Whoever is promoting such an argument has no shame. I've spent a lot of time traveling throughout Southeast Asia as well as other poor countries and nowhere else do you see anything like you see in Vietnam. The number of victims is very high compared to other countries so to suggest this might be a nutrition issue is a scandalous lie. Those pitching these lies ought to be forced to spend extended periods of time in the areas most impacted by Agent Orange and see how arrogant they are at the end of their visit. The US did this and should face up to the consequences.
Vietnam says as many as 4 million of its citizens were exposed to the herbicide and as many as 3 million have suffered illnesses caused by it — including the children of people who were exposed during the war.
The U.S. government says the actual number of people affected is much lower and that Vietnamese are too quick to blame Agent Orange for birth defects that can be caused by malnutrition or other environmental factors.
"Scientists around the world have done a lot of research on dioxin and its possible health effects," said Michael Michalak, the U.S. ambassador in Hanoi. "There is disagreement as to what's real and what isn't, about what the possible connections are."
That position frustrates many Vietnamese, who point out that the U.S. government banned commercial use of the herbicide long ago and provides benefits to American veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam.
