Trump-Musk administration halts Agent Orange clean-up and UXO clearing in Vietnam
February 18, 2025
A warning sign stands in a field contaminated with dioxin near Danang airport, a former U.S. military base in Vietnam. The sign reads: 'Dioxin contamination zone - livestock, poultry and fishery operations not permitted.' | Maika Elan / AP
HANOI—Quang Tri Province in central Vietnam is urgently appealing to the United States Embassy to restore funding for Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) and Agent Orange cleanup projects. These critical initiatives have been significantly impacted by funding cuts implemented by the Trump-Musk administration.
Since taking office, the Trump-Musk regime has drastically reduced foreign aid projects, with the exception of those that support Israel’s wars in the Middle East. This blanket reduction in aid included the cessation of U.S. support for vital projects aimed at addressing the devastating and lasting effects of the Vietnam War, specifically UXO clearance and Agent Orange environmental clean-up.
During the Vietnam War, from 1965 to 1973, the U.S. military conducted one of the most extensive aerial bombardment campaigns in history, dropping approximately 7.5 million tons of bombs on Vietnam. This staggering total amounts to three times the tonnage used in World War II. The munitions dropped included a wide array of deadly weapons such as conventional bombs, aerial mines, cluster bombs, white phosphorus, and napalm. Approximately 30% of these bombs failed to detonate, leaving large swathes of land contaminated with unexploded ordnance.
As of 2025, it is estimated that 20% of Vietnam’s land is still contaminated by UXO. These remnants continue to pose a severe threat to local communities, hindering development and endangering lives. Since 1975, approximately 100,000 Vietnamese have been killed or injured by UXO, with 40% of these victims being children who often encounter these deadly munitions while playing outdoors or assisting their families in farming activities.
From 1961 to 1971, the U.S. military also conducted extensive chemical warfare operations under Operation Ranch Hand, spraying more than 20 million gallons of herbicides over Vietnam, including 12 million gallons of Agent Orange. This toxic defoliant contained dioxin, a highly carcinogenic compound that contaminates soil, water, and the food chain. Nearly five million Vietnamese were directly exposed to these chemicals, and the effects continue to be felt across generations. Today, Vietnam is witnessing the health consequences of dioxin exposure among second and third generations of victims, including congenital disabilities, cancers, and other chronic illnesses.
Quang Tri Province is one of the most heavily affected areas in the country. The province has suffered significantly from both large-scale UXO contamination and the long-term environmental and health effects of Agent Orange. Since the end of the war, nearly 10,000 people in Quang Tri have been killed or injured in UXO accidents. Tens of thousands of tons of unexploded munitions remain buried beneath the ground, posing an ongoing danger to the local population.
Clearing UXO and remediating Agent Orange contamination is an expensive and complex task. Vietnam, as a developing country, lacks the financial and technical resources needed to complete this work independently.
After the 1996 normalization of relations between Vietnam and the United States, the U.S. government committed to assisting in cleaning up the remnants of the war it waged on this country. This included efforts to clear UXO, address environmental contamination from Agent Orange, and provide technical support for decontamination efforts. However, the U.S. has historically failed to provide adequate assistance for the human victims of Agent Orange exposure.
Quang Tri Province has been at the center of these cleanup efforts, with collaboration between local authorities and international organizations, including the Mines Advisory Group (MAG), Project RENEW, and Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA). These groups have worked tirelessly to make land safe for agricultural use and to educate communities about the dangers of UXO.
The recent freeze in foreign aid funding has forced thousands of specially trained workers—both Vietnamese and foreign—to abandon this critical work due to a lack of resources. The funding cuts have jeopardized years of progress, leaving contaminated areas unaddressed and communities vulnerable to further casualties.
The United States cannot ignore its legal, historical, and ethical responsibilities to address the consequences of its actions in Vietnam. The Vietnam War was an unprovoked conflict, and its aftermath remains a lasting tragedy.
It is imperative that the U.S. restores funding for UXO and Agent Orange cleanup projects to uphold its commitment to ensuring the safety, health, and well-being of those affected by the war. This renewed support would help prevent further deaths and injuries, promote economic development, and demonstrate a genuine commitment to reconciliation and justice.
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CONTRIBUTOR
Amiad Horowitz lives in Hanoi, Vietnam. He studied at the Academy of Journalism and Communications at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics with a specific focus on Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh.
CONTRIBUTOR
Amiad Horowitz lives in Hanoi, Vietnam. He studied at the Academy of Journalism and Communications at the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics with a specific focus on Vietnam and Ho Chi Minh.
