re;
I don't know weather to feel disgusted or sorry for these people, but you've got to feel sorry for the people of Laos."

My word.

But not because of the presence of one outspoken leftwing ex-pat.

No, I would pity the Lao people for having to live with the consequences of the secret war on Laos, waged by the US military from 1964 to 1973. An estimated 90 million individual cluster bomblets were released by American aircraft during that period. 30 years later, an estimated 10 to 20+ million unexploded bomblets remain.

Laotians are still getting killed or maimed by bomblets in on their land; their fields, rice paddies, schoolyards, roads and paths, in their trees, under their homes, etc etc.

UXO clearance efforts in Laos are ongoing, of course. They are paid for, pragmatically, by developers looking for profit and also by charities and ordinary individuals who are stunned by the enormity of consequences of that particular world-class failure of diplomacy, and want to repair some of the damage in a spirit of charity.

Maybe we should also send our diplomats for a guided tour of the uncleared and unmarked areas of the Plain of Jars.

Sir Vivor, if they did take your trip, they would probably have a ball, as long as they didn't go too deep into Shoalwater Bay. It realy is an unpleasant place for small underpowered yachts, due to the very strong tides. The fact that so few people live in the entire area confirms its lack of attraction.

However, the interaction between the defense personal, & the yachtsmen is very cordial, & often, fun. There are many yachtsmen who have been most grateful for the assistance offered by these defense people, in time of need.

One funny incident occured in the late 70s, during an exercise, when a bunch of about 8 of us passed through the area.
We were spread over about 50 miles of ocean, heading for Island Head Ck. One of the yacht sailed inside Dome Island, & was amazed to find a navy patrol boat, snugged in against the island, & camouflaged to look like part of the island. We discovered, later, that he was pretending to be a guided missile destroyer, & he was hiding, waiting for the US aircraft carrier to get in range, for him to rush out & sink it, in a blaze of glory.

Unfortunately, for him, the yachty got on the radio to tell all of us to come & have a look.

The US navy were monitoring the local chat frequency. The carrier dispatched a flight of strike aircraft, which arived only 15 minutes later. The patrol boat was "sunk" &, in the way of these things, was out of the exercise for 24 hours.

We were very sorry to have spoiled the young officers daring ploy. It was quite brave, too. If these young officers scratch their first command, they tend to find themselves as officer for sea cadets, in Alice Springs for the rest of their short career.

AnthonyMarinac, you really are clueless. A citizen is highlighting the problem, which I will describe below. Why should they provide a solution? Citizens aren't necessarily geniuses, nor are they paid to think of solutions, and they certainly aren't provided with the information or powers to do so. If I say the pipe is broke in the street, I tell the government to fix it. I don't have to become an electrician or plumbing engineer with a 3-5 year degree, before I submit the complaint. That is ASININE.

If the below description is true, it's all too obvious the reason why. You have a total disregard for the environment they choose to do this in. It holds no significance for them at all. As an Australian I find that deeply offensive.

"Welcome to Shoalwater Bay on Australia’s tropical coast, close to Rockhampton and gateway to the magnificent fringing reefs and islands of Australia’s north. The bay could be the poster child for a tropical holiday campaign, with its azure waters, secluded “let’s go in the nuddie” beaches, and proximity to the famed Great Barrier Reef."

So, problem is in my quick glance at the story:
1 the pristine, fragile environment is being used as by the military like a child uses a sandpit
2 this will go on for years if not decades

I'll throw in another. Local residents potentially affected when a drunk US marine rapes someone then leaves without any punishment under a one-way, unilateral agreement that favours the US only.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,193517,00.html
"The defendants belong to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Force stationed on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa. They had finished counterterrorism maneuvers with Filipino troops when the alleged rape occurred in a van at the former U.S. Subic Bay naval base near Olongapo city, west of Manila."

http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~pyonpyon/nago/base/rape0116.htm
"The curfew was imposed one month after the rape of a 12-year-old Okinawa schoolgirl by three U.S. servicemen in September 1995. In May, an insurance saleswoman in her 20s was also hit on the face with a hammer to death...........U.S. bases have been the hotbed of vice, crimes and accidents involving American servicemen for the last 55 years. A statistical survey shows that for years after Okinawa was annexed to Japan, the number of crimes involving the U.S. military and civilian personnel exceeded nealy 5,000, including twelve murder cases; an incredibly high rate of lawbreaking. Rape crimes that were sent to the prosecutor's office have accounted for up to 110 cases so far."

Make no mistake. American servicemen are extremely dangerous, untrustworthy and don't hold to the same principles as Australians do by any means.