Japan gov't says U.S. deterrence "realistic" after pope's anti-nuke speech

Japan's dependence on U.S. nuclear deterrence is "realistic and appropriate," the government's top spokesman said Monday, countering an earlier call from Pope Francis for Tokyo to support the elimination of nuclear weapons.During visits Sunday to Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the two Japanese cities hit with atomic bombs during World War II, the pope said a world free of nuclear weapons is "possible and necessary" but collective efforts are needed to realize it.He became the first pontiff to travel to Japan in nearly four decades."For our country's defense, it's realistic and appropriate to maint…READ FULL ARTICLE