Deadly legacy of war

Unexploded US cluster bombs continue to kill and maim

101 East examines a deadly legacy of a war that ended 30 years ago. In Laos, unexploded ordinance (UXO) continue to kill and maim.

During the Indochina conflict from 1964 to 1973, the US military dropped more bombs on Laos than it did during the Second World War.

Many of these weapons were cluster bombs, and up to a third of them failed to explode. In neighbouring Cambodia, unexploded cluster weapons have replaced land mines as the biggest threat to farmers and inquisitive children.

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and anti-UXO activist Rae McGrath tells 101 East’s Teymoor Nabili that cluster bombs should be banned. Prominent US military analyst John Pike counters that such weapons still have their place in modern warfare, and that it is unfortunate but inevitable that citizens suffer in any armed conflict. 

Cambodian correspondent Puy Kea talks about efforts to rid the dangerous scourge from his own country.

Watch this episode of 101 East here:

Part One:

Part Two:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTcJVnkEAF8

This episode of 101 East aired from 02 August 2007

101 East airs at 16:30GMT every Thursday on Al Jazeera English and is repeated during the week.

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