ANARCHY 76 by Charging the Group with Riot and Law), Dates from 1360
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BSHF M S B 1H S W ffll! Behind MAY 27 1967 VoL 28 No, 16 THE VIETNAMESE WAR is tion of the 1946 Vietxninh purge Phatdiem rural area, Salisbury escalating rapidly. On April 25, of non-Communist elements, only a writes: ’One cause for the repjcated the US bombed railway yards two brief and imprecise mention of the attacks . might be that Seventh SUPPRESSION and a quarter miles from the centre Fleet planes flying to Ninhbinh and N. Vietnam land reform slaughters of Hanoi and a cement factory just and emphasises the North’s ’distrust Namdinh . (p>o$sibly) jettisoned one mile from the centre of Hai stemming from 1946 and 1954’, leftover bombs on the way back or phong. More recently they have without mentioning the Vietminh exhausted their rocket stocks . bombed the bases of Russian- provocations'and terror (as well as planes which had difficulty in re supplied Migs and, if they force the French ones) in 1946 and the turning to base might lighten their B Y REQUEST them to retreat to Chinese bases, impossibility of holding the Geneva- loads in the Phatdiem area. There the Guardian correspondent asks, planned unifying elections when the were anti-aircraft installations in will US bombing follow them? Hai North was oppressing massive re this region. Yet when all this I T B E POLICE are continuing their Smith, whom we hope are still at liberty. phong harbour is being repeatedly sistance (as well as the South’s was taken into account, the fact I? preposterous charges against Terry The proceedings were of unrelieved attacked. As I write (May 19), the oppression of many opposition remained that an astonishing UTtttnrflrr and Melvyn Esrrin who were gloom. In a country which prides itself news of die US invasion of the groups). amount of high explosives was fall the dock at Marlborough Street on on its sense of humour, our comrades ay 18 when Mr. Edward Robey, the are being charged with the forging of buffer zone (in which N. Vietnamese The US began bombing the North ing on a simple rice-growing area’ pagsstrate. heard the case outlined ‘dollar’ notes that are dearly meant to troops were already) is being broad to bolster the morale of the South (p. 125). Of the bomb damage gainst them by the Prosecution in the be anti-war propaganda. cast. A land war throughout Viet Vietnamese Government, to weaken Salisbury then saw in Hanoi—the j^ollar leaflets ease. Terry was defending An indication as to why our comrades nam threatens and, according to U Hanoi’s will to fight, to avoid com smashed Pho Nguyen Thiep Street [jfnself and Melvyn was defended by are being prosecuted came when a Mr. Thant on May 11, ,T am afraid we mitting large US ground forces, and and Phuc Tan Street—he notices 'c. Benedict Bimberg. After a sub- James Griffith of the American Embassy are witnessing the initial stages of later reasons were to bomb Hanoi that they were very near the main is:on by Mr. Bimberg. the charge in Paris gave his evidence. The Clerk World War m .’ Long Bien Bridge (p. 64). Of the t Melvyn of conspiracy to forge of the Court asked for his occupation to the conference table and to inter Harrison Salisbury’s Behind the dict the movement of men and sup anti-personnel weapons, pmticularly biffs was dismissed but he was and prompted him: ‘Are you employed the lazy dog bomb, which the War committed for trial at the Centra] in the detection of counterfeit currency?’ Lines — Hanoi (Seeker and War plies to the Siouth. In all but the final Court on a charge of ‘possess- ‘No, sir,* replied the American unwisely, burg, 30/-), stems from a two-week first ease, as the facts of World War Crimes Tribunal made so much of, 1*00 pieces of paper bearing markings letting the cat out of the bag. “My job visit, December 23, 1966-January 7, II and Korean War bombing should he notes that: ’They were devised fear to those on genuine dollar noted. is the suppression of counterfeit cur- 1967, before these events took place, have indicated beforehand, the for use against anti-aircraft gunners, Ferry Chandler was committed for .but it is still very relevant. The in bombing has failed. US ground machine gun nests or other military ■p on charges of conspiring with In other words the request for prose forces have escalated enormously groups occupying expxxsed or semi- ales ’Radrffrffie and others unknown creasing US savagery and N. Viet cution must have come from Griffith nam rigidity stems from false stereo from 26,000 in March 1965 to exposed positions. I supp>ose