MSP Alasdair Allan marked the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima by calling for the ‘incomparable devastation’ never to be repeated and for a world free of nuclear weapons.
The first use of an atomic bomb in war took place on 6 August 1945 when US air forces dropped a bomb on Hiroshima, which killed up to 180,000 people and destroyed 13 square kilometres of the city.
A further bomb was dropped on the city of Nagasaki three days later and killed between 50,000 and 100,000 people.
Alasdair Allan commented: “It is important to use the anniversary of these devastating attacks to reflect on this tragic episode in world history. The attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki were a humanitarian catastrophe on an unimaginable scale. They will always serve as a reminder of the incomparable devastation nuclear weapons can cause civilian populations.
“By taking a principled stand on these immoral weapons of mass destruction we can set a powerful example to the world. 70 years on from the attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, in which hundreds of thousands of people lost their lives, it is time for the international community to come together and agree that this must never be allowed to happen again.
Mr Allan added: "“The Scottish Government has made repeated calls for the UK Government to halt the renewal of the Trident weapons system and is strongly opposed to the possession of nuclear weapons by any nation or nuclear weapons being stored in Scotland."
Allan marks 70th anniversary of Hiroshima
8 August 2015