Conference asks U.S. to pay Agent Orange reparations

HANOI, Vietnam - Activists and Vietnam War veterans wrapped up a global conference on Agent Orange Wednesday with a plea to the U.S. government and chemical companies to take responsibility for health problems linked to the wartime defoliant.

"We ... demand that U.S. chemical companies pay compensation equal to their liability. We demand the U.S. government be held responsible for making contributions to overcome the consequences of toxic chemicals," a statement adopted at the end of the meeting read.

More than 100 activists from at least six countries, including the United States, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, attended the two-day conference in Hanoi.

Vietnam has said U.S. aircraft sprayed about 21 million gallons of defoliant, mostly Agent Orange, over Vietnam from 1961-71 to destroy forest cover for communist troops.

Agent Orange contains dioxin, a chemical blamed for health problems ranging from cancer to spina bifida and diabetes. The U.S. government claims there is no scientific evidence directly linking dioxin to the ailments..

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