That was such an illegal, illogical, totally FUBAR operation. You tend to get really PO’ed when you discover that someone is changing your targeting and either hitting jungle or, too often, innocent villages instead of the places you know you had a concentration. The pattern was too damn consistent to have been accidental.
You have to keep your mouth shut when you heard official spokesweasels spouting crap that was 180° out of sync with what you knew to be the situation on the ground.
I was really glad I didn’t ever have to stay for more than short periods on loan to cover assignment changes. I would probably have blown up, and they might have noticed I was sending in grid coordinates for certain government buildings in Saigon.
The potential for the annihilation of all life on the planet by the Soviet Strategic Rocket Forces was a much nicer portfolio. Soothing in a way, almost Zen, after the cesspit of SEA. At least I knew “my side” wasn’t attempting to get me killed by seemingly refusing to take out AA sites.
]]>Between 1955 and 1963, the United States provided $409.6 million in economic grant aid and $83.7 million in military assistance to Cambodia. Relations between the two countries deteriorated in the early 1960s. Diplomatic relations were broken by Cambodia in May 1965, but were reestablished on July 2, 1969.
The US war in Vietnam had drastic repercussions for Cambodia. As part of its military operations against the North Vietnamese, the US Air Force carried out massive aerial bombing campaigns throughout North Vietnam. These missions drove the North Vietnamese into using the territory of their neighbor, Cambodia, to move supplies into South Vietnam. American military commanders grew frustrated with this end-around by the North Vietnamese and pleaded their case with President Richard Nixon and his top foreign policy adviser, Henry Kissinger, to do something.
In 1969, Nixon secretly ordered the US Air Force to expand its bombing missions into Cambodia without informing Congress or the American public. When the bombing proved insufficient in stopping the North Vietnamese from using Cambodia as a safe haven, Nixon order the US military to invade Cambodia in 1970. This decision provoked considerable outrage in America and throughout the world. The US campaign in Cambodia did little to help the war in Vietnam, but it did create instability in Cambodia that helped the Khmer Rouge win its war against the Cambodian military. From 1970-75, the United States provided $1.18 billion in military assistance and $503 million in economic assistance to the government of Lon Nol.
The US severed relations with Democratic Kampuchea upon the Khmer Rouge’s ascension to power in 1975. American officials condemned the brutal character of the Khmer Rouge regime between 1975 and 1979. The United States also opposed the subsequent military occupation of Cambodia by Vietnam. The US did not reopen a diplomatic post in Cambodia until 1991, when the US Mission in Phnom Penh opened.
This is all readily available at the Library of Congress BTW, which is where I first came across the details when I went looking for answers some years ago.
]]>The only way the World will ever know for sure what happened on 9/11 is to arrest and interrogate Bush/Cheney. But that will never happen.
Regarding Cambodia: Like Vietnam, it was never classified as a war. It was a completely unofficial police action in the early 80’s, and didn’t become official until ’91 I think (UNAMIC and then UNTAC). So, it was all controlled by Politicians. It was always doomed to be a failure. None of us who served in Cambodia after Vietnam until ’91 have ever been officially recognized. It’s how the Gov bean counters can save a few bucks and escape any responsibility.
The US had decided to back Sihanouk’s Cambodian Army during the 70’s to fight the Khmer Rouge, but the KR were backed by Nth Vietnam and the Viet Cong. As usual, the US did it half-assed and the Cambodian Army was defeated and Pol Pot became leader. Sihanouk had originally asked China for help and China had agreed to send a sizable force to help fight the KR. This scared the crap out of the American Politicians (in particular, a certain very influential Dr who was also mostly responsible for the Vietnam debacle), and so, as with Vietnam, with little thought or military consultation, a small force was sent to defeat the combined forces of the KR, NV and VC. Obviously, Americans have extremely short memories, like a goldfish. And so, Pol Pot was able to murder millions of innocents. Well Done USA!
BTW, Pol Pot’s real name was Saloth Sar. 🙂
To be honest Bryan, the USA has had little credibility since the 60’s. But it has dropped even further.
]]>That isn’t something you do in the Third World, it is something you do on the streets as a cop. It is a universal truth that the only way you get any real respect is by keeping your word. Even your worse enemy will respect that. That is one of the biggest mistakes of the Hedgemony, running around making threats about things they couldn’t possibly accomplish.
Failing to really go after bin Laden, really hurt the credibility of the US. If we really wouldn’t pursue the individual responsible for 9/11, we were weak and hollow. The “bad guys” don’t believe us, and we have to undertake more missions, with more innocents dying, because we didn’t follow through.
That’s the same crap that went on in South Vietnam. You clear an area, but provide no protection, and it’s gone in month and the locals hate you.
]]>I’m still angry. And so, nothing changes. Whenever politicians are involved in any conflict, you can guarantee the casualties will escalate. It’s all a game to them.
]]>Actions have consequences. Screw up and someone will pay a price. Americans just don’t understand why a lot of people in the world hate our guts, but they have some damn good reasons, based on things the US government has done over the years.
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