President Obama gives Japanese message in earthquake condolence book
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U.S. President Barack Obama sits at a desk to write a note while making a surprise visit to the Japanese Embassy March 17, 2011 in Washington, DC.
Photographer: Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images
Copyright 2011 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Posted: 03/17/2011
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Barack Obama says Americans are heartbroken over the disaster in Japan and are confident the country will rebuild.
Obama wrote that message in a condolence book at the Japanese embassy in Washington on Thursday.
He also planned to make a statement at the White House later Thursday on Japan's nuclear crisis.
Obama spoke Wednesday night with the prime minister about steps the U.S. is taking to keep Americans there safe - steps that exceed what Japan is telling its own people.
The U.S. wants Americans within 50 miles of the plant to evacuate, while Japan's government set a 12-mile radius.
Emergency workers have been dousing the overheated Fukushima Dai-chi nuclear complex with water to cool nuclear fuel rods that are threatening to spew out more radiation.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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