/ , t

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Q:ongrrssional Rrcord

d PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 92 CONGRESS SECOND SESSION

VOLUME 11S""':'-PART 8

MARCH 22, 1972 TO MARCH 28,,1972

(PAGES 9419 TO 10746)

UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON, 1972 March 23, 1972 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE 9813 I therefore, submit, from the Joint SON, Mr. PaOXMIRE. Mr. Ttl'NNEY, then subsequently by the House of Rep­ Ec~nomic Committee, a report entitled and Mr. STEVENSON) : resentatives and signed into law, could S. 3409. A blll to prOVide for the cessation "1972 Joint Economic Report," and ask of bombing In Indochina and for the with­ bring to a close the most tragic saga in unanimous consent that this report may drawal of U.S. military personnel from the American history. the war in Vietnam. be printed together with minority and Republlc of Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. The bill that I send to the desk. co­ other views. Referred to the Committee on Foreign Rela­ sponsored, along with myself, by Sena­ The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. tions. tors CRANSTON, MONDALE, HUGHES, Mc­ GAMBRELL). Without objection, it is so By Mr. ALLOTr (for himself, Mr. GOVERN, NELSON, PROXMIRE. and TuN­ ordered. STAFFORD, Mr. TOWER, and Mr. CRANSTON) : NEY, would end the war. It is not a long S. 3410. A blll to amend chapter 5, United bill. It is presented on two pages, but it PRINTING OF REVIEW OF REPORT States Code, to revise the special pay struc­ is long in its impact. It has three sec­ ON METLAKATLA HARBOR, ture relating to members of the uniformed tions. ALASKA (S. DOC. NO. 92-64) serVices, and for other purposes. Referred to The first section is an "end the war" the Committee on Armed Services. section. That is, very simply, after 30 Mr. RANDOLPH. Mr. President, I By Mr. TOWER: days from the enactment of this legisla­ present a letter from the Acting Secre­ S. 3411. A blll to facilltate Federal Ship tion no further funds would be available tary of the Army. transmitting a report Mortgage Insurance for drydocks and drilling to continue any type of military or para­ dated November 6, 1970, from the Chief vessels. Referred to the Committee on Com­ merce. military operation in Indochina. of Engineers, Department of the Army, By Mr. WILLIAMS (for himself, Mr. The second section would stop the together with accompanying papers and BENNETT, and Mr. TOWER) (by re­ bombing. an illustration, on a review of the report quest) : This second section is broken down on Metlakatla Harbor at Metlakatla, S. 3412. A bUl to foster the development into two points-part (a), which is to Alaska, requested by a resolution of the and implementation of an integrated system, stop the bombing in Cambodia. Thailand, Committee on Public Works of the U.S. to be privately owned and operated, for the Laos. and the Democratic People's Re­ Senate. adopted February 4, 1964. I ask prompt and accurate processing and settle­ ment of securities transactions effected on public of Vietnam. unanimous consent that the report be national securities exchanges and In the The part that concerns the bombing in printed as a Senate document, with an over-the-counter markets, which wlll assist South Vietnam is taken up in paragraph illustration, and referred to the Commit­ in assuring the proper functioning of the (b) of section (2). and states that the tee on Public Works. securities markets and which will be respon­ President of the United States can use The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. sive on a nondiscriminatory basis to the bombing there, but only when it involves BYRD of Virginia). Without objection, it needs of issuer companies, brokers. dealers, the immediate safety of the troops being is so ordered. banks, and other members of the securltle& Industry and the publlc investors. Referred withdrawn. to the Committee on Banking, House, and This, of course, is important because ENROLLED BILLS SIGNED Urban Affairs. we all do have a concern with the loss of By Mr. WILLIAMS (for himself and life of Americans. and we want to assure The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem­ Mr. CASE): the people of this country, the mothers pore (Mr. METCALF) announced that on S. 3413. A blll to provide for the expan­ and fathers of the children who are in today, March 23, 1972, he signed the fol­ sion of the Beverly National Cemetery in or Vietnam as a part of American policy. lowing enrolled bills, which had previ­ near Beverly, Burllngton County, N.J. Re­ ferred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. that they will be given the maximum ously been signed by the Speaker of the By Mr. STEVENSON: amount of safety as they are brought House of Representatives: S.3414. A blll for the rellef of Alexandria home. However. because of the irrespon­ S. 904. An act to amend the Uniform Time Nicholson. Referred to the Committee on the sible use of bombing by the Chief Execu­ Act to allow an option in the adoption of Judiciary. tive today, I feel it is important to pro­ advanced time in certain cases; and By Mr. HRUSKA (by request): vide and it has been included in this S. 3160. An act to provide for a modifica­ S. 3415. A blll to amend section 3401 of if tion in the par value of the dollar, and for title 18, United States Code, to authorize section, that when and the President other purposes. U.S. magistrates to use the probation provi­ chooses to use bombing inSouth Vietnam sion of the Youth Corrections Act, and for he report to the Congress why. and other purposes. Referred to the Committee give the particulars concerning the use ENROLLED BILLS PRESENTED on the JUdiciary. of bombing. By Mr. THURMOND: This, I want to underscore, I find very The Secretary of the Senate reported S.3416. A bill to amend titles 10 and 37, important. He should render an account­ that on today, March 23, 1972, he pre­ United States Code, to authorize members of ing to Congress, and thereby an account­ sented to the President of the United the Armed Forces who are in a missing status ing to the American people, because the States the following enrolled bills: to accumulate leave Without limitation, and for other purposes. Referred to the Commit­ Congress itself has been held in dark­ S. 904. An act to amend the Uniform Time ness concerning what is going on with Act to allow an option in the adoption of tee on Armed Services. advanced time in certain cases; and By Mr. MOSS: respect to the bombing. S. 3160. An act to provide for a modifica­ S. 3417. A blll to amend title 5, United This is a ridiculous situation. I say tion in the par value of the dollar, and for States Code, to regulate certain activities of lidiculous because that is the only word other purposes. Federal employees, and for other purposes. for it. It is quite obvious in this par­ Referred to the Committee on Post Office and ticular case that all a person in Indo­ Civil Service. china needs to do is walk out of the door INTRODUCTION OF BILLS AND of his house, and he can see and count JOINT RESOLUTIONS STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED the airplanes and count the number of The following bills and joint resolu­ BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS bombing strikes. Of course, the American tions were introduced, read the first time people cannot do that. By Mr. GRAVEL (for himself, Mr. When it is asserted that secrecy is and, by unanimous consent, the second CRANSTON. Mr. MONDALE, Mr. time, and referred as indicated: necessary because security is involved By Mr. MANSFIELD (on behalf of Mr. HUGHES. Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. in the bombing, there is only one group McGoVERN) (for himself and Mr. NELSON. Mr. PROXMIRE, Mr. of people that this secrecy Is bound to MUNDT): TuNNEY, and Mr. STEVENSON): affect, and that is the American people, S.3408. A blll to provide for the distribu­ S. 3409. A bill to provide for the cessa­ not the Indochinese people, not the peo­ tion to Mdewakanton and Wahpakoota tion of bombing in Indochina and for the ple that are being bombed. Tribes of Sioux Indians of their portion of withdrawal of U.S. military personnel The third section of this legislation the funds appropriated to pay JUdgments in from the Republic of Vietnam, Cambodia, favor of the Mississippi Sioux Indians in In­ deais with the prisoners of war. Here and Laos. Referred to the Committee on again I want to make a very strongstate­ dian Claims Commission dockets Nos. 359 Foreign Relations. through 363, and for other purposes. Re­ ment, because I think a strong statement ferred to the Committee on Interior and In­ Mr. GRAVEL. Mr. President, I rise is in order. It is very simple-that this sular Affairs. today to introduce legislation which I administration, with forethought, has By Mr. GRAVEL (for himself. Mr. hope will carry with it the support that it developed a POW issue in this country CRANSTON, Mr. MONDALB. Mr. deserves,· and I say that because this with the intention of arousing the emo­ HtTGHES, Mr. McGoVERN, Mr. NEL- legislation, if passed by the Senate and tions .. of the. American people so as to 9814 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE March·· 23, 1972 develop their resolve to maintain mili­ the war. Now, 3 ~~ years later, we find that end it now. We think the American tary presence in Indochina. there was no secret plan to end the war. people should know clearly how the sen­ Well, that tactic has failed. It has There has developed a plan to wind down ate will face that choice in 1972. failed not because of perspicuity by the the war, but if anyone in 1968 had cam­ The time is long past for lengthy Congress in acting as an adversary to paigned on the premise of winding down speeches on this war. The Senate may the administration, but it has failed be­ the war, he would never have been debate or alter the details of our amend­ cause the "ives of the prisoners have elected. QUite obviously this will be an ment. But in the end, it will all come found out what a gigantic hoax has taken issue in 1972, regardless of what state­ down to the basic question: Do we let place. The wives themselves felt that they ment is made by Mr. Nixon and his col­ this nightmare continue? were being used, and reacted accordingly. leagues. It will be an issue because, very I am net sW'e any more that we can That, of course, is the reason why we simply, the American people do not want really grasp what we have done in the have two POW groups in this country, to wind down the war, the American peo­ war-and what the war has done to us. one representing the POW wives who are ple want to end the war. I think we in The Senator from Wisconsin (Mr. NEL­ disenchanted with the activities of the Congress have the responsibility to shift SON) stood on this floor a few weeks ago present administration, and another from the rhetoric of winding down the and told us that our bombs and herbi­ group which innocently has been manip­ war to the reality of ending the war. cides had ravaged millions of acres of ulated to effect a preconceived notion of The reasons for our continued par­ land in Indochina. If only we knew and what public opinion should be in this ticipation in this war are varied. But it understood, he said, we would stop it. country. seems to me at this point that to con­ Last spring, the Vietnam Veterans History is replete with examples of tinue the war, in the face of all these Against the War came to Washington to the fact that when you are at war, your reasons to end it, boggles the imagina­ tell us in voices choked with tears and prisoners are not returned. To do so tion and stultifies the mind. anger how this war had lavaged a gen­ would not make any sense. In fact, I All of the reasoning in support of con­ eration of young Americans as brutally could be wrong, but the only case I know tinuing the war is bankrupt. The first as our bombs destroy the land and people of in which prisoners were released dur­ reason offered is that we will continue of Indochina. If only we understood, they ing the course of a war in recent history the war until we get our prisoners back. told us, we would stop it. was a situation that took place during But logic tells us we will get our prison­ But the nightmale goes on. the civil war in China in the 1940's. The ers back the moment we tell those who It goes on for the more than 200 fam­ forces of Mao Tse-tung released troops hold them we want to end the war. ilies in my State of Minnesota and thou­ they had captured in large numbers back The second reason is that we are try­ sands more around the Nation who have into the countryside, because of the ef­ ing to give these people in South Vietnam lost sons and husbands and fathers since fect on the people they hoped the re­ the opportunity for self-determination. 1969, since this administration promised lease would have. Well, the history of the last year is testi­ peace. It goes on for the men who still We have a section in this amendment mony that that is a hoax. I say-and I remain in the firebases, in the aircraft which addresses the POW question, be­ underscore the word three times-that it over Laos or North Vietnam, and in the cause we truly want to see them re­ is a lie. Anyone who says that today is POW camps. turned. But there is only one way the telling an outright lie, because that is not It goes on for the thousands of civilians POW's will be returned, and that is to what is happening. Any normal, intelli­ \ve kill with each bombing raid over In­ end the war. Any thought of continuing gent person need only read the newspap­ dochina. It goes on for the hundreds of the war fails to provide any personal, ers to know that. You do not have to be thousands who are refugees because of humane, or emotional consideration for privy to classified documents; just read our bombing. the men who are held prisoners. And the newspapers. The administration tells us, of course, the number of prisoners is increasing A year ago on Memorial Day I stood that the casualty lists are at an all-time with every bombing raid, every time an on this floor trying to bring to the at­ low. And perhaps the President can feel American plane is shot down. tention of the American people the pas­ that Vietnam is no longer a political is­ Mr. President, this is the intent of the sage of an act in the assembly of South sue. Perhaps there is, as I said here last bill introduced today. I know that my Vietnam that WOUld restrict the partici­ December, some gruesome threshold of colleague, the Senator from Minnesota pation in free elections for the Presi­ public outrage over the killing of Amer­ (Mr. MONDALE), who is in the Chamber, dency there. That act was passed because ican boys and the savagery of the war on will add his voice in support of the bill its chief opponent in the assembly, a other people. The horrible truth may be which we introduce together. I wish a man of my own age, was incarcerated on that neither the administration nor the larger number of Senators had joined a phony charge of assault with intent Congress cares enough to stop this car­ us, but this is an election year, and I do to kill, and was released with the proviso nage so long as the weekly casualties are not think their resolve is as strong as it that the votes would be there for the pas­ politically acceptable. has been in the past. I hope that with sage of that act. That person thereafter But then there are casualties that the efforts of the peace community attempted to file for office in October, and never show up in Pentagon figures or throughout the Nation, as a result of the was physically stopped from entering the political polls. There are fearsome and introduction of this legislation, the peo­ filing place. There were guards at the often fatal wounds to the spirit of a na­ ple will come forward and press for its door. So he no longer sits in the assembly. tion that wantonly destroys and refuses passage, and that we will develop We saw a law passed, in what our to face the truth. By letting this war hap­ a stronger resolve in Congress as a result Government euphemistically calls a de­ pen, we broke faith with our own genera­ of the pressure of the people. mocracy in South Vietnam, whereby the tion: By failing to stop it even now, we But more importantly, I believe the in­ person who was the Vice President of are breaking faith with the future. troduction of this legislation will, in an South Vietnam could not even qualify There is no more need here. to .. argue election year, bring about an accounta­ to run for President. the realities of the war policy-the folly bility, because we fully intend to bring Mr. MONDALE. Mr. President, I am and senselessness of our involvement in this measure up for a vote through one proud to join the Senator from Alaska Southeast Asia have been documented parliamentary' device or another. The today in introducing legislation designed beyond any doubt.. The reasoning has membership of this body will have to vote to bring about ilTh"11ediate withdrawal of been done. We are left, as always on the on e~ding the .war, in 1972, the year we all our forces from Indochina, a speedy great issues, with our conscience. were promised that the war wouId be retw'n of our prisoners, and an end to No one can honestly question now how ended. the bombing. the vast majority of Americans would I think it is tragic that we have not Our bill is simple. It requires total vote on ou!" bill-the gold star families, seen through the ruse that was perpe­ withdrawal within 30 days in exchange the young men who may yet have to lay trated. I think it was a ruse. It is a little for a release of our prisoners. It would down their lives, the millions from our strong to say that, but when we are talk­ prohibit all further bombing of Indo­ farms to our cities whose desperate needs ing about loss of lives, we have to go a china except as the President determined are starved because of the waste of this step beyond the normal amenities. I say necessary to protect our troops in South war. it was a ruse because Richard Nixon, in Vietnam as they withdraw. But we should remember yet another 1968; campaigned with, the promise that Our purpose is simple. We want to end constituency, one that will not appear in he had in his pocket a secret plan to end American involvement in the war and our correspondence, speak,to: a pollster, March 23, 1972 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE 9815 or vote for a Senator or a President. prisoners of war have not made arrangements bomb we dropped on Hiroshima. We have Those are the more than 50,000 dead for the release and repatriation, by the date dropped almost 3 pounds of explosives In section 1, of all such prlsoners- per person for every man, woman, and Americans from this tragedy. As the col­ (1) the date In section 1 shall be extended umnist Pete Hamill wrote so movingly: for thirty days, and child on earth-8 billion pounds-and They are scattered allover this country, in (2) the Congress may by joint resolu­ created 23 million craters on the land, lonely cemeteries, silent through still another tion authorize such further action as Is rec­ mea;,uring 26 feet deep and 40 feet in winter. killed by Asia, killed by malignance. ommended by the President to secure the diameter. kllled by Ignorance, and killed by cowardice. release and repatrlat!on of American pris­ Mr. President, the distinguished Sena­ A lot of those kids will be 21 forever ... we oners of war. tor from Wisconsin (Mr. NELSON), per­ will never know What they might have been; (b) Nothing in this section shall be con­ haps the Nation's greatest environmen­ we do not know which of them might have strued to affect the authority of the Presi­ talist, racently introduced what he called written songs, scribbled, novels, painted dent to arrange asylum or other means of murals across the walls of New York; we protect.lon for individuals who might be the Vietnam War Ecological Damage don't know which of them might have cured physicallY endangered by the withdrawal of Assessment Act of 1972. in which he re­ cancer or played the outfield for the Yankees United States mlIltary cr paramlIltary per­ counted in detail the ecological disaster or run a great gas statton In Oklahoma or sonnel from the Republic of Vietnam, Cam­ we are visiting on Southeast Asia. rode horses at dusk through the steppes of bodia, or Lacs, or to arrange for the return We talk about deaths; we talk about Montana. They are all dead. We will never of United States eqUipment or stores from injuries; and those, of course, are un­ find out about their lives. the Republic of Vietnam. speakable. But he gives the other part of Those men too should be with us when Mr. MONDALE. Mr. President, it is the problem as well: What We are doing we search our consciences and vote on hard to recount fully the horror of our in creating the ecological nightmare in this amendment. bombing policies in Vietnam. Southeast Asia. He points out the fol­ So we will try once again to end the A recent Cornell University study on lowin~: nightmare. And if we fail again. we will the air war in Indochina tells us that Suppose we took gigantic bulldozers and keep trying. civilian casualties in Laos have totaled scraped the land bare of trees and bushes at For we are doing more than voting on the rate of 1,000 acres a day or 44-mUUon 10,000 more in the period 1969 to 1971 square feet a day untU we had flattened an a foreign policyor the conduct of a war. than in the earlier period 1965 through area the size of the State of Rhode Island. We are recording for history our charac­ 1968. That stUdy estimated that through­ 750,000 acres. ter as a nation. out Indochina an average of 130,000 civi­ Suppose we fiew huge planes over the land Mr. President, I ask unanimous con­ lians have been killed, wounded, or re­ and sprayed 100-mimon pounds at poisonous sent that the Gravel-Mondale bill be fugeed each month since 1969. That com­ herbicides on the forests l.mtU we had de­ printed in full at this point in the RECORD. pares to an estimated 98,000 each month st.royed an area of prime forests the size of There being no objection, the bill was during t!1.e period 1965-68. the State of Massachusetts or 5~ mllilon ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as According to Senator KENNEDY'S Sub­ acres. follows: committee on Refugees, the number of Suppose we flew B-52 bombers over the S. 3409 land dropping SaO-pound bombs untU we refugees in Laos since 1969 has grown to had dropped almost 3 pounds per person tor Be it enacted by the Senate aneZ House oj twice the total number during the period every man, woman, and child on earth--8 Representatives oj the United States of from 1965 through 1968. Homeless vic­ bUllon pounds-and created 23 million America in Congress assembled, That sub­ craters on the land measuring 26 feet deep ject to the provisions of section 3 of this tims of the war in Laos now number more than 10 percent of the population of that and 40 feet in diameter. Act, no funds heretofore or hereafter ap­ Suppose the major objective ot the bomb­ proprIated may be expended for longer than oountry. Senator KENNEDY told us last ing Is not enemy troops but rather a vague thirty days after the enactment of this Act April that our bombing in Laos is respon­ and unsuccessful polley of harassment and to support the deployment of UnIted States sible for at least 75 percent of these territorial denial called pattern or carpet Armed Forces or any other military or para­ refugees. bombing. military personnel under the control of the If one is a villager in Laos, Cambodia. Suppose the land destruction involves 80 United States in or the conduct of military or South Vietnam. the terror of this sup­ percent of the timber forests and 10 percent or paramilitary operations in or over the of all the CUltivated land in the Nation. Republic of Vietn'am. the Democratic Re­ posedly disappearing war is greater than ever before. According to our own official We would consider such a result a monu­ public of Vietnam. Cambodia. or Laos. mental catastrophe. That is what we have SEC. 2. (a) That no funds heretofore or Department of Defense figures. the done to our ally, South Vietnam. hereafter appropriated may be expended United States dropped 400,000 tons of While under heavy pressure the m1lltary after the date of enactment of this Act to bombs more in the period 1969 to the finally stopped the chemical defoliation war conduct olfshore naval bombardment of. or present than in the period 1965 to 1968. a.nd has substituted another massive war to bomb (InclUding the use of napalm, other The tonnage totals for the period since against the land itself by a program of pat­ Incendiary devices. or chemical agents), tern or carpet bombing and massive land rocket, or otherwise attack by air, from any 1969 are greater than those of all the bombs we dropped in World War II and clearing with a huge machine called a Rome type aircraft. any target whatsoever Within Plow. Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, or the Demo­ the Korean war combined. The huge areas destroyed pockmarked. cratic RepUblic of Vietnam. Let me read that again. The tonnage scorched, and bulldozed resemble the moon (b) No funds heretofore or hereafter ap­ totals for the period since 1969-tonnage and are no longer productive. propriated may be expended after the date of bombs dropped on Southeast Asia­ This is the documented story from on-the­ of enactment of this Act to conduct olfshore was greater than all the bombs we spot stUdies and pictures done by two dis­ naval bombardment of, or to bomb (includ­ tinguished scientists, Prof. E. W. PfeitIer and Ing the use of napalm. other Incendiary de­ dropped in World War II and the Korean war combined. Prof. Arthur H. Westing. These are the same vices, or chemical agents), rocket, or other­ two distinguished scientists who made the wise attack by all'. from any type aircraft, Or. to put it another way. every month defollation stUdies that alerted Congress and any target whatsoever within the Republic of our bombs are falling on Indochina at the country to the grave Implications of Vietnam unless the President determines any the equivalent tonnage of twice the nu­ our chemical warfare program in Viettnam, such bombardment or air operation clearly clear bomb we dropped on Hiroshima. which has now been terminated. to be necessary to prOVide for the Immediate And that is going on today. as we speak The story of devastation revealed by their safety of United States Armed Forces during mOVies, slides, and sta.tlstlcs Is beyond the their withdrawal from the Republic at Viet­ of a generation of peace. We have dropped almost 3 pounds of human mind to fully comprehend. We have nam, and SUbmits to the President pro tem­ senselessly blown up. bulldozed over. poi­ pore of the senate and the Speaker of the explosive per person for every man, soned. and permanently damaged an area, so House for Immediate transmission to the woman, and child on earth-8 billion vast that It literally boggles the mind, respective bodies of the Congress, "ithln 48 pounds-and created 23 million craters Qlilte frankly, Mr. President, r ani.- una.ble hours of each such bombardment or opera­ on the land measuring 26 feet deep and adequately to describe the horror at what tion (or If the Congress is not in session, as 40 feet in diameter. we have done there. soon thereafter as it may return), a written There Is nothing In the history at warfare report setting forth the time, place, nature Land destruction in Indochina involves 80 percent of the timber forests and 10 to compare with it. A "scorched earth" pol­ and reasons for conducting such bombard­ Icy has been a tactic of warfare throughout ment or operation. percent of all the cultivated land in the history, but never before haS a land been so SEC. 3. (a) If. by twenty days after the date region. massively altered and. mutilated that, vast of enactment of this Act, the Democratic Let me repeat that. Every month, our areas can never be Used again or even 'in­ RepUblic of Vietnam and other adversary bombs are falling on Indochina. at the habited by man or animal. forces In Indochina holding American equiValent tonnage of twice the nuclear This is Impersonal, automated. and mech· 9816 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE Marek 28, 1972 anlstic warfare brought to its logical con­ ECOLOGICAL IMPACT clusion-utter, permanent, total destruction. ating for some months-what to do and The tragedy of it all Is that no one knows how to do it-and it is due to his re­ Area solve and the strong feelings he has on or understands what Is happening there, or Number with Area why, or to what end. We have simply un­ of "shrap· cratered Earth this subject that we are now doing some­ leashed a gigantic machine which goes about craters nel" {in {in displaced thing today. I want to thankhim not only {in million thousand (in million its impersonal business destroying whatever Country millions) acres) acres) cu. yds.) as a colleague of mine in the Senate, but Is there without plan or purpose. The finger also as an American citizen. of responsib1llty points everywhere but no­ Mr. President, I ask unanimous con­ where in particular. Who designed this pol­ South Vietnam ••• 19.1 23.9 309.9 2,500 Military reiion sent to have printed in the RECORD a icy of war against the land, and why? No­ 1..••••.••.•• (6.1) (1.6) (98.4) (794) statement of the distingwghed Senator body seems to know and nobody rationally Military reiion can defend it. fL...... • (3.8) (4.8) (62.0) (SOO) from Iowa eMr. HUGHES), who is one of Those grand strategists who draw the lines Military reiion the cospOnsors of this bill. III....•••.•• (8.3) (10.3) (134.2) (1,083) on the maps and ortier the B-52 strikes never Military region There being no objection, the state­ see the face of that Innocent peasant whose IV._ •..•...• (1.2) (15.3) (124) ment by Senator HUGHES was ordered to land has been turned into a pock-marked North Vietnam••• P).1 1.3 17.3 139 be printed in the RECORD, as follows: moon surface in 30 seconds of violence with­ Laos.•••..•.•.•• 2.6 3.3 42.4 342 Southern Laos.• (1.8) (2.3) (30.0) (242) THE GRAVEL-MoNDALE BILL out kUling a single enemy soldier because Northern Laos.• (.8) (1.0) (12.3) (99) none were there. If they could see and under­ Cambodia...•..•• .1 .1 1.9 15 Mr. President, I am pleased to Join my stand the result, they would not draw the distinguished colleages in sponsoring this lines or send the bombers. Total legislation which would bring an end, once If Congress knew and understood, we would Indochina- 22.9 28.6 37l.4 2,996 and for aU, to our military involvement in not appropriate the money. Indochina. Senators Gravel and Mondale If the President of the United States knew ALL INDOCHINA have performed a particular service by draft­ and understood, he would stop it in 30 Ing a measure which brings clearly into fo­ minutes. [In millions of pounds) cus the problem of the continuing air war If the people of America knew and under­ In that region of the world. stood, they would remove from office those Air Surface Total The American escalation of the war in responsible for It, if they could ever find out Year munitions munitions munitions Vietnam and in Laos began In the air, and who is responsible. But they will never know it looks now as If we will continue massive because nobody knows. 1965...... 630 ...... •...••• 630 aerial bombardment long after the number By any conceivable standard of measure­ 1966...... 1,024 1,164 2,188 of U.S. ground forces drops to a level of mili­ ment, the cost benefit ratio of our program 1967...... 1,866 2,413 4,278 tary Insignificance. Until we end all of our 1968...•.•.... 2,863 3,003 5,866 of defoliation, carpet bombing with B-52's, 1969...... 2,774 2,808 5,583 war-making In Indochina, we w1ll not have and bulldozing Is so negative that it simply 1910.•••...... 1,955 2,389 4,344 ended the war. And untU the war ends, we spells bankruptcy. It did not protect our -----._------have no reason to expect the return of our soldiers or defeat the enemy, and it has done TotaL.. 11,112 11,777 22,889 men who are held prisoner. far greater damage to our ally than to the Despite all the claims of progress In end­ enemy. IMPACT OF U.S. MUNITIONS Ing the war-the reduced casualties, fewer These programs should be halted Immedi­ ground troops, lessened costs-the American ately before further permanent damage is [In poundsl people stU! know that the war is "pretty done to the landscape. big," as a Harris poll revealed last week. By The cold. hard, and cruel Irony of It all is South North Totel better than two-to-one, they also oppose that South Vietnam would have been better Viet· Viet· Cam· Indo­ the policy of bringing home ground combat off losing to Hanoi than winning With us. Expenditure nam nam Laos bodia china troops but continuing the air war. Other Now she faces the worst of all possible worlds surveys have also shown the widespread and With much of her land destroyed and her Per acre...... ••• 446 26 45 3 125 even growing discontent over a war which chances of Independent survival aiter we Per person...... 1,091 58 992 18 513 does not end. leave in grave doubt at best. In a few weeks we will have more men This has been a hard speech to give and B-52-ASSUMING AN AVERAGE OF 7 SORTIES PER MISSION stationed outside Vietnam yet Involved In harder to write because I did not know what the air war than we have men In South Viet­ to say or how to say it-and I still do not [I n numbers of missions! nam itself. The 30,000 Americans In Thai­ know. But I do know that When the Mem­ land and nearly equivalent number sta­ bers of Congress finally understand what we Military Military Military Military Total tioned offshore have the capabl11ty to bring are doing there, neither they nor the people region region region region South continued devastation to the land and peo­ Year I II III IV Vietnam ple of Indochina. If the bombing continues of this Nation will sleep well that night. at the rate for December-the most recent For many reasons I did not want to make 1967.....•. 527 284 269 10 1,090 figures available-It means more than 3 this speech but someone has to say It, some­ 1968.•..... 1,137 644 1,143 148 3,072 mlmon pounds of explosives every day. where, sometime. 1969 ••..... 319 440 1,177 98 2,634 The statistics of this war are so stagger­ 1910-.•.•.• 624 274 3€6 150 1,414 Mr. President, the Senator from Wis­ Ing that many people try to blot them out of TotaL. •••.• 2,601 1,642 3,555 406 8,210 their minds. Yet all of the numbers have a consin then asked for some tables to be human factor which no computer can ever printed in the RECORD which were pro­ calculate. Note: Allhough breakdowns for 1965 and 1966 are not avail· vided by Dr. Arthur H. Westing, and I able, the totals approximate 138 and 550, respectively. How can we put a value on the 55,OOB ask unanimous consent that they be American dead, not to mention the hundreds printed in the RECORD at this point. Mr. MONDALE. Mr. President, the bill of thousands of Vietnamese dead? which the Senator from Alaska and I and How can we measure the true Impact of There being no objection, the tables others are introducing today is designed the bombing, which is now more than dou­ were ordered to be printed in the RECORD, to end that carnage, and end it now, and ble the total U.S. bombing In World War II as follows: and Korea? stop this totally inexcusable and inhU­ How can we add up the long run social MUNITIONS EXPENDITURES mane devastation which our country is costs of a policy which hes defoliated an area visiting on Southeast Asia. We can no of prIme forests the size of Massachusetts lin millions of dollars) longer tolerate its continuance. I believe and has driven perhaps one-fourth of the that the bill, if adopted, will bring it to people of Laos and Cambodia from their South North Total an end. homes? Viet· Viet· South North Cam· Inda­ The numbers go into official reports, but Year nam nam laos laos bodia china I yield the remainder of my time to the distinguished Senator from Alaska (Mr. the shrapnel stIll rips through human bod­ ies and the warfare leaves permanent scars 1965•••• 594 65 60 10 0 630 GRAVEL) . on the hearts· and minds of the people we 1966 •.•• 1,778 255 135 20 0 2,188 Mr. GRAVEL. I thank my colleague were suppo~ed to protect. 1967•..• 3,634 415 200 30 0 4,278 from Minnesota for ~'ielding me this time. 1968.~ .• 5,185 330 310 40 0 5,866 In the past the American people saw the 1969•••• 4,614 0 490 420 0 5,583 I also want to thank him for the encour­ horror of war every·day on their television 1910•••• 3,333 0 655 240 115 4,344 agement he has given me in bringing this sets. Now that the automated air war has TotaL. 19,099 1,065 1,850 160 115 22,889 bill to the fioor of the Senate today. This become the prime U.S. activity, the war is is a matter which I have been deliber- harder to vIsualize or report. Even the March 23, 1972 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE 9817 bomber pilots admit not knowing precisely Hovering over Laotian rice fields, the A­ These antiseptic words obfuscate horor­ what damage they have caused, since that 119 Stinger gunship can put a piece of filled realities. and thereby circumvent pub­ assessment is made by others. As one pilot shrapnel into every square foot of an area lic jUdgment. "Surgical air strlke"--one pic­ told Life magazine: "All we ean see are our the size of a football field. tures a diseased cancer benevolently removed losses and no fruits for our efforts." On the ground are three million Laotians, from the countryside. But the cancer Is the The news reports In recent weeks make it the heaviest bombed people In the history peasantry. In World War II the cancer was clear that the war is changing, not ending, of warfare. They will huddle in their caves the Jews, and the operation was the "final and that it may even be reescalating. and field trenches, and some will die. Many solution". In the name of America, how The United States has increased Its carrier wlll not see the sun for months, fear keeping many executions are taking place from the fieet off the Vietnamese coast and has dou­ them in their covered bunkers during day­ air in Indochina. bled the number of &-52s assigned to fiy in light hours. It is the enormity of our mistake that Indochina. In the name of America the planes come. clouds It. If we were wrong. how wrong we We have already lost as many multi-mll­ Over the past ten years 700,000 Laotians wereI Nothing will bring back those who lion-dollar fighters over Indochina. this dry have been made refugees, tens of thousands have died, or the lost arms and legs, eyes season as during the same period last year. have been killed or wounded. and hundreds and ears. But let us commit ourselves at least The number of so-called protective reac­ of thousands forced to live much of the time to stop the bombing of those who remain. tion strikes against North Vietnam is already in caves and trenches. How the people of this country, a good almost equal to the total for all of 1971. The bombing raids also come In the name people, industrious people and generous peo­ There have been more &-52 raids on tar­ of the United States Senate, until we legis­ ple, could have come to visit such destruc­ gets in the South Vietnamese central High­ late otherwise. tion on another nation Is difficult to com­ lands in the last 30 d'ays than in the previous The war is not winding down for the peo­ prehend. Orwell In his masterpiece 1984 18 months. ples of Indochina. Since the much heralded depicts such carnage as the result of tech­ Despite all the bombing, men and material bombing halt over North Vietnam. the planes nology gone mad, removed from common ex­ still get through in sufficient numbers to have not come home. They've simply shifted perience, giving reality to surrealistic night­ threaten a major offensive. For weeks we their targets Into Laos and Cambodia. mares. We may have Intervened in Indochina have been told that such an offensive is com­ The bombing has r:ontlnued at 100 tons for commendable reason&-even that Is ques­ ing; now we hear that it is set for Saturday. an hour, 2,400 tons a day. The rate'of civilian tionable-but at some time the machine got M~anwhlle, the Wall Street Journal's assess­ casualties and refugee generation. indicative out of control and we could not turn It olf. ment remains accurate: "the only offensive of the overall level of violence, has If any­ Picture the battlefield in Laos. Light spot­ so far this year has been In the air. . . ." thing Increased during the last two years. ter planes at 2,000 feet; A-IE. A-26 and T-28 Most disturbing of all, there is really no Recent hearings before the Senate Sub­ prop bombers, AC-47 and AC-130 gunships, end in sight to this war. The Washington committee on Refugees reveal that since the fiare ships and rescue helicopters at 5,000 correspondent of the Philadelphia InqUirer, Invasion of Cambodia nearly one quarter of feet, F-4, F-105 and B-57 Jet fighters and Jametl McOartncy, reached this conclusion that country's populatlon-1,500,OOO peo­ Jet reconnaissance aircraft at 10,000 feet: after several discussions with leading pollcy­ ple-have become refugees. In the last few KG 135 super-tankers at 20,000 feet; e-130's makers: "As officials sum it, prospects now months in South Vietnam more refugees filled with electronic gear designed to coordi­ are for continued bombing for an indefinite have been created than at any time since the nate the bombing at 25,000 feet: &-52 bomb­ period, though perhaps at reduced levels; 1968 Tet olIenslve. ers at 30,000 feet; e-13(Ys of Hillsboro con­ continued fighting in both Laos and cam­ The bombing of North Vietnam has been trol overseeing the entire operation at 35,000 bodia; at least some U.S. casualties; continu­ resumed. As recently as September 21 an feet and SR-71 reconnaissance aircraft at Ing high rate of South Vietnamese combat armada of 250 U.S. planes attacked targets 70,000 feet. deaths and casualties, running to tens of in the North, and this raid was followed on And on the ground Is the Laotian peasan­ thousands a year." Top Administration offi­ successive days by two more so-called "pro­ try. Listen to their reactions and thoughts cials, McCartney says. say that "they do not tective reaction" strikes. At present the as recorded In refugee InterViews. know when the war may end, or how." bombing of North Vietnam has reached an "The planes came like birds and the bombs I believe that,the Congress can find an average rate of once every four days, and fell like rain." Another-"there wasn't any answer to that question and can bring the according to North Vietnamese reports 106 night when we thought we'd live until morn­ end to this war which the American people villages In addition to missile sites have been Ing ... never a morning we thought we'd so strongly desire. The legislation Introduced struck. The Meatgrlnder In Vietnam, which survive until night." today would end the killing within 30 days has taken 325,000 civilian llves and wounded And another-"I just stayed In my cave. after enactment and would provide the more than a million since 1965, is still whirl­ I didn't see the sunlight for two years. What needed incentive to obtain the release and Ing. As the South Vietnamese Minister of did I think about? Oh, I used to repeat, repatrlllltion of the Americans held prisoner. Information commented In 1968, South Viet­ please don't let the planes come, please don't Whether one views the history of peace ne­ nam has been devastated by an alien air let the planes come, please ..." gotiations as sincere or half-hearted, the fact force that seems at war With the very land And another-"before the Village was beau­ remains that we have neither peace nor our of Vietnam. tiful and filled With happiness and there was POWs. The Gravel-Mondale bill offers hope The Amendment I offer is qUite straight a large field of fruit trees. But when I left for both. forward. Let us stop the bombing, not just my village all I saw were the holes of the partially over North Vietnam but In all In­ bombs and the burning houses and the people Mr. GRAVEL. Mr. President, I send dochina-except for those strikes inside who had died so pitifully." to the desk the bill introduced by the South Vietnam demonstrably related to the And another-"Our lives became like one Senator from Minnesota (Mr. MONDALE) , security of our withdrawing troops. Is it real­ of the animals who search to escape the the Senator from Iowa (Mr. HUGHES), ly the desire of the Senate to continue to butcher," the Senator from South Dakota (Mr. send out those planes? And this continues every hour-200,000 MCGOVERN), the Senator from Wiscon­ An Orwellian transformation Is taking pounds of bombs. every 9 days the eqUivalent sin (Mr. NELSON), the Senator from Wis­ place In our military policy in Indochina. of one Hiroshima. From 1965 to 1969, 70 consin (Mr. PROXMIRE) , the Senator from Due to public pressure American boys are tons of bombs for every square mile of North slowly coming home, but they are leaVing and South Vietnam were dropped. 500 pounds California (Mr. TUNNEY), and myself. an automated war behind. There Is every fOr every man, woman and child. In just the The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. STE­ danger, as Noam Chomsky has warned, that first five months of 1971 there were 780 mil­ VENSON). Without objection, the bill will we Intend to turn the land of Vietnam into lion pounds of bombs dropped over Southeast be received and appropriately referred. an automated murder Machine. Computer Asia. Mr. GRAVEL. Mr. President, I ask technology and a small number of troops PART II unanimous consent to have printed in manning aircraft and artillery are creating The alrwar Is not even militarily effective. the RECORD a statement by me of last So U.S. destructive presence that may literally Secretary of Defense McNamara revealed In hover over Southeast Asia for years to come. 1968 that it could at best reduce the fiow of October 5, 1971, entitled "Cessation of In the midst of this the public Is confused. supplies along the Ho Chi Minh trail by only Bombing in Indochina." pacified by the diminishing troop levels, yet 10%-15';;,. At a cost of over $100,000 per There being no objection, the state­ vaguely troubled by continuing reports of truck destroyed. Former Under Secretary of ment was ordered to be printed in the devastation. Defense Townsend Hoopes bas pointed out RECORD, as follows: Eluding recognition. hidden in the techno­ that In the history of bombing campaigns. euphemisms of military speech, is the real­ CESSATION OF BOMBING IN INDOCHINA only when the sources of production are at­ ity of our policy. "Selective Ordnance"_ tacked can,the logistical fiow of supplies be (Statement by Senator MIKE GRAVEL) rather dull and technical sounding term effectively impaired. In this case that would While we deliberate today in this cham­ until one realizes It masks the use of napalm involve strikes against China and the Soviet berAmerlcan planes will ease into the sky against human beings. "Harassment and in­ Union. 