This Astonishing Book Outlines
the Tragic Impact Agent Orange Still Has Today
FROM ENEMIES TO PARTNERS
has been translated from the original English and is available throughout Asia.
MORE THAN FOUR DECADES after the end of the Vietnam War, the United States and Vietnam are just beginning to address the negative consequences of Agent Orange, the dioxin-contaminated herbicide used during the war. In this ground-breaking book, two leading experts on Agent Orange and its aftermath explore current scientific understandings of the chemical and consider the promising solutions to addressing the consequences of its use.
AUTHORS LE KE SON AND CHARLES R. BAILEY outline the moral reasoning for a fuller American response and present further steps the United States and Vietnam can each take in a joint humanitarian initiative to resolve the legacy of Agent Orange/ dioxin in Vietnam. They address the critical issues of whether dioxin pollution still exists in Vietnam, what needs to be done to finish the job of cleanup, how many victims of Agent Orange carry out their lives today, and the impact of Agent Orange on relations between the United States and Vietnam.
AUTHORS LE KE SON AND CHARLES R. BAILEY outline the moral reasoning for a fuller American response and present further steps the United States and Vietnam can each take in a joint humanitarian initiative to resolve the legacy of Agent Orange/ dioxin in Vietnam. They address the critical issues of whether dioxin pollution still exists in Vietnam, what needs to be done to finish the job of cleanup, how many victims of Agent Orange carry out their lives today, and the impact of Agent Orange on relations between the United States and Vietnam.
The thoroughness with which Son and Bailey examine the Agent Orange/dioxin situation is spellbinding.
They have assembled a wealth of data that arguably amounts to more inform- ation on the topic than
may be found in any other single publication.
— Vietnam Veterans of America
About the Authors
LE KE SON is a medical doctor with a Ph.D. in toxicology and led the government of Vietnam's efforts to find an equitable way forward on the Agent Orange legacy with the U.S. government. He first directed the Agent Orange Victims Fund at the Vietnam Red Cross and then moved to become the leader of the Office of the National Steering Committee for the Overcoming of the Consequences of Toxic Chemicals used by the USA in the War in Vietnam—known as Committee 33— and concurrently, vice director general of the Vietnam Environmental Administration and Vietnamese co-chair of the United States-Vietnam Joint Advisory Committee.
CHARLES R. BAILEY is a public policy specialist with a Ph.D. in agricultural economics. He was the Ford Foundation representative in Vietnam and head of the foundation's Hanoi office for a decade from 1997 to 2007. He then led the Ford Foundation's initiative on Agent Orange/dioxin from New York before moving the project to the Aspen Institute in 2011. Bailey has worked to mobilize attention and resources in the United States, assess progress on the ground in Vietnam and present independent findings and analysis through public reports, meetings with officials and convenings of key stakeholders.
G. ANTON PUBLISHING is proud to have participated with the Ford Foundation and the Aspen Institute in support of Dr. Le Ke Son and Charles R. Bailey. We are hopeful this project will assist in prioritizing and accelerating the appropriation of government funds to mitigate the human suffering and environmental damage which the Vietnamese have endured for over four decades.
—
Vivian Craig • G. Anton Publishing General Manager
SON AND BAILEY first crossed paths in December 2006 in Hanoi when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs recommended that the Ford Foundation work with Office of Committee 33. The two have collaborated over the ensuing years to push for a breakthrough on Agent Orange, a campaign that would ensure that Vietnam and the United States cooperate to address the problems left by American use of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. Bailey and Son retired in June 2014 and decided to again join forces—this time to write the story of how the United States and Vietnam finally began to resolve one of the 20th century's iconic environmental and human disasters.
IN WRITING FROM ENEMIES TO PARTNERS, Son and Bailey have drawn on their firsthand experiences with Agent Orange and its legacy accum-ulated over the last two decades. They also interviewed nearly forty other Americans and Vietnamese to unearth their insights on what has happened and the way ahead. Son's knowledge, credibility, and access now enable him to conduct a thorough review of the Agent Orange/dioxin issues in Vietnam. Bailey's long engagement with Agent Orange/dioxin and his familiarity with the key players on the U.S. side enable him to explore the U.S. perspective fully.
IN WRITING FROM ENEMIES TO PARTNERS, Son and Bailey have drawn on their firsthand experiences with Agent Orange and its legacy accum-ulated over the last two decades. They also interviewed nearly forty other Americans and Vietnamese to unearth their insights on what has happened and the way ahead. Son's knowledge, credibility, and access now enable him to conduct a thorough review of the Agent Orange/dioxin issues in Vietnam. Bailey's long engagement with Agent Orange/dioxin and his familiarity with the key players on the U.S. side enable him to explore the U.S. perspective fully.
A marvelously concise yet thorough rundown of an issue with significant geopolitical ramifications. The authors unflinchingly discuss the extra-ordinary physical and mental effects of Agent Orange and consider the successes and failures of the binational cooperation to assist the victims.
— Kirkus Reviews
There are no two people more qualified to speak on this subject than Charles Bailey and Dr. Le Ke Son. Their work has changed lives for the better.
— Christine Todd Whitman • Former Governor of New Jersey
and Administrator of the U.S. EPA
