Abstract:

Bombies-- The terrible aftermath of dropping cluster bombs during the secret air war in Laos and the international campaign to ban them. Directed by Jack Silberman Produced by Lumiere Productions Inc. in association with CFCF-TV, Vision TV, Knowledge Network, and the Saskatchewan Communications Network, and with the support of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Rogers Documentary Fund, and the Government of Canada through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). "Bombies" is a presentation of the Independent Television Service (ITVS), with funding provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting "The United States' insistence on the use of cluster bombs, designed to kill or maim humans, is condemned almost universally and brings discredit on our nation. Even for the world's only superpower, the ends don't always justify the means." Former President Jimmy Carter Between 1964 and 1973 the United States conducted a secret air war, dropping over 2 million tons of bombs and making tiny Laos the most heavily bombed country in history. Millions of these 'cluster bombs' did not explode when dropped, leaving the country massively contaminated with 'bombies' as dangerous now as when they fell a quarter century ago. Bombies examines the problem of unexploded cluster bombs through the personal experiences of a group of Laotians and foreigners and argues for their elimination as a weapon of war. Unfortunately they are still a standard part of the US arsenal and were dropped both in Kosovo and now Afghanistan. Closed Captioned Grade Level: 10-12, College, Adult US Release Date: 2002 Copyright Date: 2001 ISBN: 1-56029-915-0