Finally, We Have Found The WMD's -- In Vietnam. They're Ours.

The History News Network has a fascinating -- and fairly brief -- piece on the continuing legacy of death and mayhem left behind in Southeast Asia long after the U.S. withdrew its troops there. U.S. veterans are among the victims of the growing misery index, which continues unabated.

I consider this a must read, especially for those less familiar with the "unauthorized version" of this war. To be sure, the early protests uncovered many abuses, but the longer term effects -- which continue -- both of ordnance and toxic chemicals -- which ARE staying the course -- a course of maiming and killing even children, needs highlighting. The original orders given by President Nixon -- William of Agent Orange -- are particularly instructive -- "[Hit] Anything that moves with anything that flies."

Early reports simply could not have noted the ongoing statistics. These are real people dying. This should give pause to any rational person who hears President Bush argue that many lives were lost by pulling out of Vietnam early, as an intended analogue for his continuing refrain that we must "stay the course" in Iraq, a nation where we should never have been in the first place. Almost everyone has figured this out. Almost.

His nearly unbelievable recalcitrance at this point is just embarrassing. Okay, it is deadly and costly too, not just embarrassing. But you get the point. You might wish to note that the piece names one of the authors as a veteran. The President would have to consider this article friendly fire, were he to bother with it at all (But he has important things to do, like find his watch).

Here is the article: http://hnn.us/articles/42104.html