I Got My Orange Crush

But critics believe the U.S. is playing a grim waiting game: waiting for people to die in order to avoid potentially costly lawsuits. For a country currently engaged in two wars, accepting comprehensive responsibility for wartime damages could set an expensive precedent. “They know what the problem is and where it is,” says Chuck Searcy, country representative of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. “Why do they now need an environmental impact assessment? They are studying this to death.”

Since 2007, Congress has allocated a total of $6 million to help address Agent Orange issues in Vietnam. Not only does the amount not begin to scratch the surface of the problem or get rid of the tons of toxic soil around the nation, but there are questions about how the money is being spent. And several parties have noted with growing frustration that the money is primarily going to study the issue and hire consultants rather than implementing measures to prevent new generations from being exposed.

Luckily there will always be plenty of money to pay pundits to write ‘Why Do They Hate US?’ articles ad infinitum to soothe the imperial ego.

.…Huge rise in birth defects in Falluja Iraqi former battle zone sees abnormal clusters of infant tumours and deformities

Ad infinitum.

UN & Amnesty International Say Trafigura Toxic Waste Dumping Led To Deaths

So why did the BBC back down? United Nations-

On the basis of the above considerations and taking into account the immediate impact on public health and the proximity of some of the dumping sites to areas where affected populations reside, the Special Rapporteur considers that there seems to be strong prima facie evidence that the reported deaths and adverse health consequences are related to the dumping of the waste from the Probo Koala. Hence, there are sufficient grounds for considering the actions of relevant stakeholders prior to, during and after the dumping from a human rights perspective, in addition to the consideration of relevant standards in relation to the movement of hazardous wastes and marine pollution.

Report of the Special Rapporteur on the adverse effects of the movement and dumping of toxic and dangerous products and wastes on the enjoyment of human rights, Okechukwu Ibeanu Addendum, Mission to Côte d’Ivoire (4 to 8 August 2008) and the Netherlands (26 to 28 November 2008)

Amnesty International-

In August 2006, toxic waste was brought to Abidjan on board the ship Probo Koala, which had been chartered by oil-trading company, Trafigura. This waste was then dumped in various locations around the city, causing a human rights tragedy. More than 100,000 people sought medical attention for a range of health problems and there were 15 reported deaths.

Also note-

An attempt to defraud victims of the Trafigura toxic waste dump disaster out of $45 million must be stopped, Amnesty International said on Friday in an open letter.

An organization known as the National Coordination of Toxic Waste Victims of Côte d’Ivoire (CNVDT-CI) is falsely claiming to represent some 30,000 victims who brought a court case against Trafigura in the UK. The organization has applied for the $45 million compensation owed to the victims to be transferred to its bank account.

CNVDT-CI will today appeal a decision in the Ivorian courts that blocked it from receiving the compensation awarded in the UK settlement.

In an open letter to Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Justice, Mamadou Koné, Amnesty International said that there is no evidence that CNVDT-CI represents the 30,000 victims and described it as a “blatant attempt to perpetrate fraud”.

“This is a barefaced attempt to steal from the victims of this toxic waste scandal,” said Widney Brown, Senior Director, International Law and Policy at Amnesty International. “These people have suffered enough and the Cote d’Ivoire authorities must ensure that justice is done so that the claimants receive the money that is owed to them.”

The $45 million is currently subject to a freezing order and the victims have yet to receive their money.

Ht2 Richard Wilson who also found-

…according to CNN, the often-cited “20 experts” who concluded that Trafigura’s waste “did not harm anyone” were not independent – they had all been hired by the company.

Pass it around, they can’t silence all media.

PS. Note especially in the UN report the health effects and deaths as a human rights issue, so when our politicians, particularly Tories and corporations propose repealing the Human Rights Act and tabloids cite ludicrous stories one of the real reasons is to strip victims of such abuses of any protection or redress.