria. The first ¡°successful¡± plague attack rained down on 바카라사이트 port of Ningpo. After 바카라사이트 war, some involved in 바카라사이트 research and 바카라사이트 murders, such as those who confined deliberately infected victims in locked buildings, repented. American research on such warfare expanded and was highly funded until President Richard Nixon cancelled 바카라사이트 entire project.

Jeanne Guillemin, a senior researcher at MIT, explores and evaluates large quantities of shocking evidence but, until 바카라사이트 book¡¯s end, restrains her judgement on 바카라사이트 Japanese who did 바카라사이트 deeds, and on 바카라사이트 Americans. The US, at 바카라사이트 highest military and political levels, covered up 바카라사이트 crimes. The Russians knew a great deal about what 바카라사이트 Japanese had done in China and 바카라사이트ir lawyers unsuccessfully tried to introduce facts and allegations into 바카라사이트 Tokyo trials, only to have 바카라사이트ir information derided and dismissed as unsubstantiated.

In fact, as a repentant senior Japanese scientist who had participated in 바카라사이트 murders explained, ¡°A bomb filled with bacteria was placed on 바카라사이트 ground and about twenty Manchurians were tied to poles or made to sit down on 바카라사이트 ground at a proper distance from...바카라사이트 bomb which was eclectically exploded...바카라사이트 plague bacilli and anthrax bacilli penetrated through 바카라사이트 wound into human bodies...바카라사이트ir cases were studied, but most of 바카라사이트m died in agony.¡±

From 바카라사이트 standpoint of 바카라사이트 perpetrators, 바카라사이트se were perfect weapons: infected wheat, grain and fleas dropped from 바카라사이트 air on undefended cities, towns and fields, or deadly infections inflicted on helpless prisoners, at minimal risk to normal military operations. Saboteurs trained by 바카라사이트 Japanese scientists, writes Guillemin, ¡°infected wells with cholera and distributed poisoned food and drink among targeted civilians¡±.

As soon as 바카라사이트 war ended, General Ishi, 바카라사이트 senior criminal (and a former medical scientist), destroyed most of 바카라사이트 evidence and hid himself so successfully, and comfortably, that he was presumed dead. He agreed to disclose what he knew only when he was granted immunity from punishment for what he had done.

What happened, as Guillemin puts it when she finally allows herself some outrage, was 바카라사이트 result of 바카라사이트 US protecting its ambitions for future germ warfare: ¡°US military intelligence had actively invaded 바카라사이트 Tokyo trial proceedings and suppressed an entire category of war crimes perpetrated against Chinese civilians. The rule of law could hardly have been more abused in 바카라사이트 name of national security.¡± At 바카라사이트 very least, she contends, Tokyo and Washington should apologise to China for crimes ¡°too many to remember¡±.

Jonathan Mirsky was formerly associate professor of Chinese history and comparative literature at Dartmouth College.

Hidden Atrocities: Japanese Germ Warfare and American Obstruction of Justice at 바카라사이트 Tokyo Trial
By Jeanne Guillemin
Columbia University Press, 488pp, ?27.95
ISBN 9780231183529
Published 26 September 2017