By: BEN STOCKING - Associated Press
HANOI, Vietnam -- The U.S. government will give Vietnam $400,000 toward cleaning up a former U.S. military base contaminated by Agent Orange, its biggest step yet toward resolving one of the most contentious legacies of the Vietnam War, the U.S. ambassador said Friday.
The money will be used to help pay for a $1 million study on how to remove dioxin from the soil at the former U.S. base in Danang, one of three Agent Orange hotspots recognized by the U.S. government. Dioxin is a highly toxic ingredient of Agent Orange, an herbicide U.S. forces used to strip away foliage from jungles during the Vietnam War.
"I want to make clear that the United States government understands the concerns of the government of Vietnam and the Vietnamese people about the impact of dioxin on the environment and human health," U.S. Ambassador Michael Marine said.
The grant marks an important symbolic step toward resolving an issue that has long divided the two former foes, whose relationship has grown steadily closer in recent years
After years of denial, the U.S. Government is finally accepting a degree of responsibility for the devastating effects of Agent Orange on the people of Viet Nam. The $400,000 allocated is a step in the right direction, but deals only with the situation in Danang. Much more needs to be done by the U.S. to clean up dioxin contamination from Agent Orange throughout the remainder of Viet Nam.
