Obama Visits Japan's Embassy
The Hill reports:
U.S. officials defended their grave assessment of the situation in Japan as President Obama made an unannounced visit to that country’s embassy to sign a condolence book.
Obama is scheduled to make a statement on the situation in Japan later Thursday afternoon.
Officials attending a White House briefing on the crisis in Japan emphasized that they see no danger of any harmful radiation reaching the U.S. or its territories.
Greg Jaczko, chairman of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), told reporters that “basic physics and basic science tells us” that harmful radiation reaching the U.S. is unlikely.
The officials also explained why the U.S. is advising that all Americans in Japan stay at least 50 miles away from the power station, where six nuclear reactors were damaged by an earthquake and ensuing tsunami.
Jaczko and Energy Department deputy secretary Dan Poneman said that their advice to widen the evacuation area from the 20 kilometers (12 miles) recommended by the Japanese was a “prudent” decision based on their independent analysis.
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