VIETNAMESE CHILDREN SUFFERING BIRTH DEFECTS DUE TO AGENT ORANGE, 1999-01-04 (photo)

Vietnamese children who doctors say are suffering from birth defects due to their parents' exposure to chemical defoliants during the Vietnam War race wheelchairs in the grounds of the Vietnam Friendship Village near Hanoi January 4. Tom Corey, national vice-president of the Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc said on Monday that Washington could this year finally release money to fund research into the wartime use of Agent Orange and other defoliants. During the Vietnam War, the United States sprayed millions of litres of chemical defoliants over vast areas of the country. Vietnam says around two million adults were exposed and affected, while there are around 100,000 children who suffer defects due to their parents' exposure. AJS/TS/CLH/