Vietnam paves way for Musk's Starlink, seen as "olive branch" amid US tariff threats
FILE PHOTO: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off carrying 53 Starlink internet satellites, from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S. May 18, 2022. REUTERS/Joe Skipper/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off carrying 53 Starlink internet satellites, from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, U.S. May 18, 2022. REUTERS/Joe Skipper/File Photo
Feb 18, 2025,
HANOI - Vietnam plans to adopt rules that would allow Elon Musk's Starlink to provide satellite internet services in the country while maintaining full ownership of any local subsidiary, a draft of the regulations shows.
The change paves the way for Starlink to launch in Vietnam and follows protracted talks with its parent company SpaceX, a government official said.
It represents a sudden shift in stance and can be seen as "an olive branch" to SpaceX amid nervousness in Vietnam about tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump, according to a person familiar with the matter.
It's a "demonstration from the Vietnamese side that they can play the transactional diplomacy game if the Trump administration wants that," said the person.
All sources declined to be identified so they could speak more freely.
Attempts by SpaceX to enter Vietnam - a market of nearly 100 million people - were put on hold in late 2023 after the Communist-run country declined to lift a ban on foreign control of satellite internet providers - a precondition for Musk, who is now a key adviser to Trump.
The draft rules, set to be adopted by parliament in an extraordinary sitting on Wednesday, allow for full foreign control of operations for internet providers who have a network of low-orbit satellites, under a pilot scheme that would run until the end of 2030.
The provision is included in a 12-page resolution that seeks "to remove obstacles in scientific, technological and innovation activities". Projects submitted under the pilot scheme would require the approval of Vietnam's prime minister.
SpaceX and Vietnam's information ministry did not reply to requests for comment.
SpaceX has been expanding its network of suppliers in Vietnam. The Vietnamese government has said the company wants to invest $1.5 billion in the country.
If many Vietnamese firms and individuals were to subscribe to Starlink that could help trim the large surplus in goods and services that the country has with the United States, according to a person with knowledge of the discussions.
Its surplus last year hit a record high of $123.5 billion, the fourth biggest among U.S. partners, according to U.S. data.
Trump last Thursday directed his team to devise reciprocal tariffs on every country that taxes U.S. imports by April 1 and his aides have said countries with large imbalances will be closely scrutinised.
U.S. duties have the potential to seriously disrupt Vietnam's export-reliant economy, which counts the U.S. as its main market. Vietnam hosts many China-based manufacturers which have invested heavily in the Southeast Asian country after Trump's first administration imposed tariffs on China in 2018.
To narrow its surplus with the U.S., Vietnam has also separately offered to import more U.S. agricultural products, and is discussing other possible imports. REUTERS
HANOI - Vietnam plans to adopt rules that would allow Elon Musk's Starlink to provide satellite internet services in the country while maintaining full ownership of any local subsidiary, a draft of the regulations shows.
The change paves the way for Starlink to launch in Vietnam and follows protracted talks with its parent company SpaceX, a government official said.
It represents a sudden shift in stance and can be seen as "an olive branch" to SpaceX amid nervousness in Vietnam about tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump, according to a person familiar with the matter.
It's a "demonstration from the Vietnamese side that they can play the transactional diplomacy game if the Trump administration wants that," said the person.
All sources declined to be identified so they could speak more freely.
Attempts by SpaceX to enter Vietnam - a market of nearly 100 million people - were put on hold in late 2023 after the Communist-run country declined to lift a ban on foreign control of satellite internet providers - a precondition for Musk, who is now a key adviser to Trump.
The draft rules, set to be adopted by parliament in an extraordinary sitting on Wednesday, allow for full foreign control of operations for internet providers who have a network of low-orbit satellites, under a pilot scheme that would run until the end of 2030.
The provision is included in a 12-page resolution that seeks "to remove obstacles in scientific, technological and innovation activities". Projects submitted under the pilot scheme would require the approval of Vietnam's prime minister.
SpaceX and Vietnam's information ministry did not reply to requests for comment.
SpaceX has been expanding its network of suppliers in Vietnam. The Vietnamese government has said the company wants to invest $1.5 billion in the country.
If many Vietnamese firms and individuals were to subscribe to Starlink that could help trim the large surplus in goods and services that the country has with the United States, according to a person with knowledge of the discussions.
Its surplus last year hit a record high of $123.5 billion, the fourth biggest among U.S. partners, according to U.S. data.
Trump last Thursday directed his team to devise reciprocal tariffs on every country that taxes U.S. imports by April 1 and his aides have said countries with large imbalances will be closely scrutinised.
U.S. duties have the potential to seriously disrupt Vietnam's export-reliant economy, which counts the U.S. as its main market. Vietnam hosts many China-based manufacturers which have invested heavily in the Southeast Asian country after Trump's first administration imposed tariffs on China in 2018.
To narrow its surplus with the U.S., Vietnam has also separately offered to import more U.S. agricultural products, and is discussing other possible imports. REUTERS
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