America's Secret War: Obama Pledges $80 Million in Aid to Laos

source: marketwatch.com

President Barack Obama on Tuesday recognized America’s secret war in Laos and the remnants that linger here decades later, a symbolic gesture intended to move relations between the two countries beyond their dark past.

Obama, the first sitting U.S. leader to visit the small Southeast Asian nation, stopped short of apologizing for the conflict, but said he came to the country in the “spirit of reconciliation.”

“Today I stand with you in acknowledging the suffering and sacrifices on all sides of that conflict,” Obama said in a speech at the Lao National Cultural Hall. “Given our history here, I believe that the United States has a moral obligation to help Laos heal.”

Obama, during what he said would be his last trip as president to Asia, announced the U.S. will give Laos $90 million over three years to help clean up unexploded bombs it dropped on the country during the Vietnam War.

The president framed his outreach to Laos as a finishing touch on his so-called rebalance policy in Asia, which is aimed at countering China’s influence by engaging other countries in the region. He also sought to reassure the region that the U.S. wouldn’t ease up on its engagement in Asia under his successor.

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