If you'll re-read the article, I did not at all excuse Japan for their actions, and even pointed out how their Rape of Nanking by itself resulted in nearly as many deaths of innocent civilians as our entire firebombing campaign.

But - and this is what we must all bear in mind - the commission of great atrocities by other nations does not excuse our own commission of atrocities even half so terrible. Using your logic, we should have slaughtered much of the population of Germany...but we didn't, and see whose side Germany is on today. Russia's? Or NATO's?

What's more, if you want to refer to Pearl Harbor and the POW's, remember that these were (almost) all military men, and is part of the risk we acknowledge when we raise our hand to take the oath of enlistment.

Also, concerning the POW's, if you can find a copy, read "Yanks Don't Cry". It's the first-person account of an American POW held by the Japanese until the end of the war. It's an enlightening read.