[url]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-19190509[/url]
[quote=BBC News][B]The US has begun a project to help clean up Agent Orange contamination at one area in Vietnam - the first such move since the war ended in 1975.[/B]
The work is taking place at the airport in the central city of Danang.
The US sprayed millions of gallons of the toxic defoliant over jungle areas to destroy enemy cover.
Vietnam says several million people have been affected by Agent Orange, including 150,000 children born with severe birth defects.
[B]'Injustice'[/B]
Agent Orange Victims Association Vice Chairman Tran Xuan Thu told the BBC that although the clean-up activities were "a little late", they were "greatly appreciat
"They show that the US government now is taking the responsibility to assist us. I hope these efforts will be multiplied in future," he said.
"However we consider that the clean-up is separate from the issue of compensating Vietnamese Agent Orange victims, who are still suffering from injustice. These victims will carry on with their lawsuits, no matter what."
A lawsuit brought by a group of Vietnamese nationals against US manufacturers was dismissed in 2007.
On Thursday, a ceremony was held at the Danang airport where the defoliant was stored before being sprayed over forests hiding fighters from the Viet Cong, guerrillas backed by the Communist government of North Vietnam.
The US government is providing $41m (£26m) to the clean-up project, which is being carried out by two American companies in co-operation with the Vietnamese defence ministry.
The US has in the past helped fund some social services in Vietnam, but this is its first direct involvement in clean-up work.
The contaminated soil and sediment is to be excavated and then heated to a high temperature to destroy the dioxins, a US embassy statement said.
Frank Donovan of USAID told Radio Australia the project would last until 2016.
"We expect it will be cleaned up to rid the contaminated areas of dioxins down to harmless levels that are accepted both by the government of the US and the government of Vietnam, and so safe for industrial, commercial or residential use," he said.
There are dozens of other contamination hotspots where the defoliant was stored, including two more airports.
The US and Vietnam resumed full diplomatic ties in 1995 and have grown closer in recent years amid concerns over China's assertiveness over disputed territories in the South China Sea.
The US compensates its veterans exposed to the defoliant, but does not compensate Vietnamese nationals.
Nga Pham, of the BBC's Vietnamese service, says that for many Vietnamese, Agent Orange is a matter of justice undone and a very bitter legacy of the war. Most Vietnamese still think the US should do more to help, she says.[/quote]
It's about time. That's some nasty shit.
150 000 children too late.
[editline]9th August 2012[/editline]
But at least we can appreciate the fact that they [I]actually[/I] are going to finally do it.
I always believed Agent Orange was just silly codename for orange kool-aid!
That's a good move. Who brought it up? Much respect to the changes.
Can we get an American news source on this? Not that I doubt the BBC, I just want to see how many republicans who regard this as a waste of money.
[QUOTE=mac338;37148788]150 000 children too late.
[editline]9th August 2012[/editline]
But at least we can appreciate the fact that they [I]actually[/I] are going to finally do it.[/QUOTE]And the fact that the US military has learned their lesson, and will never ever again negatively impact the lives of innocent civilians ever again.. right? :3
[QUOTE=Ybbats;37149395]And the fact that the US military has learned their lesson, and will never ever again negatively impact the lives of innocent civilians ever again.. right? :3[/QUOTE]
At least the use of chemical weapons no longer flies during wartime. Same goes for napalm and cluster bombs. That's one thing you can credit the US military for: they've been hard at work to make sure they're only killing the things they want to kill. Plenty of times they still fuck up and kill civilians, but it's no longer a huge free-for-all during wartime like in the past. Now hope they figure out a way to avoid war altogether.
[QUOTE=Ybbats;37149395]And the fact that the US military has learned their lesson, and will never ever again negatively impact the lives of innocent civilians ever again.. right? :3[/QUOTE]
Fallujah was quite a disaster, 6000+ civilians dead and the use of white phosphorus
They've only just began?