page tarried'States dollar notec The and the English authorities have blindly that, (they) were dropped by our VUistc granted bail to Melvyn amd complied. The danger is, that if they- types of their own and their oppo 440,000 now. ‘According to General nent’s intentions and' actions and Westmoreland, the movement of planes by on what they presumed i to Terry although Detective-sergeant are not to look complete asses in front to be (these) . they inevitably BioUc strongly objected. At the time of an independent jury, they might want Mr. Salisbury’s' book does some men and supplies has increased pP'i iiiing Terry is still in jail as he was to resort to some kind of ‘frame-up’. thing to correct these. For example, greatly and, in any case, most NLF took a toll among civilians’ (pp. 213- !. remanded in custody over the Greek But as the case stands at the moment the US claims, as McGeprge Bundy arms were taken from US and 214). Salisbury suggests that US 'lOSSy demorvc-ryrioirv even the notorious Mr. Robey seethed wrote, in January 1967, ’The bomb Saigon troops. Hanoi shows very reconnaissance methods and bomb- , . warrant has been k w h for the quite unconvinced. ing Of the North has been the most little sign of wanting to end the war: dropping were nowhere near so pre B£t of Charles EaA-tffF- and a Paul John Rety . -accurate and the most restrained in Pham Van Dong said to Salisbury, cise as the US imagined (or pre modem warfare.’ Harrison Salis- ’. we are preparing for a long tended) and also that The series of bury, in his New York Times des war. How many years would you gradations which governed the pat patches, wrote: "the conclusion is say? Ten, twenty—what do you tern of air operations in North Viet inescapable that, whatever may be think about twenty?’ (p. 196). The nam — was complex and confusing. the; cause, far more bombs are hit bombing has united the North Viet It seemed to me that it inevitably ting civilians than are accomplish namese against the US as nothing would give rise to honest pilot ing any military purpose;’. Because else; could. Indeed, the threat of errors. Again and again it seemed of this, the Norm Vietnamese be- bombing seems to have saved Ho to me that the commanders of the fiqve that the US are deliberately Chi Mmh from a large political air operations were placing on their aiming at (Civilian targets. Salis crisis. Ernst Kux wrote in Neue men burdens which were beyond bury’s account of the effects of US Zurcher Zeitung, September 23, the ability of the best technology bombing and his consideration of 1964: ’One of tbs main reasons for and the best trained men’ (p. 212). its intentions seems the most re the pressure for quick Communist Other questions he raises are: (a) If liable yet written. He is interesting successes in $. Vietnam was the roads and railways are the target, on the issue of religious freedom in growing economic insolvency and why should the bombing be pro the North and On the relations of confusion in home affairs in N. Viet grammed for where they pass Hanoi to the NLF and to Russia nam . food production was no through villages and towns where and China, Detailed accounts are where keeping pace with the growth more civilians will die and there given of his interviews with Pham in population. In view of the will be stronger anti-aircraft posi Van Dong, the N. Vietnamese Pre chaotic supply position, emergency tions? (b) Are the US deliberately mier, and with NLF representatives measures were introduced, privately using Vietnam as a laboratory for in the North. The book's main owned land was expropriated from experiments? ‘Proof was difficult faults (apart from the unnecessary fanners . ration cards were . there were enough oddities so journalistic padding of the first 40 introduced. In March Ho Chi that the question might be raised.’ This B the oral-war leaflet that the police mptiupfn is a forged ddUrrr hUk pages) are that it makes no men- Minh proclaimed a state of emer (c) Is the air war a dry run for a gency.’ (Quoted by Adam Roberts, war with China? New Society. January 12, 1967.) Finally, there was the question _ 1$ the deliberate bombing of civi of the dykes whose destruction lians a major pan of US policy, as would destroy the country, wiping ‘PEAsmrrs’ avoir i m a y fa h the Russell War Crimes Tribunal out millions of acres of rice land, and all N. Vietnamese think? After drowning millions of Vietnamese and making it impossible for the ; THE TIME lias issue of Paeux/u hoped to get a conviction for Common siastical law with which they charged reading Salisbury and the accounts .