'AstUdy' of the hamlet evaluation re­ over. Southeast Asia. They will drop tons of terdlctlon"-a rather light-hearted term un­ portsre\'eaLs that the number of'villages - explosives; gulded to' the flesh of human tUone understands that it represents the under government control In South Viet­ .!:leings by. the_most elaborate and tmpersonal random hurling of destruction into Jungle nam varied independentlY of the level of the tel}hnology._ . areas. - .alrcampaign over the ·North.. ' CXVIll...... -619...:...Part 8 9818 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE March 23, 1972 On the ground the bombing raises enemy through Pathet Lao controlled areas. Accord­ THE CONTINUING Am WAR morale and alienates civlllans. Pathet Lao Ing to his interviews, 65 v1l1ages in the Sam (Excerpts from remarks by Senator :MIKE defectors indicate that before the heavy Neua district alone had been destroyed by GRAVEL) bombing in Laos they managed only a 30% U.S. air power. Travellng through the dev­ The Nixon Administration's recent re­ rate of voluntarism among their forces. Bow­ astated areas he depiCts it as "a world With­ sumption of heavy bombing of North Viet­ ever, after the massive attacks ot late 1968 out noise for the surrounding vlllages have nam once more raises a basic moral ques­ the figure jumped to almost 100%. Better disappeared. The inhabitants themselves liv­ tion: what right do our leaders have to kill to die fighting than in a trench was the ing in the mountains." and maim men, women, and children halfway feeling ot one Pathet Lao recruit. Such testimony is of course contrary to across the globe who pose no threat to this As I have indicated. the air war is not our government's official position that "never Country? isolated in anyone country in Indochina. The before has such care been taken to spare As usual, the Administration is claiming Vietnam war has indeed become the Indo­ civilians in bombing raids." that it is bombing only "military" targets. china war. But information concerning the The picture burnt into one's Imagination is This mayor may not be true. One remem­ extent of U.S. bombing in Laos has been lim­ that of hundreds of thousands of Laotians bers, atter all, that the Johnson Administra­ ited and concealed by the Executive Branch, desperately hUddling in caves and trenches tion clalmed the same thing. so I would like to discuss in more detall the as U.8. planes roar overhead. Again it is the Even if the Administration is bombing situation in those skies. enormity of the suffering endured by these only "mllltary" targets this time, there can Since 1964 the United States has been en­ poor people which blinds us to our own pol­ be no doubt that it also is causing serious gaged in an aerial campaign over Laos. The icy. I w1l1 rerun the picture, because WP. must civilian casualties. In a rural country like bombing was seriously escalated in late 1968 break through the psychic numbness we have North Vietnam most so-called military tar­ and early 1969 when restrictions against ci­ developed. gets such as bridges and factories are located v11lan targeting were significantly related. There are hundreds of thousands of poor in and around heavily popUlated civilian TIle alr war has Involved In Laos alone an es­ peasants, noncombatants, llving under­ areas. Hanoi reports that in the most recent timated cost ot 5-7 b1l110n dollars, Innumer­ ground in fear of U.S. air power in Asia. raids bombs fell on a hospital. and even mili­ able Laotian casualties. and over 400 pilots There are entire areas of former civilization tary sources admit that American jets hit either dead, miSSing in action, or captured. reduced to near cave man standards by the North Vietnamese army barracks as they Even traces ot these facts were kept offi­ most advanced nation in the history of the went after nearby airfields. cially from the public until March 1970. The earth. For what? no matter for what, it is The Cornell Air War Study quotes a same pattern of duplicity and deception indefensible. memorandum by former Defense secretary which the Pentagon Papers have shown to At Nuremberg Teleford Taylor, chief U.S. McNamara, in which he estimated that the characterize our entry into Vietnam has been Prosecutor, argued that where the ml11tary bombing was causing 1,000 civlllan casual­ repeated in Laos. profits of any policy are dwarfed by the ciVil­ ties every week during the sustained raids Currently a strict Gray-out Is imposed on ian casualties, such a polley is indefensible. ot 1967. An equivalent casualty rate in the U.S. operations there, with little information The massive air war by the U.S. against the U.S. would be more than 600,000 per year. besides officIal re.,orts available to the press. peoples of Indochina is Indefensible. Every Interviews with U.S. pllots indicate that Reporters are not permitted to accompany B-52 raid, every A-119 K stinger drop is most of the bombs we drop on North Viet­ attack and spotter planes on their missions criminal. nam are anti-personnel ordnance such as as they are In Vietnam. Most pilots are ap­ The situation In Laos is not appreciably pineapple or guava bombs. These bombs con­ parently under instructions not to talk with different from what is currently occuring in tain hundreds of steel pellets. newsmen. The Air Attache In Vlentienne is Cambodia. As the senate Subcommittee on One sortie of this type of bomb sends similarly inaccessible. Recent requests by Refugees noted, the same pattern of destruc­ over half a million of these pellets spewing Congressman McCloskey for photographs of tion is being repeated relentlessly through­ over an area half a mile long and an eighth preViously existing Lao villages to confirm out Indochina. It is up to the Congress to of a mile wide. their continued well being have gone unmet terminate it. The President has made it clear During the Christmas raids alone it was by the Pentagon. Military officials have failed that he intlfnds to continue the bombing, announced that American planes fiew over as well to prOVide Congressman McCloskey stating in February this year, "I will not 1,000 sorties against North Vietnam. It is, with a listing of all bombed civlllan targets place any limitations on the use of air therefore, not hard to believe the following in Laos. power." Associated Press dispatch, dated December But there are some unofficial sources of in­ secretary of Defense Laird has indicated 29,: "Banoi claimed that in Thanh Boa formation. These nearly unanimously tell one that we intend to maintain a naval and air Province on Sunday the U.S. planes k11led 24 story-that Of massive bombardment of ci­ presence in Southeast Asia indefinitely after civillans and wounded 47. A broadcast sald vilians under Pathet Lao control. Congress­ the last ground troops are withdrawn. The most of the casualties were caused by steel men McCloskey and Waldie found, In a U.S. Pentagon, which seems to have statistics pellet anti-personnel bombs dropped on information survey initially concealed from available for all categories and contingencIes, workers in the fields." them by the Embassy, that 75% of the 190 lacks even an estimate of the likely civilian It's not a very pretty thing what our respondents from 96 v1l1ages had had their casualties this presence will cause. Such con­ bombers are doing to these people. homes bombed. In addition 97% had seen a siderations do not seem to have a high pri­ But it's still going on right now. This bombing attack and 61 % had seen a person ority in current American decision making. month alone another 50,000 tons of anti­ killed. Congressmen McCloskey and Waldie The so-called "gook rule" which haunted the personnel bombs, napalm, and white phos­ also conducted their own interviews, and all Calley trial has far more profound implica­ phorous are raining down upon not only the 16 refugees queried, from 7 different vUlages, tions for the air war. people of North Vietnam, but Laos, Cam­ testified to the aerial destruction of every On the afternoon that the U.S. hellcopters bodia, and South Vietnam as well. single dwelling in their hamlets. and attack planes accompanied the South We won't be told of the victims, of course. A report by U.N. expert Georges Chapeller Vietnamese into Laos the President issued To the extent we learn anything it wlll be ot in December 1970 stated that in the Plaine a statement on our environmental crisis. "protective reaction" strikes, "interdiction" des Jarres "by :969 the intensity of the Within It he quoted from T. S. Eliot's "Mur­ missions, and the bombing of supply depots. bombings was such that no organized life der in the' Cathedral." "Clean the air, clean But there are human beings under those was possible in the v1l1ages ... Jet planes the sky, wash the wind .. ," It would have bombs, and they will continue being killed came dally and destroyed all stationary struc­ been revealing for the President to have and maimed untll we, the American people, tures. Nothing was left· standing. The vil­ quoted further: "The land Is foul, the water demand an end to this bombing. lagers llved in trenches and holes or in is fOUl, our beasts and ourselves are defiled In just the eight months since President caves. They only farmed at night. All of the with blood. Nixon told the American people in his Aprll Interlocutors without exception had their A rain of blood has blinded my eyes ... address to the Nation that "Vietnamizatlon villages completely destroyed. In the last Can I look again at the day and its common has succeeded", there have been an additional phase, bombings were aimed at the system­ things and see them all smeared with blood 1,302 Americans klll~d In the Indochinese atic destruction of the materials bases ot the War, and 4,870 more wounded. Deaths among civilian society. through a curtain of falling blood? We did not wish anything to happen." allied forces in that same period have risen At one time there were more than 50,000 15,595, and the Pentagon estimate of the people llving in the Plaine des Jarres. There Let us stop the bombing, withdraw our troops and begin to "take stone from stone number of new deaths among those people It is virtually no Ufe there now. chooses to call the "enemy" is 56,030. That One village chief indicated that in 21 and wash them." last figure is no doubt conservatively low. hamlets not one home was left standing. In These numbers tell of the failure of Viet­ his own Village 45 percent of the 2600 in­ Mr. GRAVEL. Mr. President, I also ask habitants never left their trenches. unanimous consent to have printed in the namization, not its success. An Orwelllan transformation is taking A sample of 25 villages from the Plaine des RECORD excerpts from remarks I made to Jarres revealed casualty rates ot 5-10 percent place in our miUtary policy in Indochina. the Fund for New Priorities dinner in Due to publlC pressure American ground from the bombing It is estimated that 50 New York City on January 14, 1972. civ1llans are killed tor every Pathet-Lao troops are slowly coming home, but they casualty. There being no objection, the excerpts are leaving an automated war behind. Com. In 1968 Jacques Decornoy, the Southeast were ordered to be printed in the RECORD, puter technolOgy and a small number of Asian desk editor for Le Monde traveled as follows: troops manning aircraft andartlllery are March 23, 1972 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE 9819 creating a u.s. destructive presence that may figures have declined, there has been an es­ Project Air War and the Indochina Re­ literally hover over Southeast Asia for years calation In the technology applied. Adminis­ source Center are projects of the Indochina to come. In the midst of this the public is tration spokesmen are quick to point out Education Council which was established by confused, pacified by the diminishing troops the "provocative" escalations of the other agencies of the United Church of Christ, the levels, yet vaguely troubled by continuing side when SAMs or higher caliber anti-air­ United Presbyterian Church in the U.s.A., reports of devastation. craft weapons are Introduced, but they are and the United Methodist Church to help In his mid-December newsbrlefing Secre­ boastful about our own deployment of a meet the crucial need for Informing the tary of the Air Force Seamans sought once new generation of aerial weapons. In re­ American people about the ongoing war in again to play down the air war. The basic cent years our laser gUided bombs, tele­ Indochina. point Seamons tried to make was that the guided bombs, more sophisticated anti-per­ PROJECT Am WAR air war was not escalating, that In fact it had sonnel bombs, and the gradual refinement Project AIr War is one of the major in­ been wound down. As such, his remarks rep­ of automated battlefield and Its sensor com­ formation centers in the country studying resent a relativistic apology for the continu­ puter bombing have all raised the "ante" and analyzing the ongoing war, a conflict ing raids, a logic more appropriate for 1984 throughout Indochina. which has escalated in the air even as U.S. than 1972-the logic of permanent war. In the name of America, how many execu­ foot-soldiers have been withdrawn. The Proj­ It Is an insult to the American people tions are taking place from the air in Indo­ ect prOVides both authoritative statistical to portray the air war as fading away when in china? data about today's automated war and a 1971 somewhere between 750,000 and 800,000 It Is the enormity of our mistake that tragic picture of what life is like for hun­ tons of bombs were dropped over Indochina. clouds It. If we are wrong, how wrong we dreds of thousands of Indochinese peasants Though down from the peak years of 1968 arel Nothing wlll bring back those who have living under constant bombing. and 1969, this figure represents: died, or the lost arms and legs, eyes and ears. Project material has already appeared in a) nearly 40% of all the U.S. air ordnance The Christmas raids against North Viet­ The New York Times, Washington Post, Time, expended during the Second World War, nam represent a serious escalation of the Boston Globe, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, San b) nearly 80 % of all the air ordnance ex­ war. But what we must realize is that they Francisco Chronicle, Congressional Record, pended during the three year Korean War, amount to only a drop In the bucket when CBS and NBC national news, the Mutual c) the equivalent of 37 Hlroshlmas, or compared to the total air war. -The 1,000 Radio network, transcripts of congressional roughly one every nine days. sorties fiown against North Vietnam ac­ hearings, and a wide variety of other publica­ Most importantly, the Nixon Administra­ counted for less than 10% of the total ton­ tions. tion has made It clear that the bombing Is nage expended over Indochina last month. Project staff members speak at community to continue indefinitely even after the last But the strikes do lllustrate the logical ex­ meetings, college campuses, and academic American ground troop comes home (If he tension of the Administration's escalations gatherings; are called upon frequently by ever does). Even If reduced by 50% the air into Laos and Cambodia-namely, the re­ congressional office~ and media representa­ war still would continue at an average level newal of the bom1:;ing against the North. In tives for background information; and work greater than that of the Korean War. 1971 "protective reaction" strikes totalled closely With several national peace groups. But there are many indications that the over 100, as compared to 20 In all of 1970. reductions In the bombing are bottoming And the rationale of the raids has been ex­ INDOCHINA RESOURCE CENTER out. Pentagon sources, for example, Indicate panded beyond their original self-defense The Indochina Resource Center serves as that B-52 strikes, though currently down Justification to the famlllar purpose of stra­ an independent clearinghouse for informa­ 60% from their peak in 1968, are to continue tegic bombing to weaken the North's ablllty tion on contemporary Indochina. The Center Indefinitely at their present rate of 1,000 to fight the war in the South. Historically Incorporates nine general sponsors from the per month. And although tonnage figures the failure of such bombing and its signifi­ academic associates who provide a wide range registered a 30% decllne from 1969 to 1970. cant civlllan casualties is well documented. of inputs. they dropped only 23% from 1970 to 1971. The President has made It clear that he The Center provides reliable, up-to-date At a time when the Harris Poll indicateu intends to continue the bombing, stating, "I information from specialists on the social, that 66% of the American people feel the war wlll not place any llmltatlons on the use of economic, CUltural, political, and historical Is "immoral", and oppose by a 67 to 29 mar­ air power." realities of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. gin continued American bombing in order lA. Secretary of Defense Laird has Indicated This information, which is often otherwise achieve polltlcal ends, It Is indefensible to that the Administration Intends to maintain unavailable, is made accessible to Congress, continue the strikes at any level. a naval and air presence in Southeast Asia journalists, peace groups, and others con­ In regard to Secretary Seamans' "wound Indefinitely after the last ground troops are cerned with Indochina through the twice­ down war", it is worth noting that the Sen­ withdrawn. The Pentagon, Which seems to monthly newsletter, Indochina Chronicle, in ate Refugee Subcommittee found that, "In have statistics available for all categories books and artiCles, as well as by direct con­ this year, 1971, more clvillans are being killed and contingencies, lacks even an estimate of tact. The Center also provides direct answers and wounded in the three countries of Indo­ the llkely ciVilian casualties this presence to speclflc requests, sets up briefings and china, and more made refugees, than at any wlll cause. Such considerations do not seem seminars, and Is currently developing a series to have a high priority In current American of aUdio-visual exhibits on Indochina for time In history. Most of the casualties are loan. caused, and people made refugees, by Amer­ decision making. The so-called "gook rule" ican and allled military activity." which haunted the Calley trial has far more ESSAY BY A 29-YEAR-OLD LAO REFUGEE Secretary Seamans also underplayed the profound impllcations for the air war. "There was a pagoda on the hlll right next seriousness of the Administration's expan­ At Nuremberg the United States argued to my vlllage. The airplanes shot It and sion of the air war into CambodIa (all of the that where the military profits of any pol­ started a fire. Two monks were kllled there 140,000 tons absorbed by Cambodia are Nixon icy are dwarfed by the clvlllan casualties, together. On account of th~ war, the planes tons) and the doubling of the strikes with­ such a polley Is indefensible. Clearly, the thought that there were soldiers in the pa­ in Laos during these last three years. A re­ massive air war by the U.S. against the peo­ goda so they shot It. But there weren't any. cent General Accounting Office study of the ple of Indochina Is indefensible. Only the monks died. war In Cambodia found that two million of Mr. GRAVEL. Mr. President, I also From Voice from the Plain 0/ Jars, ed. that nation's seven million popUlation had ask unanimous consent to have printed by F. Branfman, Harper and Row, 1972. Orig­ been made refugees since the May, 1970 in­ inal collection of essays and drawings by vasion, largely as a result of the bombing. In in the RECORD a handbook prepared by Laotian peasants. Project Air War and the Indochina Re­ Laos more than 700,000 have been refugeed ABBREVIATIONS out of a total population of less than three source Center entitled "Air War-The milllon. Senator Kennedy-Chairman of the Third Indochina War." Publications and Wire services: senate Refugee Committee---estlmates that There being no objection, the material AmRep, American Report. three-fourths of the Laotian refugees were AP, Associated Press. was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, Chronicle, Indochina Chronicle. produced by American bombing. as follows: Secretary seamans also took great pride in Cornell study, The Air War in Indochina, the growth of the South Vietnamese All' ArR WAR-THE THIRD INDOCHINA WAR Institute for International Studies, Cornell Force, now one of the largest In the world. (A handbook prepared by Project Air War University. It is questionable, however, Whether the and the Indochina Resource Center, March CR, Congressional Record. American people wish to continue to pay the 1972) DNSI, Dispatch News Service International. massive cost of such a Vietnamese force. Harvey, Air War: Vietnam, by Frank Har- "In the defense report which I made to vey. It is questionable whether the American Congress this year, I tried to point out that people wish to fight a war by proxy which we would be continuing air and sea power NewRep, The New R.epublic. 65% of them believe to be morally wrong. It and the presence of air and sea power In Asia NYP, New .York Post. Is questionable whether the American peo­ for a good time ... This Idea that somehow NYT, New York Times. ple are as anxious as the President to find a or other the Nixon Doctrine means that PNS,PaclflcNews service. magic combination of mercenaries and ma­ we will not have air or sea power in Asia is Post, Washintgon Post. chines that wIll allow permanent war In a great mistake ..." Star, Washington Star. Indochina.. Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird on UPl, United Press International· Though·the number of sorties and tonnage NBC's "Meet the Press," November 14, 1971. Organizations and .other: 9820 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE March 23,1972

APse, American FrIends Service Commit­ The effects of the Third Indochina War ground jorce sent abroad.. Substantial bomb­ tee. will be felt far beyond Indochina. It Is clear ing has, of course, been carried out before: ARVN, Army of the Republic of Vietnam. that the air war represents a new age In the during World War II, the Korean War, the CCAS, Committee of Concerned Asian history of military conflict, an era of auto­ Second Indochina War. But In the past such SCholars. mated war. One of the few limitations on bombing has always been meant to support CaroAF, Cambodian Air Force. our leaders to wage such war now and In an expeditionary ground army which did the DoD. Department of Defense. the future Is Informed public opinion here bulk of the fighting and dying. Between DRV. Democratic RepUblic of Vietnam. at home. 1965 and 1968, for example, most American n. Fiscal Year (begins July I. ends June Public awareness of the air war in this key bombing was employed to aid the half mil­ 30) . election year may well affect the fate of mil­ lion strong American ground force In South GAO. Government Accounting Office. lions throughout the Third World in the Vietnam by weakening NLF rear bases, sup­ GPO. Government Printing Office. years to come. ply lines, and strike teams. Ibid., same source as quoted above. OVERVIEW What is new today is that bombing is the IVS, International Voluntary Service. A giant apparatus of destruction is today heart oj American military policy; ground NARMIC. National Action/Research on the firmly Installed In and around Indochina. forces playa secondary, though still impor­ MUitary Industrial Complex. Fifty thousand American airmen and 500 tant. role. American air power today does NEARMIC. New England Action/Research strike aircraft ranging from the huge ~2 more fighting. costs more, and Involves more on the Military Industrial Complex. to the killer gunship, located at a dozen men than the dwindling force of U.S. foot NLP, National Liberation Front of South mammoth airbases and aircraft carriers, are soldiers still engaged In combat. Asian foot Vietnam. waging full-scale aerial warfare. soldiers are used to support American bomb­ PAW, Project Air War. The Nixon Adm1n1stratlon, while removing ers by: (1) "showing the fiag" when going PRG, Provisional Revolutionary Govern­ U.S. foot soldiers, remains fUlly committed In after bombing has caused guerrilla re­ ment of South Vietnam. to a 20-year-old goal of American leaders: treat and tsklng out supplies and refugees; RLAF. Royal Laotian Air Force. keeping U.S.-supported regimes In power In (2) prOViding static defense for the major SSAS. Subcommittee on U.S. Security Indochina. towns and bases; and (3) serving as "live Agreements and Commitments Abroad of the For this reason the Administration has bait" to draw guerrilla fire so American pilots Committee en Foreign Relations, U.S. Senate. Invaded Cambodia and southern Laos, dou­ will have some idea where to bomb. SRS, Senate Subcommittee on Refugees. bled the bombing of Laos and Introduced Total war USAF. United States Air Force. 10,000 new Thai soldiers there, renewed the The air war, by Its very nature, Is destroy­ VNAF. Vietnamese (South) Air Force. bombing of North Vietnam, dropped over 3 Ing everything below: homes, schools, gar­ INTRODUCTION million tons of bombs on Indochina and dens, pagodas, rice fieldS, forests, animal life This handbook has been prepared by Proj­ killed, wounded or made homeless over 3 million clvlllans (source: sas). For the same and, of course. any people caught in the open. ect Air War and the Indochina Resource reason the Administration's newest negotiat­ When American leaders chose to massive­ Center, two Washington-based research proj­ ing stance still Insists that the U.S. govern­ ly bomb th.e poor, rural lands 0/ Indochina, lects concerned with the air war. The ma­ ment have a say In determining who w1ll rule they ineVitably undertook war against the terial presented In this handt'Ook Is but a in Indochina, the very reason the war has society as a whole. The only strictly "mll!­ fraction of the information on file In our been fought for over two decades. tary" targets regularly locatable from the air offices, and we welcome requests for further Tactics have changed, but the goals have were roads and bridges, with the exception help. not. The Nixon Administration took office of a few North Vietnamese factories destroyed This manual was concelved In the belief committed both to maintain pro-American early In 1965. Other "military" targets, such that this election year 1972 may well be the Indochinese governments and to Withdraw as soldiers, trucks, arms depots, or anti­ most cruclal period In the Indochina War. American ground troops from Vietnam, Un­ aircraft batteries, are but sporadically found The war Is not ending. It Is not even "winding der the Nixon Doctrine the Third Indochina and are assumed to be inter-mixed With the down." The Nixon Administration is waging War (1969-?) began, substituting American clvman population. The Air Force and Navy a massive and highly sophisticated air war air power for American ground troops. The have Introduced hundreds of aircraft Into the which Is even more destructive than the First Indochina War (1946-54) was primarily skies of Indochina, ordering that aircraft ground war of preceding years. a French colonial war; the second Indochina must be used as often as plJ6Slble and can­ Ironically, domestic opposition to the war War (1961-68) was the Kennedy-Johnson not return to base Without dropping their has been diminishing. Domestic dissent In colllIll:.!iment of American ground troops. The bombs. As a reSUlt, pilots IneVitably Wind up the past has been largely due to high draft Second Indochina War proved too costly to systematically destroying the ciVilian and calls, numerous American casualties. and ex­ maintain. social Infrastructure. tensive press coverage. In today's air war, The Nixon Administration has thus turned One of the most striking examples of this however, conscription and American deaths to a new form of war, one in Which ma­ total war from the air is the Plain of Jars are down. and news Is carefully managed. chines do most of the killing and destruc­ In northeastern Laos. The Plaln of Jars was The air war has been removed from the tion, lmknown to the American people; a a thriving, vibrant communlty of 50,000 when front pages and TV screens. As a result, war In which an American President can the Pathet Lao guerrUla movement occupied many Americans have been convinced that claim to be bringing peace even as he con­ It in May, 1964. The United States then began the war Is ending. tinues to wage a full-scale and bloody war bombing it, striking In ever-Increasing Inten­ This handbook has been designed to help from the air. sity until september, 1969, when U.S.