Japan Reactors Monitored, but Abandoned

The government of Japan and the owners of the crippled power plants are speaking in well parsed words when they describe having to remove all workers from the nuclear plant because of high levels of radioactivity.  What they are saying is that they are abandoning the melting plant and hoping for the best.  With no people on-site to do anything if needed, the plants are on their own.  Already damaged by the earthquakes and tsunami, the plants have been rendered useless by the seawater used as a last ditch attempt to cool the reactor cores.

Now, with radioactivity levels spiking and fires breaking out near spent fuel containment ponds, things look like a worst case scenario. Still the government and officials will not give any details except measurements from detectors and what they have observed on video of the plant. 

I find it inconceivable that they pulled the last crew from the area before the situation is under control.  That is basically throwing your hands up and walking away and waiting for the cores to melt down and things to get even more disastrous than they already are.

I understand the need to keep the workers safe, but I would think in Japan, home of robots and high-tech, they would have at least one more trick up their sleeve.  The sad truth may be that the operators of the plant just didn't plan for a worst case scenario.  This is a worst case scenario if there ever was one.

UPDATE:

Just an hour ago this story appeared in the NY Daily News - Workers going back in to the troubled plant.  Hopeful sign.