War leftovers, decorating a hotel lobby in Phonsavan, northern Laos (July, 2009)

I was impressed by the conviction shown by Congressman Mike Honda (D-CA), when he wrote in today’s Washington Times that “we have a moral obligation to fix this problem” (leftover unexploded ordnance in Laos).  He also called for an increase in funds and a sustained commitment to removing leftover cluster bombs dropped by U.S. planes in the 1960s and 70s.

Incidentally,  the organization Legacies of War testified before Congress last week, including Rep.  Honda, about the extent of the problem of UXO in Laos, and the need for greater funding. As I wrote previously, the scope of the problem is massive and deserves much more attention than it has gotten thus far.