-sup­ U.S. newsmen. political figures and peace M1Iltarlly, this new war Is a variation of ported Meo guerrillas took the survivors off groups do what cl.rrespondents In Indochina former Gen. James Gavin's "enclave" strat­ the Plain. During these years, everything on can no longer do: reveal the facts about to­ egy. A majority of the people of Indochina the Plain was leveled. Today It is a deserted day's air war to the American pepole. The has been concentr3lted in and around the wasteland. There was almost no ground fight­ graphics and source material are Intended major towns and bases. Within these Amer­ ing on the Plain during these 5V:! years. It especially for use in leaflets, speeChes, ar­ ican-controlled zones. a wide variety of po­ Is the first society In history to be erased ticles. posters and brochures. litical, economic and cultural measures are from the map by total, automated war. The manual Is diVided into three sections: undertaken to break the spirit and culture Secret war 1. Documented source material on the air of resistance which has thus far proved the war-Material Is broken down Into 17 topics. Through blatant news management, the main obstacle to U.S. military success. The Nixon Administration has been able to wage A fact sheet has been prepared on each topic, vast regions outside the American-controlled consisting primarily of statistics and quotes a. full-scale war while convincing most Amer­ zones-including two-thirds of Laos. thxee­ Icans that It is attempting to end the w!U'. from the Department of Defense. Congres­ qU3lrters of cambodia, all of North Vietnam, sional hearings. books, and newspaper and Secrecy Is the means of keeping the war po­ and much of South Vletnam-are basically litically "acceptable." magazine articles. free-fire zones, subjeCt to American bOmbing 2. Graph.iCS-The middle section of the The pUblic was first Informed of the Laos any time of the day or night. Well over two­ air strikes In March:1970, six years and 350.­ handbook contains camera-ready photo­ thirds of Indochina has thus been turned graphs. drawings by bombing victims, and 000 sorties after they began. sen. William Ful­ Into a virtual tree-fire zone where the new bright complained at that time that, "The charts. diagrams and cartoons on the air warfare is being tested. war. President does not have the authority, nor This new war Is automated war, waged by has the Congress given authority to engage In 3. Resource Bibliography-A list of readily machine with ground troops playing a sec­ combat operatiOns in Laos, whether on the available groups, articles, pamphlets, audio­ ondary role; It Is total war, making no dis­ land or In the air." The N1Jron Administra­ visual and other materials for further actlon­ tinction between mUltary and clvlltan tar­ tion has unilaterally expanded the air war oriented research on the air war Is appended. gets. destroying everything below; and it is Into Cambodia and recently relnltlated mas­ It Is our belief that the use which is made secret war, carried out without the knOWl­ sive bombing of North Vietnam. With the of this handbook and similar information edge of the American people. air war's funding scattered in the general will play a crucial role In ending the Indo­ This new war is the air war, the Third budgets of the services and the CIA, It eludes china War. Public pressure to end the war Indc-::-tlna War. effective control by Congress. in this election year will depend to a large Automated. war The Nixon Administration has prohibited extent on pUblic awareness of the full ex­ AllcayS in the past air power has been the preS{; from obserVing most of the air war tent of today's air war. lIsed to supplement a large expeditionary first-hand. by refusing to allow newsmen to March 23, 1972 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE 9821 go on bombing raids outside South Vietnam, groundwork for permanent prosecution of an upon the use of air power." (Pres. Nixon, keeping unsympathetic journallsts off Thai air war at "acceptable levels," 2/17/71) alrbases, and not allowing free access to The operational heart of the bombing has "Under the [NiXon) Doctrine," Laird said, American pllots In Udorn, Thalland. Since shifted from South VIetnam to land bases> "the United States Is prepared to provide such censorship was not practiced In VIetnam In Thailand and aircraft carriers In the material assistance and air and sea assist­ (newsmen were always permitted to go out South China Sea. Aiready 45,000 of the 73.000 ance to our allles and friends in Asia," (Post, on bombing raids, and have free access to U.S. air personnel directly Involved with the 1/21/71) bases and pllots there), It is clearly not due bombing are located outside of Indochina "'U.S. ships and warplanes will remain on to any need for milltary security. Rather, the proper. May I, 1972 will mark the first time duty in Southeast Asia after the last Amer­ goal seems to be to keep the truth from the that the number of American airmen and ican soldier leaves Vietnam,' Defense Secre­ American people. American ground troops In IndochIna wlll tary Laird indicated yesterday," (Post, Before 1969,70 percent of the tonnage feU be equal In the history of this war or per­ 4/4/71) within South Vietnam (source: CorneU haps any war. If necessary, we wIll "not only continue stUdy) and most of the bombing was car­ Geographically, the brunt of the bombing our air strikes, we will have to step them up." ried out from South Vietnamese airbases. has shifted from InsIde North and South (Pres. Nixon, 11/12/71) Since 1969, two-thirds ,of the tonnage has Vietnam to Laos and Cambodia. Under NIxon "In the defense report which I made to fallen outside South Vietnam (Ibid.), most­ the bombing of Laos has doubled, and all of Congress this year, I trIed to point out that ly from ThaI alrbases. The Administration the 150,000 tons over Cambodia have fallen we would be contInuIng air and sea power has refused to fiy newsmen to scenes of bat­ since May 1970. Recently, for all practical and the presence of air and sea power In tle In Laos and Cambodia, where most of purposes, the Johnson bombing halt over Asia .•. This Idea that somehow or other the fightIng has .taken place. Newsmen are North Vietnam has ended. the NIxon Doctrine means that we w1ll not only Infrequently taken In on short, pack­ During the last three years the technology have air or sea power In Asia Is a great mis­ aged tours, and are Invariably kept away of the automated battlefield has escalated take." (Sec. Laird. "Meet the Press," 11/­ from freshly bombed areas. Thus newsmen and the size of the South Vietnamese Air 14/71) USUally have been unable to observe newly Force has been Increased untll It now stands "mgh level DoD officIals say there are no bombed regions taken by American-supported as the sixth largest air force In the world. current plans to cut any of these forces troops. Once again, this was not the pollcy SORTIES AND TONNAGES 1400+ attack bombers In Southeast AsIa] In South Vietnam, where first-hand reports ... The Administration now appears to be Sorties 1971 of aerial devastation did much to create sen­ USAF 160,000 approaching the level [of alrpower] Which timent agaInst the war In this country. VNAF 36.000 wlll be maIntained Indefinitely," (Michael Administration officials have successfully Getler, Post, 1/14/72) created the lllusion of a sterile, antiseptic (DoD) "Air sorties in southeast Asia wlll also be air war waged only against "mIlitary" tar­ Tonnages 1971 stepped up by 50 %," gets. They have done thIs by: (1) classify­ lIn tonsI (From a priVileged account of a National Ing all Information about the air war besides Allled (DoD) 763.000 Security Council meeting; reported by Jack overall tonnage and numbers of airmen out South Vietnanl' c 270,000 Anderson, Post, 1/20/72) of publlc and congressional reach; (2) coin­ Laos' 445.000 "The buildUp refiects what Informed offi­ Ing such euphemisms as "protective reac­ Cambodia* 90,000 clals say Is a U.S. intention to use all air tion" and "Umited duration protective reac­ assets avallable." tion" strikes to mask massive and sustained 'Cornell stUdy (Post, 2/10/72 on the dispatch of an extra bombing raids; and (3) maintainIng time Note: Totals for the breakdown tally sllghtly carrier to the Gulf of TonkIn and the ready­ and time again, in press conferences, ing of additional attack aIrcraft) speeches, and congressional hearings, that higher than the DoD figures for total "Al­ clvlllan targets are never bombed. lled." Tonnage and sortie figures for "pro­ Men, bases, and aircraft Reports are filtering back to the states that tective reaction" strikes are not Included. Untll mid-February. two aircraft carriers the U.S. has begun clandestine bombing in Protective Reaction Strikes were regularly on statIon in the South China northern Thalland. The reports mayor may 1970 (000) 21 Sea with 13,000 men and approximately 120­ not be true, but the point Is that unless 1971 (DoD) 108 150 attack aircraft. The recent addition of Congress and the press are permitted to in­ 1972 (first 35 days) (000) 35 the Kitty Hawk and Constellation has vestigate such claims, there can be no ef­ doubled the force, raising it to the peak levels fective check on the President's power to The % m1l110n tons of bombs dropped on reallzed In 1968. (CBS News, 2/9172) bomb anywhere, at any time. Indochina In 1971 represent: With the addition of the third and fourth (a) The explosive equivalent of 38 Hiro­ THE FUTURE carrier to the South China sea and' the aC'tl­ shlmas (one Hlroshima=20,000 tons); vatlon of 40 additional B-52s, there are now The NIxon Administration has made It (b) 80% of the aIr ordnance expended nearly 600 attack aircraft In Southeast AsIa. clear on numerous occasions that It has no during the 3 year Korean War (968,000 tons); Thes.e additions have Increased the American intention of ending this automated, total, (c) 5 tlmes.the tcnnage dropped on Japan bombing force In Indochina by more than and secret war. during World War n (154.000 tons); 40%. Indeed, all prospects are for further In­ (d) 23 times the total tonnage dropped South VIetnam tensification and escalation of the Third In· by the BritIsh during their successful ten dochlna War. In February, 1972, for example. year counter-Insurgency in Malaya (33,000 As of January 6, 1972 there were 28,000 U.S. It was revealed that the number of B-52s tons). airmen stationed wIthin South VIetnam and aircraft carriers In the Indochinese the­ (Library of Congress Report to the Senate (DOD). Their numbers are scheduled to de­ atre would be doubled. cllne to 16,000 by May 1. Foreign Relations Comnllttee, Impact of the Danang remains a major strIke base. Cam By November, 197~, the ThIrd Indochina Vietnam War, 6/71, and the Cornell study). War wm be the second longest in American The total of 6.3 mllllon tons of bombs Ranh Bay. a majo. support base. is where history (surpassed only by Johnson's ground (DoD) dropped on Indochina from 1965-1971 the 7% ton "Commando Vault" bombs are war). Unless Americans elect a President represents : fiown from. Several other bases, Including committed to total wIthdrawal, there is nil (a) 250 pounds for every man, woman, and Tan Son Nhut, are used regularly by U.S. end in sight. child in Indochina (population 49 milllon); aircraft. The agony of Indochina may have only (b) 22 tons for every square mile of terri­ Thalland begun. tory In Indochina (area 284.000 square miles This Is the heart of the air war. There are DIMENSIONS or about the size of Texas) ; currently (1/72) 32,000 U.S. m1l1tary person­ The air war continues at a high level. (c) More than twice the 3.1 mUllon tons nelln Thalland (DoD), and 215 attack bomb­ ers (Michael Getler. Post, 1/14172) stationed During 1971, 763,000 tons-the equivalent of of bombs dropped during World War nand the Korean War combined. (Impact of the at the follOWing five bases: 35 % of all AmerIcan aIr ordnance expended (1) Udorll. control center for the air war: during World War n-were dropped on Indo­ Vietnam War) The majority of the bombs dropped on (2) Utapao, home for approx. 45 B-52s; china (DoD). The potential for sudden (3) Ubon, source of most F-4 activIty over escalation remains great, as exemplified by Indochina have been dropped since Presi­ dent Nixon took office (3.2 mlllion tons since Cambodia; the 5-day Christmas raids against North (4) Korat, base for the radar planes of the Vietnam and the more than ten-fold Increase 1969-DoD). The current bombing rate, 50,­ 000 tons during November and 61,000 tons electronic war; In strIkes wlth1U South Vietnam during (5) Nakon Phanom (NKP). location of the February. during December, represents: The Cornell stUdy cites Pentagon plans to (a) More than 2\-'2 Hiroshima a month; automated war's computers. (CBS News, continue the air war at the current level. B-52 (b) More than 3 milllon pounds a day; 12/71 ) sortles, for example, down from a peak of (c) More than 2,000 pounds or a ton a AIRCRAFT 1,600 a month to 1,000 a month, are pro­ minute. The aircraft used In the Third Indochina grammed to continue indefinitely at the The Executive branch has made it clear War are organized In thE' following manner: current rate. In defending the bombing. Ad­ on many occasions that It Intends to wage aircraft in South VIetnam are under the ministration spokesmen Invariably point to a prolonged air war: command and logistiCal support of the 7th reductions from 1969 levels, thus layIng the "I am not goIng to place any limitations AIr Force, headquartered at Tan Son Nhut 9822 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE March 23, 1972 Air Base; aircraft stationed in Thailand station and making a permanent photo­ tions in the summer of 1965. Total capacity (with the exception of B-52s) are under the image simultaneously. of the D With 750-lb. bombs on board is command and logistical support of the Joint Bombers (B-52 and B-57) are used for 66 ... 7th/13th Air Force; headquartered at Udorn both strategic and tactical bombing mis­ "The 750 and 500-lb. bombs continue Air Force Base; B-52s, stationed at Utapao sions. The B-57 operates at low levels, at the to be the primary ordnance loads for the Air Force Base, Thailand, are under the com­ same altitude as a regular fighter-bomber. B-52's, although a variety of other ordnance mand of the 8th Air Force (Strategic Air The B-52 operates at altitudes of 30,000 feet. currently is being employed," (In the Name Command); the aircraft carriers in the Gulf isolating the aircrew from any chance of 01 America, 1968) of Tonkin (Yankee Station) are under the seeing their targets or victims. "... A mUitary spokesman said today that control of the 7th Fleet representative In Support aircraft (0-47, 0-54, 0-7, 0-130, the paratroopers had swept -through part of Saigon. U-3, T-39. etc.) comprise the rest of the the area of two B52 raids in the Iron Tri­ Bases that are under U.S. control, and con­ almcst 1,000 aircraft in the 7th Air Force. angle last Friday. He said that 750-pound duct attack missions are: Tan Son Nhut, These aircraft are used for medical evacua­ bombs with instantaneous fuses made craters Cam Rahn Bay, and Danang in South Viet­ tion, cargo and troop transportation, and only about four feet deep but blew down the nam (only Danang fiies missions outside of any other miscellaneous activities that do jungle 300 feet around the crater. South Vietnam); Udorn, Ubon, Khorat, not require a combat aircraft. "Delayed-fuse bombs. which go off after Nakhon Phanom, and Utapao In Thailand The skies of Indochina are covered with penetrating into the ground, left craters fifty are engaged in the bombing of locations out­ an umbrella. of aircraft at any time of the feet wide, blew down trees to a distance of side of South Vietnam (North Vietnam, Laos, day or night; FACs and observation aircraft 75 feet from the crater rim and collapsed and Cambodia). There are usually two air­ at 2,000 feet: attack and gunships at 5,000 some tunnels 100 yards away. craft carriers on Yankee Station at all times. feet; fighter-bombers at 7,000 feet; recon­ "One 'complex' of about 25 farm huts was In principle each base or carrier has a ten­ naissance and electronic warfare aircraft at reported '75 per cent' destroyed by the B52s." ant Wing, With 75-100 aircraft. The wings 10,000 feet; K0-l35 tankers at 20,000 feet, (Ibid.) are divided into Squadrons, with approXI­ B-52 bombers at 30,000 feet, and the SR-71 "Gen. Talbott: The backbone of our inter­ mately 20-25 aircraft assigned to each squad­ at 70,000 feet. diction force has been tactical fighters-pri­ ron. When necessarY,squadrons may be fur­ The brunt of the air war today is being marily F-4s. The F-4s are being used more at ther broken down In :Cetachments of 5-10 carried out hy F-4s, B-52s, and gunships. night ... F-4 sqUadrons have been equipped aircraft. In addition to its tenant Wing, each "The 7th Air Force has 33,000 m1l1tary per­ with a very accurate (deleted) naviga­ base or carrier may have a number of detach­ sonnel and nearly 1,000 aircraft." (Air Force tion system •.. These sensors are integrated ments from other wings to carry out specific Magazine, 5/71) through computers to deliver several types of mission assignments (crash rescue, recon­ "The B-52s bomb these [Ho Chi Minh] trall weapons including laser guided bombs," naissance, base defense, etc.) entrances daily, each dropping as many as 150 (Electronic Battlefield Hearings, 11/70) A mIssion (or strike) Is a filght by one or bombs of 500 pounds." (Craig Whitney, NYT. AIRCRAFT CARRIERS more aircraft. A sortie Is a single filght by an 12/3/71) More than any other weapon system, the aircraft.' "[AC-47s] can start their deadly circle attack carrier has been adapted to the kind There are over 300 land based combat air­ quickly, and in three seconds cover the area of conflict With the Third World that has craft (excluding B-52s) involved In the air of an entire football field with one bullet in characterized U.S. military intervention war. The number of carrier based combat every square foot." (Lt. Col. Thomas Rickels­ since World War n. Once an arm of the aircraft fiuctuates with the number of ships men, USAF, St. Louis Post Dispatch, 11/24/ fieet, designed to protect naval ships from on Yankee Station at any time. 65) air attack and to provide a long-range strike The aircraft in use in Indochina can be "When they [gunships] fire their guns, it force against opposing naval forces, the at­ divided into 8 categories: looks as if a stream of brilliant candy apples tack carrier has· become a moblle platform Fighter-bombers (F-4. F-I00, F-I05. F-5, is streaking from the aircraft to the ground." from which to launCh an air attack against F-8), designed for world wide mobUity with (Sgt. Robert Lessels, USAF, Air Force Maga­ ground targets. supersonic speeds. These aircraft are de­ zine. 11/71) The attack aircraft carrier is today play­ signed for either air-to-air combat or alr­ "The Americans unleashed the terrifying ing a major role in the air war and is likely to-ground combat roles. These aircraft often 'Puff the Magic Dragon' [A0-47] and I could to play an even more important one in the fiy "cover" for unarmed reconnaissance and visualize the scene below. Men, women. chil­ future as U.S. ground troops and land-based cargo fiights and B-52s. dren, caught like rats in a flood ... No place air power is gradually Withdrawn from South Attack aircraft (A-I, A-4, A-6. A-7, A-37, to hide, no way to plead their case of inno­ Vietnam. In February. 1972, three attack A-3, T-28, and A-26) are generally sUbsonic cence to the machine in the sky. no time to carriers were put on station in the Gulf of aircraft designed specifically for· alr-to­ prepare for death." (Quaker worker, Quang Tonkin, the largest number since the height ground combat. Attack aircraft have the Nai hospital, South Vietnam, Vietnam. 1969) of the bombing in 1968. and a fourth was on a.bUtty to stay over their targets longer, "The Douglas AC-47 'Spooky', the Fair­ its way to join them. Though the actual carry more ordnance and deliver their ord­ child-Hiller AC-,119 'Shadow' and the Lock­ number of combat sorties fiown from carrier nance with more accuracy than flghter­ heed AC-130 'Stinger' ... are all fitted with decks is kept secret. it is known that carriers bombers. side firing weapons-three .. 7.62 mm Mini­ launched almost half of the combat sorties Observation aircraft (0-1,0-2, OV-IO) are guns in the AC-47, four In the A0-119, and against North Vietnam between 1965. and used primarily by Forward Air Controllers four 7.62 [mm] guns and four 20mm cannons 1968 at the rate of more than 4,500 sorties a (FACs) for spotting targets from the a.lr in the AC-130." (Air Force Magazine, 5/71) month. The sortie rate for fiscal 1972 was re­ and directing attacks on them. These air­ "The A-7 makes ground movement after portedly bUdgeted at 3,000 sorties a month. craft carry white phosphorus rockets for dark a nightmare ... the devastating ac­ The role of the attack carrier in Indochina marking targets, and may carry a 7.62 mm curacy of this aircraft is being applied to an is not surprising. With more than 75 combat mini-gun for strafing. increasing number of night .missions." planes, a crew of 5,000, and a fully Integrated Gunships (A0-47, A0-54. A0-119. A0-130, (Vought Aeronautics advertisement, Air operations system, each attack carrier can UH-l Huey helicopter, AH-IG "Cobra" hel­ Force Magazine, 1/72) maintain full-scale combat operations off the icopter) are fiying g'llD platforms. The pri­ "A fighter-pllot who was based at Danang coast of Vietnam for months at a time, free mary weapons are ·the 7.62 mm "Gatling" told me, 'We are going four or five hundred of reprisal from enemy forces and without gun and the 20 mm "VUlcan" cannon. Both knots, and we can't see much ourselves. I've fear of changes In the political situation In types of weapons are capable of tiring 6,000 never seen a body or a person yet, and I've Indochina that might force the withdrawal rounds of ammunition. per minute. from a been on over a hundred missions. It's virtu­ of U.S. land-based forces. Over the last dec­ single gun. These weapons are designed pri­ ally impossible to see any movement on the ade or so the weapons system of the attack marily for close air support or to stalk mobile ground. The FAC is the expert. We're only carrier has been completely redesigned to targets. experts in delivery." (Jonathan Schell, The fight conventional land wars. Its aircraft, Electronic warfare aircraft (E0-47, E0-119. Military Half) which in World War II could carry at most E0-121, EB-57,E0-130, EB-66) act as air­ "... I fiew with a FAc pilot from Texas several hundred pounds of bombs, are now borne command centers and relay stations ... The standard FAc plane was a Cessna-1 capable of carrying 12-18,000 pounds of for ·grourid sensors. They can also function Bird Dog. It seated two, one in front ·and one bombs, more than the heaviest bombers of as electronic commuter-measures. aircraft, In back; had a single propeller; and was World War II. Its radar systems were once jamming radar and producing signals that armed with four tubes containing phosphorus designed for operation over water; they have will mislead detection and gunnery systems rockets, two tubes being mounted under each now been redesigned for land operations, In­ on the ground. wing. It could fiy as slowly as forty miles an cluding navigation systems that automati­ Reconnaissance aircraft (RF-4C. RA-5, hour, and could hold an extremely tight cally fiy planes at ground level over moun­ EC-47, SR-71) utlllze camera and radar sys­ corkscrew turn when the pilot wanted to talnousterrain. Over the last .decade the tems to make photo images and electronic look at one small area of ground for a sus­ Navy has designed and employed over a signals for both pre and post bombing analy­ tained period .. ," (Ibid.). dozen types of anti-personnel weapons, use­ sis. Systems used on these aircraft Include: "The converted D models of the B-52 can less against ships but very effective for klll­ infra-red cameras and radar capable of pick­ carry a total of 108 500-lb. bombs ... This ing and maiming guerrilla forces and· the ing out life by the differences between body compares with the 51 capacity for either the peasant popUlations that support them. . heat and Jungle heat, side-looking radar ca­ 500 or 750-lb. bomb of the F versions avall­ As a result of these and other changes, the pable of transmitting reports to a ground able here when the aircraft first began opera- attack carrier has become·a major weapon March 23, 1972 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD -SENATE 9823 of counter-revolution. Its main role in the ing in Back Bay, nor a rock 'n' roll radio in combat. (See Ramparts, 4/71 for B fuller future wlll be much llke its role in the past station playing Colonial music. It·s a posi­ account.) 