Japan Calls Nuclear Adviser's Exit a 'Misunderstanding'

[nadinbrzezinski]

By KANA INAGAKI

TOKYO—Japan's chief government spokesman said Saturday that the resignation by a senior science adviser over radiation safety limits for schools around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant was over a misunderstanding, while Prime Minister Naoto Kan defended the government's handling of the situation.

Separately, plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. said two workers who received radiation burns from highly radioactive water in an incident March 24 have received close to the legal annual limit of radiation.

The resignation Friday of University of Tokyo Professor Toshiso Kosako was another embarrassment to the Kan government over its handling of the long-running nuclear-plant crisis. Government officials had described Mr. Kosako at the time of his appointment in mid-March as an expert in the field of radiation safety.

Earthquake in Japan

View Interactive

More photos and interactive graphics
Mr. Kosako, at an emotional news conference Friday, said he was resigning as one of six special advisers to the prime minister because the government was ignoring the laws over how to handle nuclear disasters and taking ad hoc measures that are prolonging the crisis.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704167404576294343071646176.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Saving face... and avoiding the politics that will inevitably will come

[Odin2005]

1. If these nitwits had any honor they would all commit seppuku.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Oh that might be coming, but until this is over

keep your eye for people dying in mysterious circumstances.

[AlabamaLibrul]

3. This whole situation is FUBAR

It's good to see you around.

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. At this point I will take FUBAR... would be an improvement

:hi:

[Phoenix63]

5. Wow.. so

Since they can't get it under control, they raise the legal "safe levels" and then get mad at the safety guy they brought in because he's an expert but isn't stupid enough to think that the solution to the problem is to change the law so he quit?

We'll never find out how bad it is or is going to get. Lies on top of lies on top of bullshit.

[crickets]

6. It doesn't sound like the 'misunderstanding' was

on Professor Kosako's part. Any 'misunderstanding' on the part of TEPCO and the Japanese government is calculated and deliberate.

Shame.

[barbtries]

7. thank you for posting

important stuff.