Posted on 01/24/2016 8:46:03 PM PST by BenLurkin
Last fall, in anticipation of this year's ASEAN summit in Laos, the President sent one of his most trusted advisers, Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes, to visit. After shepherding last year's historic rapprochement between the U.S. and Cuba, Rhodes saw a similar opportunity to repair relations with Laos.
He returned to Washington profoundly moved by the scope of the unexploded ordnance problem and convinced clearance was key to helping the impoverished nation better develop its agriculture and economy.
The amount of unexploded ordnance in Laos hinders development and poverty reduction. Laos has less land to build factories, schools and farms on. He told Obama the United States had an obligation to help. Moreover, with Obama making engagement of Southeast Asia a priority, he argued it was smart policy.
The President agreed it was time to try to solve the problem once and for all.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Anything, anywhere, as long as it doesn’t help Americans at home.
Just say "USA"!
Creative way Obama can highlight perceived US guilt.
I’m sorry, is it just me?
In 40 years, the people (and government) of Laos hasn’t bothered to go clear the land of these unexploded bombs and they’re still whining for us to clean them up for them?
I mean, REALLY?
[Expletive deleted]
Does this mean that Germany is going to inspect all of the UK to find the unexploded ordinance from WWII?
Seriously, I don’t want some kids digging bean holes (or whatever the heck they farm there) hitting a bomblet and dying. And I’ve never been there. I can’t imagine living in that country and some supposed statistic that 400 people a year dying from these things, supposedly 40% of them ‘children’.
Get off your damn collective rumps and FIX THE PROBLEM, Laos. You want money for it, go sue everyone in the world court, but fix the problem first.
Let the Viet Cong pay for it.
Sounds like just another Obama redistribution of whatever American wealth is left to whatever non American country he feels like giving it to.
Excellent.
Sure, total up the cost after the cleanup is done. Then figure out who has to pay for it. 40 years, I just can't imagine the utter laziness and contempt for human life that persists in Asia that would let these things stay in the ground without doing something about it.
Make Commie China pay for it. Or Cuba. Or Mexico if they won’t pay for The Wall.
Exactly !!!
he’s a fluffier for any country that kills or has killed Americans in any numbers.
Don’t really care who eventually ends up paying for it (oh, who am I fooling? We’re paying for it..) Just aghast at the entire concept of a country sitting on their collective rumps and NOT cleaning up the land, waiting for someone else to do it.
Ship migrants over there to hand dig up ordnance and then have them lob it over the fence into Vietnam.
Is the U.S. also going to go clear the UXB's from Germany and Japan?
The bombs are left in the ground for the same reason that we entomb asbestos. Just leave it alone.
Locals know where the big bombs are, and animals take care of the small ones.
Wait until Obummer offers free medical care for anyone “affected” medically by the war.
He will just raise taxes on the rich to pay for it...
Was Laos involved in killing US troops?
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