25 years. Whether it will be Korea, China, tion in the South China Sea about 100 miles Local Asian air forces-supplied, maintain­ Lebanon, Cuba, Thalland, Vietnam, Domini­ northeast of Danang where American aircraft ed and directed by American "advisors"­ can Republlc. Cambodia, or Laos again, or carriers cruise around in a methodical pat­ are doing an increasing amount of the bomb­ whether it wl1l be some other country of the tern and launch and recover fighter and ing. The size of the Vietnamese All' Force Third World in which an American govern­ bomber airplanes that are hitting North Viet­ (VNAF) has increased dramatically, and the ment wishes to intervene, the attack carrier nam .. ," (Harvey) Royal Lao Air Force (RLAF) , the Royal Thai is llkely to be the first U.S. force engaged "The carrier on Yankee Station is a mobile, Air Force (RTAF), and the Cambodian All' and the last one withdrawn. privlleged sanctuary. It can be replenished Force at slower rates. Although all the air.,. Adm. Elmo Zumwalt, chief of the U.S. from home with whatever it needs to fight. craft are piloted by Asians, Americans do Navy, said, "American naval operations It can go anywhere In the world on short no­ everything else, from directing bomb loading would continue in the Gulf of Tonkin as tice. It is immune from sneak missile at­ to spotting for strikes. long as necessary to protect U.S. troops in tacks, since it is always moVing. No capricious Air America and Continental Alrl1nes. pri­ Vietnam and that there were no plans to foreign government can order it closed (as vately owned, profit-making companies, op­ withdraw U.S. aircraft· carriers from the can happen to a land base). The carrier can erate under CIA direction and wage much of waters around Vietnam." (Post, 2/27/72) control its food, water, health and recreation the supportive air war in Laos and Cambodia. "Aboard the UBS Enterprise-Navy Pllots, very tightly. There are no mosquitoes to give The "charter" companies' planes perform flying off this huge floating airfleld and other you malaria... ," (Ibid.) troop transport and supply functions, spot carriers in the Tonkin GUlf, are playing a "Navy aircraft carriers have now proven for bombers, and engage in rescue opera­ bigger role than ever in the continuing their worth in this Vietnam war-v.nd their tions for downed pilOts. Air Force hellcopters, American air war.... Virtually all the thou­ potential for any wars of similar type that hel1copter gunships and giant 0--130 cargo sands of strikes (1,700 from the Enterprise might erupt sometime in the foreseeable fu­ planes are "rented" to Air America for $1 a alone in the last month) flown at the Infiltra­ ture.... The Connie (note: Constellation) year in Laos. tion routes of the Ho Chi Minh Trail system is a sea-going airfield ~hat can move around Asian air forces in southern Laos are now launched either at 35 knots; houses more than 5,000 officers, American aid to VNAF, FY 1970-72: $922 from the carriers or from air force bases in men and tech reps; can hurl jets off her four milllon. Thalland. (Post, 1/1/72) steam cats llke shooting beans; carries American aid to RLAF,FY 1970-72: $128 "Officers aboard the 7th Fleet ships off the enough power to fiatten targets just as fiat million (DoD, CR 8/3/71). coast of Vietnam disclosed that Navy strength as the Strategic Air Command's massive in­ "The Nixon Doctrine ... was premised on has been reinforced from an average of 10 tercontinental bombers and misslles; can the assumption ... of increased U.S. milltary ships to 16, including the aircraft carrier launch and recover day or night in very lousy assistance." (Undersecy. of State U. Alexis Constellation and support ships. The US weather; has a ftlght deck of 4y:! acres; car­ Johnson, FY 1972 DoD Authorization Hear­ Command made no mention of this or of the ries dozens of planes-fighters, bombers, pho­ Ings.) report that the manpower of the fieet was torecon, radar picket, onboard dellvery and "An important factor in carrying out the now 18,000 to 20,000 men instead of the 13,000 planeguard hellcopters," (Ibid.) Nixon Doctrine wlll be our mllitary assistance the Command had said. (Boston GlObe, "Now, for a moment, let's look at the big program. We are requesting 48 million for 2/15/72) picture of opemtions on Yankee Station. The development and 70.4. mlllion for procure­ ". .. the avallabiUty of a fourth carrier in three big attack carriers often work as a team, ment of the International Fighter. In addi­ the area wlll make it possible for the U.S. and the planes from all three ships-more tion, we are requesting 10 million for initial mllltary command to keep at least three of than 200 of them-go off in coordinated spares. This aircraft is needed to provide an the big ships on station at all times and waves in strikes against a single target, some­ air defense capacity for [our] Asian aIlles." avallable for strikes in the South, against times going back time after time for days, (Secy. of Air Force Robert C. Seamans, FY the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos, or possibly in untll that partiCUlar target is simply bat­ 1972 Senate DoD Appropriations Hearings.) new reprisals against North Vietnam. tered to a pile of dust and rubble... Raids Sen. SYMINGTON. "Are we going to continue "Should things be going badly for the like this are undertaken, from time to time, to put these billions into Southeast Asia? Is South Vietnamese, the United states could when it is decided to eliminate a target for that the overall plan in the U.S. today?" also forgo rotating one of the carriers into good Bnd all. They are devastating. Their Seey. SEAMANS. "For the forseeable future port for a rest and keep all four on the llne," destruction would have to be seen to be we are going to continue to spend sizable (Past, 2/10/72) belleved. Dry-bones communiques detalling dollars in Southeast Asia... numbers of items hit and numbers of sorties "Since we do not have a fortress America Vietnamese Air Farce strategic concept, the position that our fiown simply do not tell the story at all," country takes with respect to the rest of the (Ibid.) "South Vietnamese milltary officers con­ world definitely determines the number of "Yankee Station happens to be one of the tinue to deal in large quantitIes of· heroin carriers and, for that matter, the entire struc­ most important offensive bases of operations and to transport it around South Vietnam in ture of the Armed Forces ... in this whole war, Bnd nobody eveIj. knows mil1tary aircraft," (Rep. Robert H. Steele, "This new carrier is not associated with the place exists, except for a few experts who House Subcommittee on Europe, 717171.) follow these matters closely." (Ibid.) partiCUlar force levels. It is needed to handle "The South Vietnamese AIr Force is the our·modern aircraft, and it is needed to give "Aboard the 63,OOD-ton carrier Coral Sea • •• sixth largest air force in the world," (Michael the so-called long legs and mobUlty that is 28 fiiers in the Sundowners Squadron heard GeUer, Post, 1/14172.) needed in this modern era. (Testimony be­ the news that two more of their comrades faced indefinite imprisonment in North Viet­ VNAF INVENTORY fore Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on nam.... The records say that Bob Pearl is 38 the CVAN-70 Attack Carrier) years old and that he has had four tours and "The United States, of course, has a for­ Fixed 400 missions over Indochina since 1965...• wing ward strategy. We are a maritlme nation. We Were the raids on the North worthwhile? 'All have operated our forces overseas because we attack Heli- cargo. we can see are our losses and no fruits for our Year aircraft copter! reeDn. prefer not to have to fight our wars within efforts.... I think people find it hard to agree the United States. Therefore, we have de­ with the party llne about covering with­ signed our forces-air, Army and Navy-in January 1969______1100 1125 1575 drawal. .. " So, it seems that the attack car­ January 1972______(') (2) 1,000+ such a way that they permit us to project riers of the Seventh Fleet, doomed to act as January 1973 1______300-400 500-600 1,200 power overseas... ," (Adm. Thomas H. floating mail-order houses for high explo­ Moorer, Former Chief of Naval Operations sives, wlll sall on and on, Flying-Dutchman­ and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 1 Approximately. fashion, untll-as the joke has it-they run 2 Total ~xed wing and helicopter 750+. April,1970) aground on their own accumulated garbage," • Projected (1969 and 1973 figures, Cornell study. 1972 What are the most probable warfare sit­ (John Saar, Life MagaZine, 2/4/72) figures, DOD). uations for carrier involvement in the fu­ "Before long, the pilots and the planes will VNAF PERSONNEl ture? ... be the last warriors and weapons the United "In the next 30 years, which is the life­ 1968 (slightly under) •• 20,000 States has left in Indochina. 1972 (January)__ ._.._••••• ••_. __ 45,000 span of a carrier, most conf!.lcts in which "And barring a breakthrough in efforts to 1973 , ._. __ •••_••_..._", 50,000 the United States will become involved wl1l reach a settlement of the war or a reversal of be below the threshold of general nuclear American polley, the U.S. air armada flying 1 Projected (ibid.). war.... Projecting the history of the past from bases in Thailand and as many as three VNAF ATTACK SORTIES 20 years, if we become involved in a confiict carriers in the Gulf of Tonkin, wUl remain it will most probably be a llmited war simllar indefinitely," (Post 3/2(72) to Korea or Vietnam... ," (Rear Adm. James Indochina L. Holloway, m, Former Chief of Strike War­ CIA AND MERCENARY AIR FORCES Year (per month) laos Cambodia fare Division, US Navy, AprU, 1970, CVAN­ CIA and local Asian air forces are playing 70 Attack Carrier Hearings) a growing role in the air war as the Ad­ 1968_. __.._.••••••__ 2,250 None None "Yankee Station has had little or no pub­ mInistration seeks to minlmlze overt Ameri­ 1970 ._._••__ •••._ 3,150 None 820 licity. Few people in the United States would can involvement. There is abundant docu­ 19711•••_••••_••..__ · 3,490 40 1,100 know what you were talking about it you mentation poInting to the participation of mentioned it. Yankee Station is not B sid- these all' forces in opium smuggllng as well as 1 As of July 1971 (Cornell study). 9824 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE March 23, 1972 "Mr. Seamans acknowledged that the Viet­ Personnel Important, If secondary, role. Bombers can na.mese 'will never be able to build the capa­ Vietnamization program?" the ground and forcing vlllagers to fiee their place U.S. personnel with machines, so as to homes." (D. E. Ronk, Far Eastern Economic General WILLIAMSON. "I am confident it reduce dollar costs; reduce domestic dissent wlll." (Electronic Battlefield Hearings, 11/70) Review, 9/4171) occasioned by American deaths; increase "The VNlAFbomb villages indiscrim.1nately. General EVANS. "Besides supporting real­ combat efficiency by removing American time employment of Commando Bolt F-4s They don't care where they bomb. A lot of toot soldiers who wlll not fight; and remove times they'll wipe out a vlllage because they and gunships, sensor intelligence is an input the war from the political arena by making for establ1shlng most ot the targets in Laos or their commander has a grudge against it, It secret and unsusceptlble to congressional maybe it wouldn't make the proper payolfs." ... What is most important, gentlemen, is or publlc pressures. that we can gather this type of intell1gence (Ronald Ridenhour, former G.I. whose In­ "In Vietnam where artllIery and tactical sistent prodding broke the My Lai story, in without exposing one American soldier to air forces inflict over two thirds of the enemy action." (Ibid.) a PAW interview) enemy casualties, firepower is responsive as OIA air forces never before. It can rain destruction any- The electronic battlefield "There Is a large U.S. civilian (paramili­ where on the battlefield within minutes . The air war in Indochina has served as a tary) fieet operating in Laos run by Air whether friendly troops are present or not . laboratory for the development of elaborate America, Continental Air and Lao Air Trans­ On the battlefield of the future, enemy and expensive electronic devices as instru­ ,port ... under contract with AID, although forces wllI be located, tracked, and targeted mentation for an "electronic battlefield." funds are proVided by AID, the DoD, CIA, almost instantaneously through the use of The goal is automated and computerized data links, computer assisted intelligence warfare, providing an all-weather, day-night and the State Department. The funding ar­ capabUity. rangements are worked out in WlIShington." evaluation, and automated fire control. With first round kill probablllties approaching cer­ Areas have been seeded with air-dropped (Foreign Relations Committee Staff Report devices that can detect Vibrations or people; on Laos, 4J71) tainty, and with surveillance devices that can continually track the enemy, the need they can listen to sounds; they may be sensi­ "Air America is under the management of tive to metall1c objects, to heat radiation, George Dole, a CIA employee.... He Is look­ for large forces to fix the opposition phySi­ cally will be less important ... Today, or to chemical emanations from human ing to the future, carefully developing the beings. The Information is transmitted by airlift capablllties of other companies he machines and technology are permitting economy of manpowel' on the battlefield, as radio to receivers on mountain tops or In runs for the CIA, such as Southern Air continuously airborne manned and un­ Transport. ... The sole purpose for the ex­ indeed they are in the factory. But the future offers even more possiblUties for economy. I manned communications aircraft. The sig­ istence of SAT Is that the agency be ready nals are then relayed to a central computer for the contingency that some day it wUl am confident the American people expect this country to take fUll advantage of its tech­ in Thailand where the responses of the have to ferry men and material to some various sensors are correlated and the deci­ Latin American country ... without of nOlogy-to welcome 'and applaud the de­ velopments that will replace wherever pos­ sion to strike a certain region is finalized. course haVing to contend with the Congress sible the man with the machine ... A new system recently introduced in Indo­ or anybody else." (Victor Marchetti, highest "I see battlefields or combat areas that are china called Pave Phantom is automated ranking Ol'A official to "go public," a former under 24 hour ... surveillance of all types. to the extent that the pilot need merely participant in CIA daily staff meetings I see battlefields on which we can destroy punch data 011 the desired target position In chaired by director RIChard Helms.) anything we locate, through instant com­ his computer's keyboard, together with in­ CIA-Directed air forces in Laos munications and the almost instantaneous formation about his chosen weapon, and application of highly lethal firepower." (Gen. the computer w1ll steer the aircraft over the Inventory William Westmoreland, OR, 10/16/69) target and release the weapon. 20 hellcopters. "For America in the '70s to follow this The chosen weapon is often another elec­ 12 C-l23s ". tactic-to ftght a war with this technology tronic wonder, a "smart bomb." One smart 7 C-7As·. and with mercenaries ... so that we don't bomb is guided to its target by radar. An­ 10 Porters. see the person we klll-is reprehensible. We other, a laser bomb, homes In on a spot of 7 C-46s. kllI people with technology because we don't llght beamed from another plane fiying at I Volpar. have the will to fight ourselves." (Rep. Paul a safer level. The T.V. bomb has a television Estimated cost McCloskey, National Observer, 1/8/72) camera in Its nose; "shown" a picture of the FY 1970: $23 million. Although bombers now wage most of the target, it homes in on the identical Image FY 1971: $26.2 mil11on. war, Asian ground soldiers still play an on the ground. March 23, 1972 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE 9825 Technology had made some conventional as opposed to passenger cars were passing "backward" guerrlllas. The organized and weapons, such as gunships, even more dev­ through the town, but in terms of people determined guerrillas can withstand, and astating. The new four-englned AC130E gun­ you would not know whether thev were thus defeat, the llew technology, but many ship, armed with rapid-firing 40 mm cannon, friendly people, merchant£, or soldiers: (Elec­ Innocent peasants are caught by American seeks Its prey With infra-red vision devices, tronic Battlefield Hearings, 11(70) firepower. see-In-the-dark TV, and sensors that detect DEANE. A sensor-aided combat surveillance "On several occasions after heavy sensor electrical noises of trucks' Ignition systems. system consists basically of the following activation the night before, morning patrols After being directed to the target area by common components: detection devices. sent out in search of enemy bodies found ground computers, the aircraft Is placed on called sensors, which pick up the mo\'ement dead water buffalo instead." (A former Army the automatic system and the on-board com­ of vehicles or troops; a communications link lieutenant, as reported by Sen. William Prox­ puter takes over, flying the aircraft and aim­ (usual radio) from the sensor to a 'readout' mire, CR, 3/23/71, pg. 83621) ing alld shooting the cannon. device; the 'readout' device, which receives "We must guard against mindless appUca.­ "The code name for the electronic opera­ sensor transmissions and shows when each tlons of new technologies Just because it ex­ tion is IglOO White. It was designated for sensor is picking up a target; and display Ists, applications which have little or no flghtlng a war In hostile territory, offering and processing equipment to assist In count­ chance of success." (Ibid.) the enemy absolute control of the surface Ing the targets and in detennlnlng their di­ ORDNANCE territory while maintaining air superiority rection and rate of movement. Individual above, The system does not require U.S. systems may also Include special munitions, The 2,000 tons of bombs dropped daily on ground troops to assure success. It meets re­ aircraft, etc., which I shall mention later. Indochina constitute an unparalleled and strictions placed on ground operations In Major ANDERSON. First, the road Is cut at a sophisticated variety of weapons designed Laos." (George Weiss, Armed Forces Journal, point difficult to bypass, using highly accu­ to maim and klll those below. These bombs 2/15/71) rate gUided weapons. Laser-guided bombs can be divided Into five distinct categories: "I personally think It [electronic battle­ have been performing most of this function. 1. High explosives, ranging In weight from field) has the posSlbllity of being one of the Next, antlmaterlel landmlnes are em­ 250 pounds to the massive "Commando greatest steps forward In warfare since gun­ placed.... Third, antipersonnel landmlnea Vault" 15.000 pound bomb. (See also "En­ powder:' (Sen. Barry Goldwater, Electronic are emplaced over the antlmaterlei vironmental Destruction") Battlefield Hearings, 11/18/70) mines. . .. Fourth, sensors on boScience down every night and he had trees to hide other routes taken by enemy. (Ibid.) by Prof. E. W. Pfeiffer and Prof. Arthur West­ under. Now he has nothing." (Air Force of­ Mr. GILLEAS. How do we prevent sensors ing, at least 50 percent of all bombs droppect ficer quoted by George Weiss In "The Air from kUling Innocent people \'ersus enemy on Indochina are a.nti-personnel bombs: Force's Secret Electronic war," Military Air­ troops? A. 1,000 pineapple bomblets can be dropped craft, 1971) General DEANE. You say the sensors won't by one aircraft In a single flight. When drop­ "An OrweU1an transformation Is taking tell you. And the sensors might give you an ped, the pineapples send 250,000 steel pellets place In our mll1tary polley In Indochina. indication if over an acoustic sensor you spewing In a horizontal pattern across the Due to pubUc pressure American boys are heard voices and determined from the con­ land. slOWly coming home, but they are leaving an versation that they were enemy, that is the E. The Guava can explode on Impa.ct, in the automated war behind ... We Intend to only way I would know you would be able air, or with a time delay fuse, with each turn the land of Vietnam Into an automated to tell ... You could have In Vietnam, for aircraft throWing 400-500,000 ball bearing murder machine. Computer technology and example, a group of woodcutters coming pellets in a 360 degree pattern. The guava a small number of troops manning aircraft back down the trail that might look like a can Infllct casualties on those who are hid­ and artlllery are creating a U.S. destructive squad to them; you could make a mistake, mg in holes, or in bunker or cave entrances m1lltary presence that may literally hover I think." (Ibid.) because of this spraying pattern. The equiv­ over Southeast Asia for years to come." (Sen. General EVANS. Our current family of sen­ alent fire power in terms of conventional Mike Gravel, CR, 10/5/71) sors ... was designed specifically for use In land war would make the 1.000 pineapples "All these devices and weapons share the Southeast Asia. We believe the system has equal to 13,160 Infantrymen each firing one same fault. They are Indiscriminate. Like the demonstrated significant potential for en­ cllp from an M-16 rifle; the guavas are equiv­ people sniffer they draw no distinction be­ hancing future tactical operations world­ alent to twice that, or 26,320 infantrymen fir­ tween friend or foe, civman or soldier, adult wide, and Tactical Air Command has In fact ing a standard clip from an M-16. or child, and Will impartially call down an stated a requirement for Integration of Igloo C. The Flechette, or "nail" bombs, contain automated death on all who cross their White technology Into TAC's worldwide op­ several hundred 1 Inch barbed na.lls in each path." (CCAS, The Indochina Story, p. 96) erational capacity. To provide this capability, 3 Inch bomblet. The fiechette is designed "Automated warfare has certain 'advan­ improvements must be made to accommodate to enter the body, shredding muscles and tages.' Instruments. do not defect. They are present sensor design to the much more body organs as it pa£ses through the body, not known to take consciousness-expanding severe environmental conditions to be found by the path of least resistance, I.e. the rico­ drugs. They have no ethical qualms about in many other areas of the world which are chet effect. Both pellets and flechettes are kUling clvlllans. They do, more or less, what of military interest." (Ibid.) difficult to remove, sometimes necessitating they are told. They represent a cheap mer­ Costs of the electronic battlefield exploratory surgery in order to Insure remov­ cenary army. In the end we will have the $3.25 billion through FY 1971, exclusive of al. machines fighting the 'gooks' with no hu­ mUnitions. (Sen. William Proxmire, CR, "Often the na11s [fiechettes J will knife man beings involved on either sldel We are 3/23/71, pg. 83618). right through the target, although at cer­ manufacturing a slave army of mindless ma­ Future costs could reach $20 bllllon In the tain angles they do have a tendency to chines to police ·the world; the very existence next decade. (Sen. William Proxmire, CR, tumble immediately on impact, and after of such advanced technology will bring strong 7/13/70, pg. Sl1115). piercing the skin a tumbling nail can cause pressures for Its use to counter 'Insurgency' The sensor program In Indochina with its a gaping wound:' all over the world. If unchecked, such a se­ air and ground weapons and munitions cost (Dean Morton, CBS News, 3/29/71) quence of developments may prove to be the $1,680,600,000 through fiscal year 1971. (Elec­ 3. Incendiary bombs, designed to burn most ominous consequence of American mili­ tronic Battlefield Hearings, 11/70) their Victims, vary as to temperature, adhe­ tary Involvement in Southeast Asia." (Cor­ "The Pentagon is concealing essential facts siveness, and effective range. These include nell study) regarding Its expenditure of more than $3 napalm, super napalm, napalm B, napalm "If ground troops sometimes Will not, and billion on the electronic battlefield." (Sen. paragel, thermlte, magnesium, White phos­ usually cannot, distinguish between enemy William Proxmire, CR, 3/23/71, pg. S3618) phorus. and NPT. and innocent in a guerrilla war, we know A. Napalm variants are characterized by that aerial bombardment never can. The INEFFECTIVENESS their large range of effectiveness-sheets of sensor which detects body heat. the aircraft The employment of massive technology by flame envelop everything tor hundreds of thousands of feet In the air, the computer the U.S. has led to the deaths of many In­ yards. complex many miles distant, are completely nocent civilians and animals, while its m1l1­ B. White phosphorus is characterized by neutral and indiscriminate. Even the so­ ta.ry value is subject to question. The sen­ the fact that It burns on contact with oxy­ called "smart b1ng would reserve tire areas are fiooded with them. COSTS "It (the gravel mine) is purely antiper­ enough funds (approx. $24 mUllon) to re­ sonnel. If a person steps on It, It will blow Conservative estimates place the annual open the Dayton public schools, and finance hl.s foot off. If a truck rolls over It, It won't costs of the air war at some $3 billion. Actual for one year the Independence, Mlssouri pub­ blow the tire." costs probably run mU0h higher. 11c schools, both closed last November for (Maj. R. D. Anderson, USAF, Electronic However, In terms of the cost of the air lack of money. Battlefield Hearings, 11/70). war to the Indochinese people and compared (SANE) to pre-1970 war costs for the U.S., this Is The $52.5 mill10n cost of the helicopters EXAMPLES OF ORDNANCE USED IN INDOCHINA a relatively Inexpensive war, Intended to be lost In the Laos invasion in 1971 equals the BLU 24/26, Guava bomblets, each holding a protracted and perhaps a "permament" cost of 17 local health centers, each treating 260-300 pellets, and 50 grams of explosive. war. 40,000 patients annUally. Different fuses determine If the bomblet w1l1 Costs have shifted from maintenance of a (Ibid.) detonate on impact, in the air, or with time ground army to mlUtary aid and develop­ The air war's $350 milHon helicopter oper­ delay. 