LOGO: Truthdig: Drilling Beneath the Headlines. A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman.
2010 Webby Award Winner for Best Political Blog
 
February 20, 2012
Log in / Register

 Choose a size
Text Size

Most Read

Acts of Love

Ideological Hypocrites

OWS Calls for May Day Strike

When Iran Talks Back

Krugman to Playboy: Economic Crisis 'Doesn't Have to Be Happening'

Most Comments
Most Emailed

Reports
 * NEW! * Acts of Love
 * NEW! * Ideological Hypocrites
The Lowdown on Fracking

Ear to the Ground

A/V Booth

Arts & Culture
Déjà Pooh

Digs
Financial Meltdown 101

Truthdig Bazaar
Shi’ism and Social Protest

Shi’ism and Social Protest

by Juan Cole and Nikki Keddie
$30.60

Whose Knees Are These?

Whose Knees Are These?

By Jabari Asim
$6.99

more items

 
Ear to the Ground

America’s Bombs Are Still Exploding in Laos

Email this item Email    Print this item Print   

Posted on Jun 10, 2009
news.bbc.co.uk

When the United States finished bombing Laos back in the early 1970s, it left behind an estimated 80 million unexploded bombs. They are still exploding, maiming an average of 300 people a year in the sparsely populated country. What horrors will our current adventures bring decades from now?

BBC:

American planes attacked North Vietnamese supply routes through Laos, including the Ho Chi Minh Trail, trying to stop the spread of communism.

They made Laos, per capita, the most bombed country in history.

Every year, an average of 300 people are killed or maimed by these bomblets, including many children.

Read more

More Below the Ad

Advertisement


Comments

Are you a Truthdig member yet? Login now, or register with Truthdig.

BlueBerry Pick'n's avatar

By BlueBerry Pick'n, June 11, 2009 at 2:42 am Link to this comment

they’re still exploding in *France* from WWI & II.

Report this

By mike, June 10, 2009 at 1:55 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

blackspeare 260 million cluster bombs wich can contain anywhere from 50 to 2,000 bomblets.  so lets take 500 per bomb that makes 130 billion bomblets. divide by 80 mill that a failure rate of only 1.62 %  I have seen reports that the failure rate is more like 5 to 10 %

Report this
BlueBerry Pick'n's avatar

By BlueBerry Pick'n, June 10, 2009 at 12:39 pm Link to this comment

Gee

YOU THINK MUSLIMS DON’T KNOW THIS?

just imagine how much fun they’re having in Iraq & Afghanistan.

Yeah, spread the love with some aerially administered “American Freedoms”

now, imagine how much Latin America & Canada love you…

I mean, its only a matter of time.

Just keep assassinating people, torturing & flying those Predator drones…

Report this
thebeerdoctor's avatar

By thebeerdoctor, June 10, 2009 at 7:51 am Link to this comment

It would indeed be a brighter day for this world if the United States launched an initiative to stop all production of cluster bombs, and would work to deactivate all those planted and still waiting to explode. It would be good if someone would denounce the blabber of retired General Wesley Clarke, who once told Amy Goodman that he considered cluster bombs and land mines to be humanitarian weapons, an oxymoron to say the least.

Report this
Blackspeare's avatar

By Blackspeare, June 10, 2009 at 7:28 am Link to this comment

80 million unexploded bombs——a trifle exaggeration, but who’s counting!

Report this

Add Your Comment

Posts by unregistered readers are moderated. Posts by members
are published immediately. Why wait? Register today!






                        Number of characters remaining: 4000

Are you a human? Retype the word you see here.

     

Please read and abide by our comment policy.
By submitting this comment, you agree to this site's terms and conditions.

Newsletter

Get Truthdig in your inbox


 
 
 
Join the Liberal Blog Advertising Network
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman.
Copyright © 2012 Truthdig, L.L.C. All rights reserved.