BIEN HOA AIR
BASE, Vietnam (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on Wednesday
visited a former American air base in southern Vietnam that will soon become
the biggest-ever U.S. cleanup site for contamination left by the defoliant
Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.
Standing
near a skull-and-crossbones warning sign meant to keep people away from toxic
soil, Mattis was briefed by Vietnamese officials about the massive
contamination area.
In a
possible sign of the sensitivity surrounding Agent Orange in Vietnam, where
millions of people are still suffering its effects, reporters were not allowed
to attend the outdoor briefing for Mattis at Bien Hoa Air Base.
“I came to
show the support of the Defense Department for this project and demonstrate
that the United States makes good on its promises,” Mattis told his Vietnamese
counterpart at a closed-door meeting later in nearby Ho Chi Minh City.
Cleanup is
expected to start getting under way early next year.
U.S. troops
dropped Agent Orange during the Vietnam War to clear thick jungle. But it
contributed to severe health problems that, according to the U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs, can include Parkinson’s Disease, prostate cancer and Chronic
B-cell Leukemia.
Of the 4.8
million Vietnamese who were exposed to Agent Orange, some three million are
still dealing with its effects, including children born with severe
disabilities or other health issues years after their parents were exposed,
according to the Hanoi-based Vietnam Association for Victims of Agent Orange.
No comments:
Post a Comment