360 degree spray pattern when deto­ ment of electronic counterinsurgency weap­ ating costs for 1971 (Cornell study) repre­ nated. onry. "Smart bombs cost ... $12,500 for the sent twice the estimated federal outlays In BLU 31, 750 pound mine dropped from a T.V. bomb kit. Conventional bomOO cost any­ 1971 for the operation and support of the plane, armed with a selsmatlc sensitive fuse. where from $224 for a 500 pounder to $1,864 Federal Court System, assl.stance to st!llte and The mine buries itself on Impact, and can be for a 3,000 pounder" (AP dispatch In the local courts. and legal aid to low income detonated by the vibrations from a single Philadelphia Bulletin, 1/14/72). One Walleye citizens. truck. ml.sslle costs $25,000. The Pentagon acknowl­ (The Urban Coalition) BLU 52, 270 pounds of CS II riot control edged that the cost of the sensor detection The fuel for one jet for one hour equals agent. The chemical CS causes vomiting, system alone had reached $1.6 billion by 2Y2 months of food for a family Of four. nausea, tears, and muscle spasms. It can November 1970. (Science lor the People, 11/71) cause death to the elderly, infants, and the SOME FIGURES One aircraft carrier costs the same a.mount sick. • as public housing for 270,000 people. M-36, 800 pound casing containing 182 1966-71, total all' war costs, $27.5 b1lllon, (Sen. George McGovern, NYT, (12/6/71) Incendiary bomblets. or apprOXimately %. of the war's overall costs. PAVE PAT II, 2,500 pound propane gas (Cornell study). ON THE OTHER HAND bomb, used as an Incendiary device. 1971, $2.79 bUlion, or approximately $60 While the AdmInlstra.tlon spent nearly $3 CBU 28, Dragontooth mine. Anti-personnel, per famlly of four. b1ll10n on the air war In 1971, the Presi­ area denial mine. Operating costs: $2.2 bill1on. dent: OBU 34/42, WAAPM, Wide Area Anti-Per­ Aircraft attrition: $.6 bUllon (Ibid.). (1) Vetoed the $2.1 b1ll10n daycare-child­ sonnel Mine. WAAPM Is an area denial weap­ Cost per day, 1971, $7.64 mill1on. care bill; on with a spraying pattern of 60 meters. Projected costs, $2 to 4 billion annually (2) Vetoed the Publ1c Works BUl due to Its CBU 24/49, Anti-vehicular bombs. The CBU (Cornell study). allocation of $2 Ib1ll10n for federally financed 24 detonates on Impact; the 49 Is dropped CHRISTMAS RAIDS AGAINST NORTH VIETNAM jobs In areas of high unemployment; ahead of a convoy and uses a time delay fuse. Estimated cost of plane, losses Dec. 17­ (3) Called for an OEO cutback of $545 CBU 46, Flechette bomb1ets. Each bomblet mUllon In Its FY 1972 budget; Jan. 1: $24 m11lion (conservatively tallied (4) Called for a cutback of $50 mlll10n has hundreds of 1 Inch barbed "naUs" that at $2 mUllon/plane, 12 planes lost, 000). are designed to enlarge wounds and shred In aid to elementary and secondary schools Sortie costs: $8.5 million (based on DoD in Its FY 1972 bUdget; body. organs. Hundreds of bomblets can be figure of 1,000 sorties) . dropped In a single sortie. (5) called for a cutback Of $88 m1llion for PRODUCTION COSTS XM-51E, Gravel mine. 3 Inch cloth bag the school milk program In its FY 1972 containing explosive powder and two plastic 1 B-52, $8 mil110n (AP dispa.tch, 1/9/72). budget; 1 F--4, $4 million (Sec. Seamans, 1972 Air (6) called for a cutback of $28 mnUon In pellets. Operation is sim1l1ar to the dragon­ aid to publlc health centers and clinics In Its tooth. An added feature I.s the use of plastic, Force Appropriations Hearings) . which necessitates exploratory surgery. 1 Huey Helicopter, $250,000 (Ibid.) FY 1972 budget; 1 Shrike air-delivered missile, $35,000 (CBS (7) Called for $132 mUlIon less than Con­ (The above data was gathered from the gress had previously authorized for soUd hearings of the Electronic Battlefield Sub­ News, 1/19/72). 1 aircraft carrier, $960 mUUon (Sen. Allen waste disposal programs In Its FY 1972 committee of the Preparedness Subcommit­ Ellender, CR, 1/25/72). budget; tee, of the Senate Committee on the Armed (8) Called for $129 million less than Con­ Forces, Nov., 1970.) ELECTRONIC BATTLEFIELD gress preViously authorized for the fight "Phosphorus has the particularity that Total costs, $3.25 billion (Sen. WUlla.m against air pollution In its FY 1972 budget; Inside the wound or burn, it burns slowly. Proxm!re, CR, 3/23/71, based on Senate Elec­ (9) Called for $92 mUllon less than Con­ On occasion this slow combustion lasts up tronic Battlefield Hearings). gress previously authorized to combat alco­ to 15 days. At night can be seen the greenish Future costs, as high as $20 bll110n (Sen. holism in Its FY 1972 bUdget; light produced by the material that con- WlIllam Proxmlre, OR, 7/13/70). (10) Announced that It had spent only March 23, 1972 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD -SENATE 9827 $422 mlllion of the $1.25 blllion allocated by $3.25 blllion before Congress was informed." jet engines; F-ll1 engines; $35 milllon a year Congress in FY 1971 for the construction of (Report of Senate Armed Services Commit­ for Navy A-4 and A-6 engines; soUd waste treatment facilities; tee on its Electronic Battlefield Hearings, Hamilton Standard subsidiary: wingsweep (11) Called for expenditures of $900 mil­ 11/24/70) actuators for the F-14; lion less than recommended by the Urban "Honeywell'S production of fragmentation Radar and cockpit display systems, and Coalltion for federal assistance to urban weapons has greatly increased since Nixon weapons delIvery systems; areas In its FY 1972 bUdget. took office and began 'winding down' the war. Sikorsky subsidiary: CH-53A/D heli­ The ,above figures are less timely now due In 1968, the Army bought 41,987,278 frag­ copters, $50 mlllion a year. to the Administration's recent release of its mentation weapons. In 1970, it bought (Richard Krushnlc and Susan Wolf, "More propoEed FY 1973 bUdget. While this budget 101,001,700-more than twice as many. As than any other State In the U.S., Conn. Is the contains generally moderate increases for do­ measured by corporate production of kl1ling Warfare State," pamphlet, NEARMIC, 2/72) mestic programs, it stlll allocated only $430 machinery, the war is winding up, not "Air Force.-We were pieased to announce, million for the war on cancer. "[The] Na­ down." (Honeywell Project, "Honeywell: In the May Scope, the winning of the 20 tional Cancer Institute got far less than it Controllers of Power, Masters of War," 1971) rum SAPHE projectile development project felt it needed." (Post 1/25/72) Contracts of Honeywell, Inc. to produce from Eglin. . .. This is one of a family of HUD's 'budget for 1973 was below Its 1972 anti-personnel weapons for use In Indo­ ammunition programs that we are trying to level, containing a $50 million cut In federal china: get under our belt. On the Air Force produc­ SubEidies for private apartment rentals. $50 million for Submarine Tactical Mis­ tion side, the big item-the W AAPM air The FY 1973 budget contained no new sile, to fire cluster bomb unit-laden missiles delivered mine--Is enjoying a fine reputation money requests for water and sewer grants. from offshore; In actuai use; its performance is very good." Congress has appropriated $850 mlllion since $55,000 for research and development on (SCOPE, a Honeywell in-house publlcatlon, mid-1970, of which only $550 mlllion has the Dart Bomb whose spinning darts "grind 6/69) been spent by the Executive branch. up human fiesh;" "Our Air Force business continues to grow, $6 million for a Fuel Air Explosive Muni­ IMPLICATIONS-WAR ON THE CHEAP and this pattern will continue into 1970. The tion, designed to cause a vast incendiary ex­ procurement 'mix,' however, is having some "A continuing air war, largely conducted pioslon of vaporized fuel; large excursions, creating serious impacts on and entirely supported by the U.S., wlll in­ Over $100 ml1lion for the Wide Area Anti­ our factory. In general, FY70 quantities ap­ filet ever-widening costs on the peoples of Personnel Mine. pear to be emphasizing cluster bombs and Indochina while reducing U.S. costs to little (Ibid.) minimizing unitary warhead bombs and more than a normal peacetime readiness "Raytheon Co., largest war manufacturer fuzes. This is good for our CBU production at level for 'permanent war.' When one takes In. Massachusetts, makes 80 percent of all St. Louis Park, but It hurts our bomb fuze into account the future technological possi­ U.S. aircraft borne missiles. Its contracts for production at Hopkins." (Ibid.) bilities for warfare-from-a-distance and the Sparrow and Sidewinder air-to-air mis­ "Air Force F-15. Sperry's There! For this when one considers the relative cheapness of siles, both used In Indochina, have totaied nation's newest air superiority fighter-being this kind of mechanized war for the U.S., $735 million between 1966 and 1972. The sur­ built by McDonnell-Douglas-Sperry is de­ there emerge far-reaching implications for face-to-air Hawk missile, produced for use in veloping the attitUde and heading reference the possible future conduct of American for­ Indochina as well as for .saie to Israel and system, the digital air data computer, the eign polley." Jordan, has accounted for $730 million in mUltifunction display, and the fiux valve." (Cornell study) Raytheon contracts in the same period. A (Sperry Rand Flight Systems ad, Air Force CORPORATE INVOLVEMENT GAO study found a 30 percent inemclency Jl,fagazine, 7/71) The air war Is dependent on the readiness rate In Hawk production." (Richard Krush­ "Safe. New PrOXimity Fuze can only be of manufacturing and research companies nlc, "Raytheon Company: Heart of the Mas­ armed after leaving the plane. .. The new to seek contracts for the development and sachusetts M1lltary Industry Complex," 1971. SAFE fuze Is based on Motoroia's experience production of weapons systems. The war in­ Contract values are quoted by Krushnic from in advanced and current GP bomb fuzing, dustry !s a lucrative one; profits from weap~ W. E. Hutton & Co., "Field Report on Ray­ dispenser fuzing, misslle and rocket fuzing, ons manufacture are SUbstantially higher theon Company," 2/71, p. 16) gUided ordnance fuzing, artillery and mortar than profits from similar size nonmilitary These were the leading mllltary contrac­ fuzing,and Slll'all caliber projeotlle fuzing. manufacture. The continuing substitution tors for the Indochina War from 1965 to 1970, For more Information, write Motorola Gov­ of electronic weapons systems for manpower with total contract values in millions: ernment Electronics Division, 8210 E. Mc­ means, of course, that a higher percentage of McDonnell-Douglas $3,388.5 Dowell Rd., Scottsdale, Arizona 85252." (Mo­ war costs go directly to corporations rather Lockheed 1,455.7 torolaad, Air Force MagaZine, 1/72) than to soldiers, and that the future has be­ Textron 1,210.5 "Eiectronlcs is ,big business, and getting come brighter for arms makers. Olin 1,141.4 bigger, both here and abroad... The big "The Vietnam build-up Virtually assured Llng-Temco-Vought 974.5 question is the defense market, now leveling American businessmen that no economic re­ Crrumman $950.2 off with the winddown of the war in South­ verse would occur in the near future," (Pres. Generai Motors______780.4 east Asia. There are Indications, however, Johnson, "Economic Report of President lDuPont 681.3 that new and complex weapon systems, 'based Transmitted to Congress," GPO, 1/70) Boeing 646.2 on advances in technology, will be needed "Electronic warfare Is our business." Honeywell 642.4 to replace present systems. Such trends could (Headline from full-page ad by GTE Syl­ increase defense purchases of electronic (Washington Labor for Peace, A Rich Man's equipments and components and halt fur­ vania In Electronic Warfare, Convention Is­ War and a Poor Man's Fight) sue, 1971; see graphics section) ther decline In defense procurements. "Systems Specialist Electronic Warfare­ "General Electric supplies the rapid firing Smoothing the industry-government inter­ A substantial increase In business activities 20 mm Vulcan cannon and 7.62 mm mini­ face in this critical area is one of our main requires experienced systems professionalS guns which together can fire over 24,000 jobs at Electronic Industries Association to join our Applied Research Staff.•.. Areas rounds of ammunition a minute (from a (EIA)." (V. J. Adduci, EIA president, Air of responsibility wlll include: Receivers, single AC-130E 'Surprise Package' gunship). Force Magazine, 7/71) Transmitters, Computer Interface, Electro­ Such fire power capablllty in the air repre­ "One thing is clear... The military serv­ Optical Devices, Lasers.... The Halllcraf­ sents the military'S answer to an 'enemy' Ices, and notably the Air Force, are going to ters Company, A subsidiary of Northrop who cannot be seen, and whose presumed depend more and more on electronics for Corp. . .. An Equal Opportunity Employer" territory of activity must be overwhelmed both management and operational require­ (Ad from the Post, 1/16/71) with gun fire. ments. I know I speak for the electronics in­ "A General Accounting Omce survey of 146 [GE's other contracts to supply the Indo­ dustry of the United States when I say we military contracts showed a 23.8 percent china War inciude manufacturlng engines stand i"eady to do our part In satisfy.'ng the average profit on total capital investment for F-4 Phantom jets, Igloo White computer needs of national defense," (Ibid.) and 56.1 percent on equity (cap!tal supplied equipment, television guidance systems for "Goodyear Aerospace Assoc1ative Proces­ by stockholders). A private stUdy showed de­ the Walleye "smart" bomb, radar jamming sors can provide significant benefits In other fense contractors earning 17.5 percent profits systems, the "laser target designator" for radar, electronic warfare, communications on total investment, compared with 10.6 laser-guided bombs, and speciai televls!on and data base management systems. .. Air­ percent profit for ciylllan contractors of com­ equipment designed for night-time bombing. borne and ground based electronic warfare parable size, between 1962 and 1965." (A The company's annual mllitary contracts and radar signal processing tasks are already Rich Man's War and a Poor Man's Fight: A totalled over $1 billion In both 1970 and 1971. under way. You can put this technology to Handbook for Trade Unionists on the Viet­ 1971 military sales are estimated to have work for you. Save money and improve your system performance, When we say It, we nam War, Washington Labor for Peace, 1971) earned $2.60 per Share.] (NEAR!vlIC, "General mean it. For further information call Wayne "Congress was first informed in November, Electric Company," 2172) (Brubaker, our Digital Systems Marketing 1970 of military expenditures for an auto­ Some of United Aircraft's contracts for Manager) (216) 749-3631 or write Goodyear mated battlefield-expenses that began with Indochina weapons manufacture: Aerospace Corporation, Department 911 VG, the creation of the Defense Communications Pratt and Whitney subsidiary: $100 mll­ Akron, Ohio, 44315." (Goodyear ad, Air Force Planning Group in 1966, and totalled at least 110n a year for Navy F-14 and Air Force F-15 Magazine, 7/71) 9828 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE March 23, 1972

POW'S-PAWNS OP WAll husband, you can bet he's going to hear The large majority of POWs are pilots and An American has been shot out of the sky from me. We've been polite enough, and crews of the all' war In Indochina. and captured or listed as missing in action we know we've been had." (Star. 7/13/71) U.S. treatment Of Vietnamese prisoners once every three days since President Nixon North Vietnam's position on release of POWs The treatment of American roWs by the took omce. Hundreds more were prisoners "The more Nixon wants to force his terms Vietnamese may be a legitimate question. It when he began his administration. None will on the North Vietnamese people by increas­ Is highly debatable, however, whether any be freed as long as the air war continues. Ing his air attacks, the longer will be the American has the right to raise It. American There are those in this country who argue list of U.S. pilots captured In North Viet­ torture and murder of Vietnamese prisoners that the POWs must remain in prison, rather nam." (North Vietnamese Army ne'W'Spaper has been well-documented for years. than be released through some "unglorious" Quan Doi Nhan Dan quoted in NYT, "The commander of the A team, had con­ t{)taI withdrawal, so that others will not have 12/29/71) jured up a sy5tem of electrical torture. ,. fought in vain. But this argument assumes "It Is not we who use the prisoners as the captain asked questions of a prisoner, that we can "Win" some sort of victory that pawns. It is Mr. Nixon wha uses the prisoners who was stripped naked, and electrodes from will make our sacrifices in Indochina justifi­ as pawns In the polltical alms. But we shOUld these field telephones were attached to the able. wonder why Mr. Nixon still uses the polltlcal back of his neck, to his armpits, to his geni­ What if we must at some time withdraw problems for his alms. Why does he not tals, and his feet ... when the captain didn't anyway? We will at such a point have sUb­ make a statement: Now we stop any com­ like the answer, he gave some kind of signal jected these men and others yet uncaptured mitments to the Saigon administration ... to the sergeant Who gave him an electrical to more unnecessary years of imprisonment. and we will no longer maintain this admin­ charge and the fellow would jump and It is clear that further all' raIds will only Istration. And then the Vietnamese prob­ scream." (Steve Noetzel, testimony at first Increase the numbers and prolong the im­ lems will be very rapidly settled-both mlll­ Winter Soldier hearings. OR 4/6(71) prisonment of American paws. One thing tary questions and political questions. And "At another poInt, I had identified one of Is certain: As long as the all' war continues, then all prisoners, all American servicemen. the members of the village committees for VC more men now free will be shot out of the will go home." (Xuan Thuy, North Vietnam­ logistical supply, as I remember. In any case, sky, kllled, wounded, or captured until the ese delegate to the Paris peace talks, NYT, he was picked up and brought in ... as a de­ bombing ends. 2/7/72) tainee, not a POW, but a detainee. The fellow Treatment Of POW's was put In the same hootch with the four Number of American pOWs--January 20, cages ... and he was forced to lay on the 1972 An interview with a POW (Lt. Commander fioor with his hands tied behind his back and In North Vietnam: Totals David Hoffman of San Diego) captured dur­ they would Insert ... a woden peg, a dowel DODNorth Vletnamese______·385346 Ing the recent Christmas raids revealed the with a 5harpened end, Into the semicircular conditions of his confinement: canal of the ear, which would be forced Into In South Vietnam: .. 'How did they treat you, the people who ~ 18 the head Uttle by little as he was interro­ DOD 90 captured you?' I asked. gated. And eventually, did enter the brain " 'I was treated very well. I was taken to a In Laos: DOD 5 and killed the subject, the detainee .. ," village, their Village, and was given dry (Bart Osborne, Veteran, testimony before clothing, food, and medical attention for Dellums War Crimes Inquiry, OR 3/1/71) • Including 20 listed as dead by the North my broken arm right away, and I was given Vietnamese. a place to rest.' SECRECY-EXECUTIVE DICTATORSHIP "Some wives and parents ... believe that "Lt. Commander Hoffman appeared to be The all' war In Indochina is a Presidential top-level U.S. polley makers are being de­ In good health and was amazingly cheerful war, initiated and directed from the White lIberately misleading when they denounce considering the fact that he was a prisoner. House. For a period of five years, from 1964· the North Vietnamese as liars because the He went on: until 1969, U.S. aircraft bombed northerr­ Hanoi omcials say they can't produce an ac­ "'SInce being brought to the detention Laos without even the awareness of the Can·· counting of anything like 1,600 men [the camp here I have been treated very well. I gress, much less Its consent. The Presidell" total number of prisoners and missing was taken Immediately to the hospital, the has continued to execute the bombing cam.. claimed by DOD). (North Vietnam has pro­ doctors examined my arm and started treat­ paigns without once seeking the advice ane! duced a lIst of 339 men [as of 9/30/711 it ment so that it would heal properly. I have consent of the Congress. says have been captured.) These wives and been well-fed and clothed and provided good Traditionally the ultimate power of the parents suspect that Washington'5 demand shelter. My treatment has been very, very legislature has resided in Its power of the for the accounting is just a throwaway bar­ good.' purse. However, the all' war's funding is non­ gaining ploy for the Vietnam negotiations "Vietnamese In Hanoi had told me that specific, burled in the general budget of the in Paris •.. captured American pilots are fed more than services and so eludes effective control. "'I think they're misleading us for their North Vietnamese soldiers simply because of The secrecy over the nature and the extent own purposes,''' one Missing In Action the difference in their accustomed diets and of the war is maintained by restricting news­ mother claims. (Wall street Journal, 9/30/71) body size. One senses from the Vietnamese men's movements and access to information. Partisan nature Of POW families situation that they recognize the poUtical Importance Newsmen are not allowed to go out on bomb­ of the pilots and make considerable effort Ing raids outside of Vietnam Where, since Congressman Les Aspin, on January 22, to provide for them within. their means. 1969, % of the tonna.ge has fallen. All Infor­ 1972. "released documents that showed that Spokesmen at every level In Hanoi repeated­ mation about the all' war except gross ton­ the RepUblIcan National Committee has be­ ly stressed that they were committed to re­ nages and sorties remains classified. come a dominating infiuence In the affairs patriating all U.S. pilots, but only after a Although many of the real facts about the of the avowed nonpartisan National League rea50nable settlement of the war, which bombing have filtered ou,t to a small segment of American Famllles of Prisoners and Missing they insist Is contained In the PRG's seven of the public, the Administration's news In Southeast Asia (the major organized Point Peace Plan . . ." (Banning Garrett. management of the all' war has proved large­ group of relatives of detained and missing PNS, 2/9/72) ly successful. The devastation has been taken U.S. servicemen) ... The documents dis­ "'We are checking every possIble lead' off the front pages and TV screens. This closed that by April 1971 the GOP National and 'run out' every Indication that POWs modus operandi of secrecy has Ineffectual­ Committee was giving financial advice and might be released, Mr. Nixon said. But he Ized Congress' role in foreign polley deci­ polItical support to the organization." (Am cautioned against soaring hopes, charging sions, and mumed publle dissent, while plac­ Rep. 2/18/72) that 'we are deaUng with a savage enemy. Ing control over the conduct of the war Into "POW/MIA Famllies for Immediate Release one with no concern far humanitarian our nation's privy council. is angry at haVing to swallow ,the same story ideals." (Post, 9/29/71) "The All' Force says that only five men, about the President's plan to help American "If I was a prisoner of war, I would rather three of them milltary omeers, are in the POWs when every time a blll is offered and be captured by the Viet Cong than by the regular operational chain of command that a door is opened to help us end this war United states Marine Corps. The Viet Cong selects bombing targets In Indochina: Pres. and get out paws, the admInistration ma­ need prisoners for bargaining purposes and Nixon; Defense Secretary Laird; Adm. Thomas neuvers and pressures With scare tactics to we don't. After beating our prisoners, and tor­ H. Moorer, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs their key supporters In the House to slam it. turing them, and having a good time, we of Staff: Adm. John S. McCain, Commander "President Nixon has bla,tantly abandoned killed ours:' (Scott Camil, former Marine ser­ of Pacific Forces; and Gen. Creighton Abrams, the prisoners and is creating ;two residual geant with 20 months combat experience In U.S. field commander in Vietnam." (Post forces-one in Southeast Asia to continue Vietnam and nine medals, AmRep, 2/18/72) 1/17/72.) the war, and one In this country consisting "The $13.168,000* requested (FY 1972) for Symington: "Are you saying that the Pres­ of POW/MIA famllles who are not going to 'Missing in Action and Prisoners of War' cov­ ident of the United States ... [by himself) remain quiet about these defenseless pawns." ers the pay and allowances of the All' Force has the right to put U.S. mllitary troops in (Shirley CUlbertson, POW sister, Post, officers who are missing in action or prison­ airplanes over a foreign country over a period 11/27/71) ers of war ..." (Gen. Kldd, FY 1972 DoD all' and direct the bombing of that country •.." "He talks about a bloodbath," said one Force Appropriations Hearings) Ambassador William Sulllvan: ". •. yes, ladyllke wite, "but he's not kidding us. He's sir." (SSAC 12/70.) got to choose between President Thieu and * Note: Total covers only Air Force person­ "The carrier Is a particularly appropriate my husband, and If he doesn't choose my nel, not Navy or Marine airmen. Instrument of presidential power. Movement March 23, 1972 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD -SENATE 9829 of a carrier requires no prior consent ot not carry American markings, .." (Tammy with an A-frame. As Dr, Marvin Golderber­ Congress. It also costs very little, In extra Arbuckle, Star, 2/6/72) ger, director of the 1966 DoD evaluation of money, so such a movement Is Virtually out­ ". .. Asked about this change in U.s. air the air war. has pointed out, It Is impossibie side the congressional control over the purse policy, a U.S, Embassy spokesman here said to prevent 150 bicycles from moving through strings:' (Star, 12/21/71) he had 'no 1n!ormation and no comment' the Jungle. [Sen. J. W. Fulbright complains about Con­ on the report ..