Re: Sole US-Philippine responsibility for contamination

[Aimee Houghton <aimeeh@igc.org>]

Actually the issue of Joint and Several liability may be nearly impossible to
administer in the aftermath of international conflicts. I believe Iraq was
forced to make some reparations for its environmental impacts during the Gulf
War. I don't think they have the resources or will however to make good on
their debt. Nobody really "agrees" to make war reparations anyway. This is
always a coercive "agreement."

Japan is a different story however. Joint UXO liability seems like an
excellent opportunity for bilateral dialog. Japan has not had a good record
in East Asia regarding reparations. It is almost impossible politically for
Japanese leaders to admit or apologize for their role as an agressor nation
in the 1930s and 1940s.

If a UXO bilateral agreement were to be made would almost have to be at the
request of the current East Asian governments where UXO is a problem. It
might be in Japan's interest to make such a agreement in order to dispell old
conflicts which impede the strengthening of its sphere of influence in East
Asia.