"Sneak Attack"?

[Bill Greenwood]

The progress in aviation , with the aircraft carrier and carrier borne aircraft made Japans "sneak attack" on Pearl Harbor possible.
And I think that is a basis for why many people in the U S, particlarly in those days have so much animosity toward Japan. I note that Japan did not attack civilan areas on Oahu.I dont know if this was moral method or just best use of airpower?

Is this a fair view? I dont know if there were any genearlly accpeted international agreements back then that prohibited an attack before war was declared ed. My brief research found that Japan had a surprise attacl on Russia in 1904, assume it was naval, and the tatic was applauded by the U S and England as we were on the same side.
If the U S,for instance was to launch a preemptive air strike on Iran or N Korea, would it be secret or war declared in advance? My guess is it would be secret.

I do think Japan has a lot more to aplogize for with their conduct of the rest of the war, horrible treatment of both prisoners and civilians with many civilians killed in China. And they have offered some apologizes like last year, Ie from P M Abe, that Japan " took the wrong course" to war. The wording is sometimes round about , not so direct.

Why would Japan even attack a country 10 times its industrial strength? We had cut off trade in steel and oil to Japan in protest over their actions toward China.