LOS ANGELES : War Issues Linked to Sister Status for Ho Chi Minh City
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The Los Angeles City Council directed one of its committees Tuesday to study a proposal for establishing a sister city relationship with Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon.
Some Vietnam veterans groups have called the move premature, saying the Communist government still must account for soldiers and airmen missing in action and taken prisoners of war.
Mayor Richard Riordan, who did not propose the measure as previously reported, said he supports it only if the POW and MIA issues are resolved and diplomatic relations are restored.
The proposal’s sponsor, Councilman Richard Alatorre, said “there are critical issues that our government is addressing, such as our POWs and MIAs, and I maintain that these must be resolved in order for us to move ahead and form a new relationship with the people of Vietnam.”
![Los Angeles, CA - May 19: Carlos Vargas, left, and Paulina Rubio, members of the harm reduction team from Homeless Outreach Program Integrated Care Systems [HOPICS], a leading homeless services and housing agency, look for drug addicts to help and pass out supplies at a homeless RV encampment along 77th St. in South Los Angeles Friday, May 19, 2023. The team hands out syringes, fentanyl test strips, overdose reversal nose spray and medication to prevent overdoses, infection and disease transmission, including the HIV virus. Fenanyl is particularly insidious because it can be found in all other drugs, especially meth and heroin. The handouts are also meant to reduce infection through broken pipes, which can cut users mouths and open them to infection. . (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/bc99ba0/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3900x2608+0+34/resize/1024x685!/format/webp/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fe9%2F77%2F4b8bd35d4881a3edec6b945b143b%2F1298639-me-soaring-fentanyl-deaths-24-1-ajs.jpg)
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