Description
Analysis of US legal responsibility for the ongoing harm caused to the Vietnamese people by leftover unexploded ordnance and the lingering effects of Agent Orange, in the overall context of international treaty law and its enforcement.
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"It’s common knowledge that war is hell, but only some know the hell that continues long after combat ends." Thus begins a book that boldly slices into the thick, intimidating layers of legal and ethical issues swirling around the US involvement in, and responsibility for, the unforgettable disaster that the Vietnam War was and continues to be to this day. With penetrating scholarship and a clear voice, "Scofflaw" juxtaposes the unequivocal hand of international law with the invisible but very real human stories of the Vietnamese people. It details how various U.S. administrations have ignored the continuing deaths and maiming of Vietnamese civilians by left-behind munitions and latent environmental poisoning. Its dispassionate analysis demonstrates that the world’s conventions and treaties are only as effective as their enforcement mechanisms, and suggests novel ways to strengthen them. This remarkable new book has already garnered the praise of individuals highly respected in academic, legal, government, and military circles.
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