• Guzowski's statement Is gress not being Informed for 5 years about the stock answer the U.S. Embassy gives General ineffectiveness the U.S. bombing In Laos.) Ambassador Wil­ here tor any questions on the U.S. air war In "Half of the bombs dropped miss their tar­ liam Sullivan: "But It there were any direct northern Laos. U.S. Air Force attaches In get areas for purely technical reasons:' (Cor­ questions asked of me about U.S. air opera­ the office here with over 90 Americans refuse nel! study) tions .. :' Sen. J. W. FUlbright: "You see, to give press statements or see the American "These strikes provided the enemy With we did not know enough to ask those direct press .., The aim of this press policy ap­ about 27,000 tons of dUd bombs and shells, questions ... we were not aware ot these parently Is to cover up U.S. air Involvement more than enough to make all the mines activities [the bombing) though we had had In close support actions with Lao, Thai and and booby traps Which were thought to have some hearings on It." (SSAC, 12/70) Moo troops In Laos:' (Ta.mmy Arbuckle, Star, killed over 1,000 U.S. soldiers that year "Since February, 1970, we have been us­ 12/23/71) [1966J:' (Ibid., p. 4-8) Ing B-52s In northern Laos on a regular "MIlitary briefings give little or nothing In "Just as the senseless brutality of the basis, a fact the Committee had not been told the way of details. No news reporters accom­ Battle of Britain, designed to break the and that was not made public until ... pany the flights. And even the statistics on British Will, as psychologically counterpro­ May 3, 1971." (James G. Lowenstein and number of sorties and tonnage ot bombs ductive, so the use ot air power In Indo­ Richard M. Moose, staff assistants, SSAC. 8/ dropped are Withheld or lumped together china may have a siInllar consequence. Such 71) Witll the figures for Vietnam .. :' (Richard a reverse effect, though difficuit to determine "... there Is no real knOWledge of what Is DUdman, St. Louis Post Dispatch) with certainty, has been attributed to U.S. going on In Laos. We do not know the cost " .•. 76% of 96 sma.ll Villages In northern air power In Indochina by several studies. of the bombing. We do not know about the Laos were des.troyed by bombing In 1969. As one civlllan strategist put It, the best people we maintain there. It Is a secret war." Cluster bombs and white phosphorus were weapon for fighting a guerrllla Is a knife, the (Sen. Stuart Symington, SSAC, 12/70) used against the clvlllan population of a worst a bomber:' (Ibid., p. 1-8) "... the United States Is reluctant to plnce country against whom the United States Is "All bombing does Is chain you deeper to on the public record through the statements not at war. The bombing was done under the war. Bombing doesn't work. There Is not of officials precise definitions ot what the the direction and control of the State De­ a shred of evidence that It works:' (Leslie U.S. involvement or operations In Laos have partment, not the U,S. Air Force. Both the Gelb, director of the DoD task force that entailed:' (Ibid.) extent of the bombing and Its impact on the prepared The Pentagon Papers, 2/4/72) "We made a big thing ... about stopping clvUian popula.tlon of Laos have been dellb­ Hansen: "F-105s dropped 654 bombs and the North Vietnam air strikes. But at the er8ltely concea.led by the State Department 32 Bullpup missiles In over 100 sorties against same time, we were increasing In secret the for at least the past 9 months which have a bridge In North Vietnam [Thanh Bridge] air strikes against Laos." (Ibid.) elapsed since the July 10 report:' (Rep. Paul ,,. Five aircraft were lost and the bridge "There Is an evident determination among McCloskey, SRS 4/71) . never did collapse," us officials In Laos to prosecute the war With "By 1967 the 'CIA had become a torceful sen. Young: "With all those bombs they only gradually reduced secrecy .. :' (SSAC. advocate of bombing population centers In never got near the bridge?,' 8/71) Pathet Lao territory. Unlike Vietnam, where Hansen: "That Is correct. The delivery ac­ "There Is considerable doubt In my mind," its main function was Intelligence-gathering, curacy was so poor that even though a large sen. Symington told his colleagues. "whether the CIA has been Intimately Involved In op­ number of bombs were dropped and several the Congress, It presented with a straight­ erations here. ]tdirects the 30,000 mail Armee planes were lost In the effort, there were not forward proposal to spend half a billion dol­ Clandestine, which does the bulkof the :fight_ enough bombs that were put on the precise lars to carryon such activities [within LaosJ Ing. And With its own team ot photo Inter­ points that they had to be to blowout the would have agreed to do so; but Insofar as pretors, control of reconnalss&nce aircraft, bridge:' (Asst. Seey. of the Air Force Grant we can determine, no congressional commit­ and teams of local ground observers the CIA Hansen, Senate DoD Appropriations Hear­ tee, before this year, was ever given any com­ plays a key role In targeting sessions as well. Ings, 4/27/71) prehensive picture of our operations In As the Armee Clandestine began suffering Gen, Tompkins: "Mo&t H, & 1. [harassment Laos," (Sen. Stuart Symington, SSAC, 12/30) reverses on the ground, the CIA held that and Interdiction) fire Is utterly worthless. "Because of the Vietnam experience, Con­ heavy bombing of the Pathet Lao civilian In­ What you are doing Is map-type fire at likely gress Is keeping a tight purse string on Cam­ frastructure was necessary." (Fred Bran!ma.n, assembly areas, crossroads and trail, and you bodian aid. The Nixon administration has Boston Globe, "AIr War: Laos," 12/70) hope you will bong somebody. It Is a great gone behind congressional backs, however, to "The Pentagon Is concea.llng essential facts waste of ammunition:' sneak military supplies Into Cambodia regarding its expenditure at more than $3 Sen. Cannon: "Is there any way you could through South Vietnam and Indonesia:' blUlon on the electronic battlefield:' (sen. prOVide us With the cost effectiveness of H. & (Post, 1/11/72) William Proxmlre, OR, 5/23/71) 1. fire, or is that Impossible?" "The only figure the people ot the Unlten INEFFECTIVENESS Gen. Tompkins: "Unless you are blessed States know we are putting into Laos Is some with the luck of the devil, I would say It Is 50 million In economic aid, but when you add The bombing does not stop guerrllla. ad­ zero return on H. & I:' (Maj. Gen. R, McC, up the figures ... it Is over a bllllon and a vances on the ground or significantly Impair Tompkins, former commanding general, half dollars annually that we are spending:' the fiow of supplies, It Is mllltarlly and pollt­ Third Marine Division, Vietnam; Electronl0 (Sen. Stuart Symington, SSAC, 12/70) Icnlly counterproductive because of Its Battiefield Hearings, Senate, 11/19/70) tendency to alienate civlllans and assist In­ "A strict gray-out Is imposed on U.S. oper­ Ho Chi Minh Trail interdiction ations ... with little Information besides surgent recruitment. officiai reports available to the press. Report­ The guerr!lla nature of the fightlng neu­ "The air war Is not even militarily effective. ers are not permitted to accompany attack tralizes much of the traditional combat role Secretary of Defense McNamara revealed 111 and spotter pianes as they are In Vietnam. of air power. American planes can rarely lo­ 1968 that It could at best reduce the fiow of Pilots are under Instructions not to talk to cate enemy forces who move in small groups supplies along the Ho Chi Minh Trail by only newsmen. The Air Attache In Vientiane is by night under the cover of the forest. The 10-15 percent, at a cost over $100,000 per similarly inaccessible .. :' (Sen. Mike Gravel, number of stationary "ml11tary" targets In a truck destroyed. Former Under Secretary of CR, 10/5/71) guerrilla war are relatively few and strategi­ Defense Townsend Hoopes has pointed out "American reporters are not permitted to cally unimportant, Those that are struck that in the history of bombing campaigns, film air bases in Thailand primarily became are quickly repaired. DoD statistics Indicate oniy when the sources of production are at­ the Administration does not want the vast that less than 10 percent of all sorties are tacked can the iogistical flow of supplies be installations publicized:' IPhil Jones. CBS fiown In close alr support of embattled effectively impaired. In this case that wouid News. 12/21(71) troops, The vast majority of the raids Involve involve strikes against China and the Soviet "Requests to go to other places were turned "harassment and interdiction" missions Union:' (Sen. Mike Gravel, CR, 10/5(71) down ... The U.S. stlll does not admit to all against an unidentifiable enemy and elusive "The North Vietnamese continue to be able American casualties in Laos. It wlll give air logistical networks. to get the supplies to Cambodia and South casualties on U.S. missions originating in Efforts at interdiction have proyen ex­ Vietnam they require." (Senate Foreign P..ela­ Laos. but not from the 7th Fleet, Vietnam or tremely costly and ineffectl\'e, undermlned tlons Committee Staff Report, 4/71) Thailand, and downed In Laos. U.S. air at­ by the very low level of externally supplied "One reason why there Is some skepticism taches here refuse to talk to the press, Saigon materials necessary to tuel the Insurgency about tntck kllls claimed by the Air Force and by the willingness of the Russians and Is that the total figure for last year greatiy gives some of the U.S. air losses but no de­ the Chinese to provide the level of aid neees­ exceeds the number of trucks believed by tails of the sorties. U.S. forward air COThtrol­ sary to replace any losses. The DoD has esti­ the Embassy to be in all of North Vietnam lers and combat airmen continue to fiy !n mated that the Insurgency requires only 15­ (Ibid.) unmarked aircraft on Laos missions. Skyrald­ 30 tons dally of lmported material to main­ "I don't .care how many trucks they [the ers from Thailand with U.S. pilots. Lao air tain a moderate leYel ot 1loCtlvlty. This Air ForceJ claim, they Just aren't doing It. force TIT 285 sometimes flown bv Americans amount ot supplies can be transported in . We're getting about 10 percent, maybe and Ravens. the forward air controllers,'d; 10--15 trucks or on 75-150 bicycles each fitted 20 percent; we can't stop them. Never CQuld. 9830 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD -SENATE March 23, 1972 This goes back a long way, too. You just can­ 1964 has included over 500,000 sorties, 1.5 the size and increased the number of depots not stop an army by air bombing." (An million tons of bombs, and installation of a and eliminated choke pOints. Amerir·an military intelligence officer "with $3-5 billion electronic targeting network in "The second objective of the bombing, to long experience monitoring supplies over the the south. Restrictions on bombing of civil­ raise South Vietnamese morale, had been Ho Chi Minh Trail," in a dispatch from ians have been lax. Yet guerrilla forces con­ substantially achieved. There had been an Vientiane, DNS1, 10/11/71) trol more territory than before the bombing appreciable improvement in SOuth Viet­ Ineffectiveness in South Vietnam began. (PAW) namese morale immediately after the bomb­ "Despite the application of massive U.S. ing began and subsequent buoyancy always "The U.S. bombing effort in both North air power, the Pathet Lao now control more accompanied major new escalations of the and South Vietnam has been one of the most territory than ever before ..• We can only air war. But the effect was always transient, wasteful and expensive hoaxes ever put over conclude that the Widespread American fading as a particular pattern of attack on the American people." (Former Marine bombing has on balance had a clearly coun­ became a part of the routine of the war. Commandant David Shoup, The Atlantic, terproductive effect:' (Cornell stUdy, p. 11-5) There was no Indication that bombing could 4/69) "As the bombing increased the Pathet Lao ever constitute a permanent support for The U.S. has dropped over 4 million tons forces started getting more volunteers, whose South Vietnamese morale if the situation of bombs on South VIetnam, two times the attitude was 'better to die a soldier than to In the South itself was adverse. tonnage that was absorbed by Europe and stay home waiting for the airplanes to kill "The bombing campaign against NVN has the entire Pacific theater during World War you: .. (Monitor, 3/14/71) not discernibly weakened the determination II. Yet there is no evidence that the bomb­ "The bombing raises enemy morale and of the North Vietnamese leaders to continue ing has achieved any significant objectives. alienates civilians. Pathet Lao defectors in­ to direct and support the insurgency In the The most dramatic example of this was the dicate that before the heavy bombing of South. Shortages of food and clothing, travel 1968 Tet offensive in which massive bombing Laos the communists managed only a 30 per­ restrictions, separations of families, lack of throughout the country failed to offer any cent rate of voluntarism among their forces. adequate medical and educational facilities, barrier to free NLF movement around the However, after the massive attacks of late and heavy work loads have tended to affect country, including the American Embassy. '68 the figure jumped to almost 100 percent:' adversely civilian morale. However, there are While wholesale fiattening of South Vietna­ (sen. Mike Gravel, CR, 10/5/71) few if any reliable reports on a breakdown mese cities and .towns is considered a factor "Life in the caves has its inconveniences of the commitment of the people to support in American retrenchment after the offen­ for the peasanJts. It is even more serious for the war. Unlike the situation in the South, sive the overall effect of the bombing was the political and administrative people who there are no reports of marked increases of probably counter-productive to American have to rule an immense mountainous coun­ absenteeism, draft dodging, black market op­ ends by hastening disaffection in the cities. try, stretching from China to Cambodia, erations or prostitution. There is no evidence (PAW) where distances are counted less in kilom.e­ that possible war weariness among the peo­ NLF Recruitment Rates 1961 35,000 ters than in days and nights of marching. ple has shaken the leadership's belief that 1962 31,000 Nevertheless, the people work on without any they can continue to endure the bombing 1963 30,000 sign of giving in. 'Owls by day, foxes by and outlast the U.S. and SVN in a protracted 1964 46,000 night' goes the Laotian proverb. During the war of attrition." day the owl goes to earth in the shadow, but, (Pentagon Paper summary of 1967, Gravel 1965 (first year of intensive U.S. at night, the fox comes out:' (Jacques De­ edition, reprinted in F.A.S. newsletter, 2/72.) bombing) 120,000 cornoy, "Owls in thE" Grotto," Le Monde, IMPERSONALITY-WARFARE FROM A DISTANCE (Roger Hilsman, To Move a Nation, 1969.) 7/4/68) The United States in Indochina is at­ ChristmlU! raids Ineffectiveness in North Vietnam tempting a revolution in warfare, massively "Thus in spite of an interdiction campaign "What disturbed some pilots most about increasing firepower while placing the indi­ costing at least $250 million per month at the decision to go back over North Vietnam vidual fighting man far from the conse­ current levels, no significant impact on the was the feeling that political rather than quences of his actions. The gun-toting foot war in South Vietnam is eVident." (Secy. of tactlcai considerations governed the timing soldier of yesterday is being replaced by the of the strikes. A soUd cloud screen laid by the Defense McNamara, Pentagon Papers, 11/ technician who monitors computer print­ northeast monsoon blanketed North Viet­ 17/66) outs of enemy troop movements hundreds of "I don't believe that any amount of bomb­ nam. Phantoms Without remote bombing sys­ miles away and by the bomber pilot who tems were as reliant on planes with target­ programs strikes on an unseen "enemy" ing within practical limits would have sub­ acquisiting radar as blind men are on Seeing stantially reduced ..• infiltration." (Mc­ thousands of feet below. Killlng becomes im­ Eye dogs. And the overcast, the pilots personal. '!he new soldier need not confront Namara, Quotations, Vietnam: 1945-1970, ed. claimed, left them especially vulnerable to by William Effros, 1/67) dying men and mangled corpses. Instead, he SAMS, a costly lesson learned five years ago fills out damage assessment reports and "Twenty-seven months of American bomb­ at the price of many lives. Said an angry vet­ ing have had remarkably little effect." (CIA computes "kill ratio" probabilities. eran, 'If you can see the ground you can "Some pilots may have occasional qualms bombing study, 5/67, in NYT account of the pick them up easily at launch. When they Pentagon Papers, p. 535) about dumping thousands of pounds of come through cloud the booster is burned bombs, rocketry and napalm on an unseen "We do not believe that renewed U.S. out and they're almost impossible to see. In enemy, but these doubts appear to be bombing of North Vietnam (short of un­ 1967 we stopped bombing through overcast easier to overcome. ,., Aboard ship there 1s .thinkable massive civilian attacks) will have because ,there was no way of avoiding a fast­ nothing that distinguishes the identity of any measurable effect on Hanoi's ability to moving SAM. It's crazy to go through it all the allies or the enemy. The maps would be mount and support mllltary operations in again.''' (John Saar, Life Magazine, 2/4(72) different, but the carrier might as well be off the South at past or current levels." (Twelve Secret Jason study conclusions the coast of Nicaragua or New Guinea." spokesmen for the Federation of Amedcan (Peter Osnos, Post, 3-2-72). SCientists, including Leslie Gelb, director of "As of October 1967, the U.S. bombing of "When I was bombing the North, I knew DOD task force that prepared the Pentagon North Vietnam has had no measurable effect there were houses down there. I could see Papers; Morton Halperin, former Deputy on Hanol's'abllity to mount and support mil­ buildings and houses and structures. You Asst. Secy. of Defense 1967-69; Townsend itary operations in the South. North VieTed Kennedy, Chairman, SRS, 4/71) with weapons which wlU reduce or destroy cated weapons Just are not that discerning. "The Intensity of the bombing was such the w1l1 or ab1l1ty of the enemy to resist:· It makes little difference to the dead that that no organized life was possible in the (USAF' ROTC Mauual, 5/61) they happened to be Hving in to m1litarlly vlllages •.. jet planes came dally and de­ "The concept of pinpoint bombing is important part ot their own country." (Press stroyed all stationary structures ... the clearly a gross Idealization ... to offset release from the office ot Sen. George Mc­ v1l1agers lived in trenches, holes or in caves," bombing inaccuracy many more bombs are Govern, 12/14/71) (UN Advisor George Chapeller, from a paper dropped than are in principle necessary to "Our studies indicate that for every mll!­ on life In the Plain of Jars, SRB, 4/71, Ap­ destroy the target ..• (best Illustrated by tary casualty we get [from the bombing], we pendix IIA) the saturation bombing of the B-52s) •.. cause 50 civll1an casualties." (Sen. Mike "There used to be about 20,000 persons liv­ more than half of the ordnance delivered Gravel, OR. 10/5/71) ing in the town (Sam Nena) and adjacent vil­ falls outside the intended target zones be­ "Most Lao clvlllans learn very quickly that lages. Today not a soul Uves In the town. cause of purely techn1cal factors •••" bombing necessarlly tollows the North Viet­ Not a single dwelling was spared by the (cornell study) namese." (Ambassador to Laos, WUllam Sul­ American bombing. The destruction was more Before he resigned as Secretary of Defense livan, written reply to SRB qUflstion) than any I had seen in N. Vietnam." (Richard in 1977, Robert S. McNamara warned Lyndon "The weight of air-drop munitions de­ Ward, UPI release. 8/2/71) Johnson: "There may be a l1mit beyond ployed by tlle U.S. In the yes,rs 1965--69 was "The bombing is clearly the most com­ which many Americans will not permtt the more than 200 times the total weight at all pell1ng reason for moving, 95 % of the re­ U.S. to go. The picture of the world's great­ types ot munitions used by the Insurgents spondents indicated their village had been est superpower kllllng or seriously injuring during the same periOd." (cornell study) bombed, ~9% could not count the number 1,000 noncombatants whlle trying to pound An American once Intimately Involved in of times, 61 % had seen a person kllled," a tiny, backward nation Into submission on U.S. bombing operations In Laos says an (USIA survey of 200 refugees from nearly an issue whose merits are hotly disputed. Is erosion of safe-guards against Indiscriminate 100 villages in the Plain of Jars, cited SRS, not a pretty one." (Clayton Fritchey, NYP. bombing there has taken place during the 4/71) 1/10172) Nixon Administration. According to Mr. Je­ "Until recently the area (Plain of Jars) "Our pilots have never cared about being rome J. Brown. a reserve Air Force Captain provided a living for a population of more accurate in Laos. No one has any scruples ex­ and former Senior Air Force Photo Recon­ than 20,000. Now It is empty and ravaged, cept for one guy. Every strike out of here naissance expert attaC'hed to the Vientiane a striking example of what less than 3 years drops, but only about 1 in 10 are on target. Embassy, 1966-68. restrictions on American of intensive U.S. bombing can do." (T. D. All­ "The thing is the pllots don't care what Air Force operations bave been qUietly re­ man, Newsday. 1117(72) they bomb. For example, In Cambodia there laxed while control over the air war by the Oambodia was this clvman caught out in the open. American Ambassador in Vientiane has been "The bombing is a 'very significant cause One of our pilots was cruising overhead with reduced. (PAW) of refugees and civ1l1an casualties: More 8 CBU 46 bombs; the CBU has about a mile "The rules of engagement were strictly than 2 mill10n of Cambodia's less than 7 mll­ range. The son at a bitch Just went In and adhered to trom 1966 to 1968, but for all 110n population have become refugees since dropped all 8 of them to get this one guy, practical purposes atter Ambassador William the May '70 invasion and the beginning of who was kil1ed. When they later told ~m it Sullivan left (tn March, 1969) they appear U.S. and VNAF bombing," (U.S, GAO study, was a clv1l1an, he didn't give a --. .1'.11 he to have been discarded and are only cited to NYT, 12/5;71) had to say was 'too bad he got In the way.' .. OXVIII--62G-Part8 9834 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE March 23, 1972 (From a confidential Interview with a pUot, dred thousand of these randoInly burled 30 years of VIetnam's lumber supply PAW) throughout Indochina." (Ibid.) $500 million in tax revenue "The FAC pUots ..• said that we could not "Boun Than [11 year old Lao boyj stepped Half the mangrove forests in South Viet. destroy an area untU we had cleared the on a bomb while taking a bath .•. One or nam are "totally destroyed." (Cornell stUdy) action with the Province Chief ••• [laterj I two country people are brought to Luang "Land destruction Involves 80% of the asked Colonel Tho [Note: the ProvInce Chiefj Prabang hospital almost every day with t1mber forests and 10% of all the cultivated what his role had been In the planning of wounds of bombs that did not go off when land In the nation [South Vietnamj." (Sen. Operation Benton .