Wow
[QUOTE=Charybdis;37149880]Fallujah was quite a disaster, 6000+ civilians dead and the use of white phosphorus[/QUOTE]
I'd rather there be Willy Pete (it's nickname) then Agent Orange. AO stays for years and fucks you up.
well that's nice and all but considering the war ended in 1975, they should get a big fat [img]http://www.facepunch.com/fp/ratings/clock.png[/img]
[QUOTE=Uber|nooB;37149907]well that's nice and all but considering the war ended in 1975, they should get a big fat [img]http://www.facepunch.com/fp/ratings/clock.png[/img][/QUOTE]
Because communism
[QUOTE=Uber|nooB;37149907]well that's nice and all but considering the war ended in 1975, they should get a big fat [img]http://www.facepunch.com/fp/ratings/clock.png[/img][/QUOTE]
Technically the last troops were removed in '73, but the fall of Saigon (Now Ho Chi Minh City) officially ended the war in '75.
i don't blame the us government for wanting to forget about what went down in vietnam, but even then they should have started doing this sooner
[QUOTE=Mon;37149956]i don't blame the us government for wanting to forget about what went down in vietnam, but even then they should have started doing this sooner[/QUOTE]
Well I really doubt someone *COUGHUSSRCOUGH* would let us just waddle back in to Vietnam and expect open arms, no matter what the mission. After the fall, there'd probably be a lot of tension.
But now, we have a pretty good relation with Vietnam.
[QUOTE=Zillamaster55;37149902]I'd rather there be Willy Pete (it's nickname) then Agent Orange. AO stays for years and fucks you up.[/QUOTE]
There have been birth defects since the use of it 10 or so years ago, but nowhere near as problematic as AO (or it was the depleted uranium rounds, probably both)
[QUOTE=Charybdis;37150000]There have been birth defects since the use of it 10 or so years ago, but nowhere near as problematic as AO[/QUOTE]
That's what I meant, White Phosphorous is extremely dangerous, long after it's used, but Agent Orange can both affect those who are already born and those who aren't.
oh no americans stay away from vietnam you might get infected with the [i]communism![/i]
[QUOTE=Ybbats;37149395]And the fact that the US military has learned their lesson, and will never ever again negatively impact the lives of innocent civilians ever again.. right? :3[/QUOTE]
Every military should take that pledge :3
soldiers dont try to kill civilians.
(except the nutjobs. and nutjobs can be found anywhere)
[QUOTE=W0w00t;37150632]soldiers dont try to kill civilians.
(except the nutjobs. and nutjobs can be found anywhere)[/QUOTE]
Obviously they don't try, but there is a certain collateral damage risk they calculate, and depending on what they use, for instance napalm, and other factors that risk may be higher. What a lot of people are pushing for are ways to make that risk lower, however that often involves both higher costs and a lower chance of*actually getting the intended target.
[QUOTE=W0w00t;37150632]soldiers dont try to kill civilians.
(except the nutjobs. and nutjobs can be found anywhere)[/QUOTE]
no true scotsman
About damn time, it's good to hear that recovery is finally taking place. Plus Vietnam is kinda in a sticky situation *BLAHBLAHBLAHPRCSHITGOESHEREBLAHBLAHBLAH* so any help is welcome.
Better late then never I guess
My uncle went to vietnam on vacation a number of years ago. he wanted to see the country when he wasn't there to kill people. Now he's married to a Vietnamese lady and they're building a house there.
[QUOTE=S31-Syntax;37151814]My uncle went to vietnam on vacation a number of years ago. he wanted to see the country when he wasn't there to kill people. Now he's married to a Vietnamese lady and they're building a house there.[/QUOTE]
Tell him to wait until they finish cleaning this stuff up.
[QUOTE=Mon;37149956]i don't blame the us government for wanting to forget about what went down in vietnam, but even then they should have started doing this sooner[/QUOTE]
A long time ago we gave them $60 million to help them clean it up themselves.
Its only now that we area actually getting physically involved in the clean up.
My grandpa ended up dieing after the war because of that shit. It's no joke.
I remember when they first started cleaning up the factory in Elmira where they were manufacturing Agent Orange and Agent Purple 24/7. The place was so toxic that they demolished most of it and the rest was dismantled and put in a concrete and steel containment building along with several million cubic meters of dirt from the surrounding property. It took something like 10 years before anything started growing again.
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