Japan to dig site linked to WWII human experiments

TOKYO, February 20 (AP): Japan is starting to excavate the site of a former medical school that may reveal grisly secrets from World War II.
Digging begins Monday at the former school linked to Unit 731, a germ and biological warfare outfit during the war. Shadowy experiments conducted by the unit have never been officially acknowledged by the government but have been documented by historians and participants.
It is the first government probe of the Tokyo site, following a former nurse's revelation in 2006 that she helped bury body parts there as American forces began occupying the capital at the end of the war.
Health Ministry officials say the excavation is aimed at finding out if anything is buried in the plot. They say any human bones or other artifacts will be thoroughly investigated.