•. I learned that his they were supposed to. .. It is easy to un­ Gaylord Nelson, press release, 1/29/72) method of giVing clearance in an American derstand the vlllagers' complaints that they "Before the war, more than 25 mullon acres milltary operation WIUI not to review the can no longer tend their bananas, plant h111 of South Vietnam were covered by forest, targets of individual air strikes or shelllngs rice. or let their children out to play freely." representing about 60 percent of the coun­ but to give the American ground commander (Michael Morrow, DNSI. In AmRep, 1/21/72) try's total area of 43 mlll10n acres. So far, the a blanket clearance before the operation was B. Cheeseburger Bomb war has claimed at the very least 3 mll1ion launched ... he said, 'I got a report this The power of the BLU-82/B "cheeseburger" acres at the forest cover. The herbicide pro­ morning that V.Co's blew up two churches,' or "Daisy cutter" bomb 'is surpassed only by gram has accounted for somewhat more than I said that I had seen American planes bomb that of a nuclear bomb." It weighs 7.5 tons, a third of this, the bulldozing somewhat less the churches. The Province Chief laughed for has an 11-foot length, 4.5 foot diameter, and than a third, and the bomb, rocket and shell several seconds, and said, 'Well, in the fight­ Is dropped by parachute from the huge 0-130 craters (plus damage from other munitions) ing you cannot always tell what is hap­ aircraft. It produces a mushroom cloud that the remainder." (Westing, EnVironment, pening, and you cannot always tell the dif­ rises 6,000 feet In the air. (Westing, Environ­ 11/71) ference between just regular houses and ment, 11/71) "Only We Can Prevent Porests." (Sign churCh." (Jonathan SChell, The Military Hal!) "The Daisy Cutter 18, in the words of one above Operation Ranch Hand headquarters, ml11tary ofllcer we met in Vietnam, 'a super Tan Son Nhut Alrbase, Saigon). ENVIllONMENTAL DESTRUCTION bomb with a super punch.' MACV has been " ••. On certain days aggressor aircraft In The air war not only continues to kill hu­ using these bombs on a steady basis for more three formations sprayed toxic cheInlcals over man beings, but is destroying the land and than a year and a half now, apparently with this road ..• The fire, consuming the dry ecology of Indochina as well. no mention of them in the olliclal dally, leaves, burned endlessly for more than one The bombIng continues to add to the mu­ weekly. or monthly war news summaries. One month. The fire burned the branches and Ilons of craters that have ruined much of the senior Seventh Alr Force officer explained to sometimes a fire-engulfed branch fell down land surface of Indochina, and produced a us, 'They have such a devastating effect that ... I felt [the area] was desolate, boundless mUltitude of malaria-breeding ponds. MU­ we hate to give them much pUblicity.''' and Wide open .•. around the control point llons of unexploded bombs and mlnes add to (Ibid.) there WIUI no longer a green leaf or an un­ the difficulties of the peasants in reclaiming More than 150 cheeseburger bombs were damaged tree trunk .•• All hllls and moun­ the land for farming. dropped In 1971. (Post, 12/28/71). tains look llke Immense brown shoals and The aerial spraying of vast areas of Indo­ LAND-CLEARING OPEIlATIONS everything Is brown, from high mountain china's crops and forests has deprived hun­ crests to the bottoms of valleys •.• Resin dreds of thousands of people of their llvell­ A. Bulldozers: Land-clearing 15 accom­ from bombs was spread over the roadway. hoods, in Laos and cambodia, as well as in pUshed with herblcldes and 20-ton Cater­ The burned resin was as black as bUffalo ex­ South Vietnam. Although the spraying pro­ plllar tractors With 2.6 ton, ll-foot wide crement and the unburned resIn looked like gram has been discontinued, its effects are "Rome Plow" blades and 14 tons of armor. dried frog saliva ..• a gust of wind blew. still felt today by those whose land has been The tractors have levelled over 750,000 acres Dust fiew llke smoke over the hllls ..• When defollated, and even more tragically, by those so far and continue at the rate of 1,000 we first arrived, mango trees blossomed in who have borne deformed babies due to in­ acres a day. This is "the most intense land­ January and Jo'ebruary and chestnut trees gestion of chemical SUbstances. clearing program known to history." (West­ blossomed in the rainy season. How fragrant Today, land-clearing Is accompllshed by Ing, Environment, 11/71). it was I Today nothing remains, nothing the "Cheeseburger" bomb which flattens B. Herbicides: 100 milllon pounds of other than the strong odor of the overturned everything within an area the size of two herbicides have been sprayed on Vietnam. soll." (Khanh Van, from 16-part series in football fieldS, and the "Rome Plow," a giant (Impact Of the Vietnam War)-20 percent Nhan Dan, reprinted in "Life Along the Ho tractor, in what has been called "the most of South Vietnam's forest area has been Chi Minh Trall," by Robert Keatley, Wall intense land-clearing program known to sprayed. (Bioscience, 9/1/71). Street Journal, 12/1/72) history." Over 5 mlll10n acres, 12% of South VIet­ The most recent materIal available on nam have been sprayed With defoliating WAR CRIMES ecologIcal damage In Indochina has been pre­ chemicals. A Japan Sclence Counc11 report The air war violates international law in pared by two U.S. scIentists who have done (1967) claimed that "anti-crops attacks several respects. Among the most extensively considerable research there, Dr. E. W. Pfeiffer, have ruined 3,800,OOO'acres of arable land in documented Violations Is the continued zOOlogist from the UnIverSity of Montana, South Vietnam.". (Stanford Biology Group, bombing of unprotected vmages and hos­ and Dr. Arthur H. Westing, botan1st from "The Destruction of Indochina"). pitalS, augmented by our 111egal fallure to Windham College, Putney, Vermont. Their "The AAAS Herbicide Assessment Commis­ aid civ1l1an bombing victims. Similarly, there most recent trip took place In August, 1971. sion that visited South Vietnam last summer Is no question about the Increasing use of EFFECTS OF BOMB EXPLOSIONS concluded that an estimated 6.6 b11l10n board outlawed anti-personnel weapons specifically A. Craters and Unexploded O.rdnance. feet of 1umber and other forest products designed to maim their victims. Another ex­ Number of bomb craters in IndochIna: 20 have been destroyed at an estimated loss ex­ ample involves the Geneva Convention pro­ million, (Post, 12/28/71). ceeding $500 milllon. Enough rice and other hibition of "forcible transfers" of clvlllans. Number of bomb craters In South Vietnam: crops to feed 600,000 persons for a year were American bombing In free fire zones (now over 10 mllllon, (Pfeltfer, EnVironment, rUined In the 9 years of spraying, and soU called "specified strike zones") offers peas­ 11171) . nutrients lost after spraying wlll not be re­ ants the grim choice between evacuation and Craters caused by the standard 600-pound stored for at least 20 years." (Pfeiffer, Sci­ life under the constant threat of death. When bomb dropped by B-62s are 20 to 50 feet wide ence. 2/19171). guerrllla forces command the support or und 5 to 20 feet deep. "The [crater] holes "Herbicides can cause genetic damage. tolerance of an area's populace, the Air alone would cover a combined area of about Within the last two years, there have been Force's unpublicized policy Is to treat civll­ 325.000 acres." (Ibid) numerous reports of Increasing birth ab­ lans as mllltary targets. The aIr war and the "Tile water-filled craters breed mosqultos normal1tles throughout South Vietnam, and resulting exodus of refugees have virtually and other disease carriers. MACV (Mllltary photographS of grotesquely deformed babies destroyed whole socIeties such as the Meos Assistance Command Vletnamj Information have begun to appear In Vietnamese news­ of Laos and the Montagnards of Vietnam Pamphlet 6-70 stated: 'Malaria has been papers." (The Indochina Story, p. 114). in apparent violation of the International causing In.creaslng concern In Vietnam ... C. Napalm: "Today, black is the dominant Genocide Convention. Up untll recently it only affected regions ot color of the northern and eastern reaches of "The attack or bombardment, by whatever I and II Corps. but has now spread to other the Plain [of Jars], Naplam is dropped reg­ means, of towns, vlllages, dwelllng, or bUlld­ areas throughout the country' .•. ularly to burn off the grass and undergrowth Ings which are undefended Is prohibited," "We tentatively conclude that those CUlti­ that covers the Plain and fiUs its Inany nar­ (Hague Convention, 1907, Article 25) vated areas hit heavlly With con.ventional "A m1lltary target is any person, thing. row raVines. The fires seem to burn con­ Idea, entity or location selected for destruc­ high explosives wlll be very difficult, it not stantly, creating rectangles of black. (T. D. Impossible, to recultivate •.• The imme­ tion, Inactivation, or rendering nonusable Allam, "Plain Facts," Far Eastern Economic With weapons which wlll reduce or destroy diate problem of greatest concern Is the vast ReView, 1/18/72, p. 16). number of unexploded mines, bombs, rockets, the wlll of the enemy to resist." and so forth that must be removed if the FOREST DESTRUCTION USAF manual, Fundamentals Of Aerospace land 18 to be resettled. Since the Depart­ 35 % of South Vietnam's 14 mlll10n dense Weapons Systems) ment of Defense reports that approximately forest acres have been sprayed. "95 percent of the respondents Indicated 1 to 2 percent ot our air and ground mUnl­ 6 ml1lion board feet of lumber have been their VUlage had been bombed, 49 percent tions fall to explode, there are several hun- destroyed, equIValent to: could not count the number of times; 68 March 23, 1972 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE 9835 percent had seen someone injured and 61 "It Is specifically forbldden- ... remains that the second term of this alter­ percent had seen a person killed," "(E) to employ arms, projectiles, or ma­ native Is genocide ... (United States Information Service survey terial calculated to cause unnecessary suf­ "Tbe genocidal Intent Is implicit in the of 20 refugees from the Plain of Jars, 1970) fering." (Hague Convention, 1907. No. IV, facts. It is necessarily premeditated. Perhaps "The Army Field Manual says that it is Annex, Art. 23) In bygone times. In the midst of tribal wars, illegal to attack hospitals. We routinely "Most of the victims of anti-personnel acts of genOCide were perpetrated on the bombed and shelled them. The destruction bombs are not kllled, rather they are maimed. spur of the moment In fits of passion. But the of Vietcong and North Vietnamese Army The pellets -from anti-personnel bombs are antl-guerrll1a genocide which our times have Hospitals In the South Vietnamese country­ designed to cause IrregUlar and hard-to-cure produced requires organization, military side was announced at dally press briefings, wounds. This sreves two functions. First, It bases, a structure of accomplices, bUdget ap­ the Five O'Clock Follles, by American mUi· means that Instead of a single man dead and propriations. Therefore, Its authors must tary spokesmen in Saigon," Withdrawn trom mllitary production, six to meditate and plan out their act:' (Jean Paul (Neil Sheehan, "Should We Have War ten people (as well as facUitles and supplies) Sarte, "On Genocide," Crimes 01 War, Falk Crime Trials?" NYT Book Review. 3/28/71) must care for him. Secondly, the sufferings of et al., ed.) "The bombers used IiOO pound bombs, CBU badly wounded victims tend to have greater "I remember asking one of the most senior anti-personnel bombs and napalm for the demoralizing effect on the remaining popula­ American generals In the late summer of 1966 destruction of hooches.- It was not unusual tion than the dead." (NARMIC, Weapons lor It he was not worried by all the civilian to destroy villages. To my knowledge no Counterinsurgency, 1/15/70) casualties that the bombing and shelling requests for approval of destruction of vil­ "A recent model of the fragmentation were causing. 'Yes, it Is a problem,' he said, lages were ever denied by higher authority." bomblet uses plastic pellets and casings, 'but It does deprive the enemy of the popu­ (Veteran of 20th Tactical Air Support rather than steel. The reason for this is that lation, doesn't it?'" (Nell Sheehan, NYT Squadron, 504th Tactical Air Support Group these pellets are 'Invisible' to x-rays, so doc­ Book Review, 3/28171) of 7th Air Force, quoted by Joe Nicholson, tors canot find them to remove." (Honeywell "U.S. Chief of Staff General Westmoreland Jr., DNSI, 1/3/72) Project, "Honeywell: Controllers of Peace, could be conVicted and hanged if the stand­ "Persons taking no active part In the hos­ Masters of War," 1971) ards established after World War II were ap­ t1l1ties shall in all circumstances be treated The dragontooth mine "is purely. anti-per­ plied to his conduct of the war in Vietnam humanely. " sonnel. If a person steps on It. It could blow ••• By the same logic, the top clv1l!an lead­ "To this end, the following acts are and his foot off. If a truck rolls over It, It won't ers of the U.S. could be convicted of the shall remain prohibited at any time and in blow the tire." (Maj. Raymond Anderson, same offense." (Brig. Gen. Telford Taylor any place whatsoever •••: Tactical Dlv., Air Force Directorate of Opera­ (ret.), chief U.S. prosecutor at Nuremberg, in "(A) Violence to life and person, in partic­ tions, before the Senate Electronic Battle­ Nuremberg and Vietnam: An American ular murder of all kinds, mutilation, cruel field Subcommittee, 11/19/70) Tragedy) treatment and torture." (Geneva Conven­ "Finally, there are the incendiary weapons, GENERAL tion, 1949, Article 3) the most famous being napalm. Develop­ "Is there any significant dlITerence be­ "In August, 1969. the jets bombed. Nang ments in this area Include new delivery sys­ tween killing a baae-In-arms by a bomb Pha eu, my daughter-In-law, was in a trench. tems to Involve more people, and new incen­ dropped from a high-flying aircraft, or by an A bomb landed nearby, killing her father and diary agents which w11l not wash out of the infantryman's point-blank gunfire? •.. The wounding her mother and two other villagers. fiesh but wllJ keep burning long after the at­ by now voluminous reportorial literature on She was killed, shielding her year-old baby tack," (CCAS, The Indochina Story, 1970) the Vietnamese war-leaves little doubt that With her body. Soldiers? Oh, they didn't come "Individual and mass forcible transfers ... air strikes are routinely directed against near the v1l1ages. They knew they'd be are prohibited, regardless of the motive." hamlets and even smgle habitations .•. In bombed. (Geneva Convent!on-Clvlllans, 1949, Art. 49) reliance on information of varying rellablllty. (Plain of Jars refugee quoted by Fred "In Laos, the Plain of Jars. once the home ObViously, these tactics are a response to the Branfman in "The Era of the Blue Machine," of approximately 150,000 persons, has been nature of guerrilla warfare, and the difficulty Ch.ronicle, 10/15/71) almost completely evacuated In the course of of sifting out the 'enemy' in a society where "Reports from South Vietnam suggest that the llttle-publlclzed war there. In January, there are many shades of Inimical activity, indiscriminate firing on civ1l1ans from heli­ 1970 about half of the 30,000 Laotians still and friend and foe are not readily distin­ copters is not an uncommon practice, In a remaining there were evacuated in a CIA­ guishable. Making fUll allowance for these letter to the New York Times (June 3, 1971), directed project," (CCAS, The Indochina diffiCUlties, however, It Is clear that such re­ Wll11am J. Simon, an adViser to the People's Story) prisal attacks are a flagrant Violation of the Self-Defense Forces in the Mekong Delta re­ Plans are reportedly underway to move up Geneva ConventIon on Clvlllan Protection, gion during 1970, wrote: '••. it cannot be de­ to 330,000 refugees to new camps hundreds Which prohibits 'collective penalties' and nied that individual commanders of hell­ of mUes away from their homes. The move Is 'reprisals against protected persons,' and copter assault units eIther encouraged their called voluntary. South Vietnam's Minister equally In Violation of the Rules of Land subordinates or turned their heads at the of State. Dr. Phan Quan Dan, said, "When Warfare," (Telford Taylor, Chief U.S. Prose­ practice of shooting at whatever moved in the refugees are moved out of tbelr camps, cutor at Nuremberg, in Nuremberg and Viet· many areas. Responsible m1l1tary officers and the Government can turn much of the land nam) civman officials at the highest level con­ Into a free-fire zone. Then it w11l be much "'In the mountains, Just about anything stantly registered complaints of indIscrim­ easier to fight the Communists," (John that moves is considered to be V_C.,' an Air inate rocket fir'! from Bird Dog observa­ Isaacs, NYT, 1/28/72) Force major told Jonathan Schell ..• And tion planes and "joyrides" by hel1copter "The contracting parties confirm that so, helicopters and small observation planes pilots that turned into massacres of peas­ Genocide, whether committed in time of go 'squirrel-hunting' for IndiViduals observed ants,' Veterans have also testified to simllar peace or In the war, Is a crime under inter­ In the devastated areas, using maChine-guns practices they call 'mad minutes' during national law which they undertake to pre­ from the helicopters, and calling In air which everything that moves Is fired at," vent and to punish," (Genocide Convention, strikes--'snlping with bombs,' This is using (Cornel: study, p. 2-15) 1949, Article 1) the aircraft for the same purposes that the "The wounded and sick shall be collected "In the present convention, Genocide Infantryman uses his gun, and the pilot and cared after." (Geneva Convention, 1949, means any of the following acts committed ought to be held to the same standards of Article 3. Sec. 2) with intent to destroy, in whole or In part, distinguishing combatants from non-com­ "The new American aid program for Cam­ a national, ethnical, racial or religious group. batants ... this certainly is not the method bOdia contains no funds speclfically marked as such: of dealing with civilians suspected of host1Je for clvl11an medical relief," (Nell Sheehan, "(a) Kllling members of the group; activity which is reqUired by the laws of war, "(b) Causing serious bodily of mental harm and is unlawful for the same reasons that the "Should We Have War Crime Trials?" NYT to members of the group; Book Review, 3/28/71) Son My killings were unlawful," (Ibid.) "The consignment of Vietnamese civman (C) Deliberately Infilcting on the group "Other specific policies applied In South war wounded to provincial hospitals that conditions of life calculated to bring about Vietnam are clearly open to question. These were little better than charnel houses has Its physical destruction in whole or In part," include the free-fire zones which would cer­ been a national scandal for the United States. (Genocide Convention, 1949, Article 2) tainly have been roundly condemned by The reports of the Kennedy Subcommittee "Bombings were aimed at the systematic America if any otber country has established [on refugees) describe the scenes of two destruction of the material basiS of the civU­ them; these must be violations of the Geneva wounded to a bed, no sheets or mattresses, no Ian society," (U.N. advisor Georges Cbapeller, Convention. showers, filthytollets, open sewers and Plain of Jars: Sochl Changes Under Five "The use of bombing to produce refugees swarms of files spreading infection. In con­ Years of the Pathet Lao Administration") so as to create these free-fire zones seems an trast the United States m1lltary hospitals are The Plain of Jars held the first Society in especially cruel 'deportation and other In­ models of modern science. Given the Wide history to be completely destroyed by total, human act' as referred to in the Nuremberg publlcity the deplorable conditions in these automated war," (Chronicle, 10,'15171) Principle. Vietnamese clv1llan hospitals have received The Americans are formulating. without "The Widespread indiscrIminate treatment over the years, would it be possible for the appearing to do S::>, a demand which the Viet­ of 'suspected' Viet Cong agents-a term ap­ responsible leaders of the United States to namese cannot satisfy. They do offer an al­ plied to virtually everyone caught up In con­ contend that the neglect was not dellberate?" ternative: Declare you are beaten or we Will fl.ict--seems a thin effort to circum\'ent the (Ibia.) bomb you back to the stone age. But the fact Geneva Convention of 1949 ('Persons taking 9836 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE March 23, 1972 no active part in the h06tU1ties ... shall in ganization and the will to prevan. Constant Moving, because of the daily threats to their all circumstances be treated humaneiy') . movement at night, wUUngness to undergo Uves, and comforting, because it shows that "There have been Widespread reports of severe privation, the ability to jUdge risks even kiddies have learned how to defend torture (or handing prisoners over to the and potential, unending patience, and a near­ themselves:' South Vietnamese for torture) which would mystical faith in indigenous traditions and Dan Southerland, Monitor. 3/14/70: "Aa seem to violate the Nuremberg Principles and cuIture----these are what have rendered the the bombing increased, the Pa.thet Lao forces the Geneva Convention. bombers militarily ineffective In the long run. in the district started getting more volun­ "The general bombing of Villages and ham­ Out of the battlefronts of Indochina, the teers, whose attitUde was 'better to die a lets would seem to Violate the Hague Conven­ war today is only partially one of ideologies soldier than to stay home waIting tor the tion, Articles 25 and 26 on bombardment of and national interests. For those under the airplanes to kill you' •.. the bombing tended undefended towns and unannounced as­ bombs, it is most immediately an epic strug­ to heighten the tlghting spirit of the Pathet saults. And the use of anti-personnel weapons gie of the human spirit against a barbarous Lao:' and napalm might well violate Article 23­ and Unfeeling technology. So far the human DRV. Vietnam #144: "A new wave of the use of arn:u; calculated to cause unnec- spirit is Winning. bombs caused heavy damage to a stretch of essary suffering. . William S. Turley, Center for Vietnamese road. That night. an important convoy was "In Laos especially, the use of bombmg to Studies, Southern Illinois University. in to pass. The road ought to be mended before dry up the 'sea' of peasants in which the Ind.ochina in ConfliCt, 1971: "Political par­ dusk. On hearing th1s, the ten girls of the Pathet Lao 'swim' would be, if proved, espe­ ticipation in the Democratic RepUblic of fourth squad then working a long distance cially criminal by all three standards:' Vietnam ... is extended to virtually all citi­ a.way offered to do the job ••. and the fourth (Federation of American Scientist Newslet­ zens ... the people take part in political ac­ squad kept Its pledge. But at 17:20 hours, as tel', 2172) tivities that affect their lives, such as pUb­ soon as the road was repaired. the bombers THE spmIT OF RESISTANCE licly criticizing local party cadres, electing came again and one of the blockbusters ob­ The main reason for the m1l1tary failures vlllage leaders, deciding when to move to a literated the shelter where the ten girls were of the air war Is th~ spirit of resistance of the higher stage of COllectivization, coordinating taking refuge. All the girls died a heroine's Indochinese peoples. the use of collectively owned tools, deciding dea.th just as they had fUlfilled their mlss1on. The Indochinese peoples struggllng against whether to introduce a new local industry or "In memory ot those who had fallen, the the Americans have an astonishingly uni­ not and how to contribute to militia train­ girls of the brigade retained their names in form and strong belief in their cause. They ing and recruitment ... repeated exercise of their squads and they worked tWice as much believe that they are fight1.ng a just war for a degree of political participation never al­ to do the job of the deceased. 'One more freedom and independence from foreign dom­ lowed In the pre-Resistance Vietnamese vil. basket of pebble, one more rock in the name ination; that just wars will be won; and that lage Is fairly convincing to the poor peasant of our ten girls: Th1s slogan was written people are more important than weapons. that the regime is just and its rule gOOd." everywhere at the road repair site, even on They see the United States as an invader who Konrad Kellen, Rand corporatIon, in Indo­ the road." has come from far away to destroy and kill china in Conflict, 1971: "Few NVA soldiers Arthur Dommen, conflict fn Laos: "It 18 and try to stop a socIal revolution. They be­ seem to regard themselves as Communlsts~ well, in th1s age of guided missiles and com­ lleve that it Is their duty to throw out the They see themselves as defenders of their puterized war games, to recall once again western intruders and their collaborators. country against yet another western Intruder What makes men fight in the PhJIipplnes, or The air war, far from stemming this spirit who can be made to desist:' in Indochina, What makes youth in their of resistance, has intensified it. At first, a Ibid: "Prisoner interrogations have re­ teens, with sharpened bamboo spears and large portion of the popUlation was simply vealed that, despite some problems between homemade revolvers. pit themselves aga.1Illlt shocked and confused by surprise bombings (Insurgent) soldiers and thc population as French tanks? What makes a squad of guer­ which occUITed while they were tilling their II result of the long war, the bond between rillas who have lived for a week on a hand­ fields or walking to market. Why would such them has remaIned close enough to provide fUl of rice a day brave machine-gun tl.re to "Iron monsters" Wish to annihllate them? physical and emotional support to the sol­ assaUlt a fortified outpost? