Vol. 4, No. 32 mid os October 21, 1966
U.S. TROOPS TO INVADE MEKONG DELTA
When Johnson's emissary Robert S. McNamara landed in Saigon October 10, he told reporters at a news conference that almost twelve months had: elapsed since his last visit’ in December 1965.. called attention to what is obviously the most striking change ro has occurred in that time. American troops in. Vietnam have "more than doubled." i
"Tt is quite appropriate," he was quoted as saying, "that we should again visit South Vietnam to review the progress of aorecahiaed d and other operations.
In the secret conversations with the American military and
New York, N. Y. 10010. SP
diplomatic representatives in Saigon, the manpower question still stood at the top of the agenda. Charles Mohr, the special correspondent of the New York Times, cabled: "On the question of manpower, the United States command here would like to have the American troop strength increased to 600,000 as soon as feasible next year, informed sources said."
One far-reaching decision has already been made in further escalation of the war, Mohr reported. This is the introduction of U.S. troops into the Mekong Delta. "Although still controversial and still opposed by some Vietnamese, this last question has. virtually been settled. Construction is under way on a base camp for an American Army brigade expected to operate in the area, which contains about 60 per cent of the South Vietnamese population. '
The same correspondent reported again in the October 11 New York Times that "during the briefings, General Westmoreland's subordinates had told Mr. McNamara that more troops would be needed to carry out successfully the United States operations in South Vietnam: " . _
How many more troops? "The sources, " said Mohr, "declined to state the new force: level requested by the United States. Military Assistance Command in, Vietnan,. put it was: previously disclosed that the command hoped to. see the troop total reach about 600,000. men next year.
In an editorial the same day, the Times, which has been deploring Johnson's continued escalation. of the war, stated in the opening sentence of its lead editorial: "Secretary of Defense McNamara's visit to South Vietnam will no doubt be followed by a decision to send more manpower and materiel to fight the war.
Upon leaving Saigon to report back to his boss in the White House, McNamara said. that he had seen:nothing during his four-day tour to indicate the need for a "faster rate of deployment" of U.S. troops to Vietnam.
This bare-faced statement was probably. intended as a contribution in maintaining the notorious. "credibility gap" of the Johnson administration.: From .all that can be learned or deduced, the Johnson administration: had, already made all the basic decisions concerning another big step escalating the war before McNamara's plane took off from Washington. ao -A fresh reminder of the intentions of the Johnson adminis-— tration was the reluctant admission by the State Department October 14 that two American helicopters had attacked a Cambodian army post at Snoul, twenty miles within the border, on September 20.
Robert J. McCloskey told the press that the two helicopters had "strayed across the border and fired on Cambodian territory. This was due to pilot error." He read the usual perfunctory statement kept on file for such occasions: "We profoundly regret the
loss of innocent lives and the damage caused by this tragic mistake...." ello But-this is.the fourth such "error." In May 1965 Skyraiders attacked two Cambedian border villages. On July 31 and August 2 of _ this year: ‘Helicopters attacked the village of Thloktrach.
So prazen has American imperialism become in these matters that it now appears they consider everything is put right if it is admitted an "erbor" was made. Would Johnson assume a posture of such godlike-sérenity if” ‘things were reversed -- if, for example, American border towns were bombed in "error" by Chinese “planes?