In Laos, Turning Bombs into Scrap Has Become a Lucrative but Dangerous Business

Bombs in the Backyard
From 1964 to 1973, the U.S. dropped more than 270 million cluster bombs and other ordnance on Laos, making it the most bombed country in history. Though a great number of the dropped bombs remain live, many Laotians are tempted to collect them, as the price of imported steel rises and scrap metal takes on significant value.

• Postcard from Xieng Khouang