Medicine: Clean Bill for Agent Orange

A study refutes claims from veterans exposed to the herbicide

When U.S. Air Force flyers dumped millions of gallons of an oily herbicide called Agent Orange over the thick jungle canopy of war-ravaged Viet Nam, they unwittingly started a battle that would rage long after the last American helicopter left Saigon. Over the past 13 years, some 35,000 Viet Nam veterans have vigorously pressed Washington to compensate them for injuries and illnesses that they believe were caused by exposure to Agent Orange. The herbicide contains dioxin, a potent poison that causes cancer in laboratory animals. But Government officials have delayed paying most claims, pointing to a lack of scientific proof that...

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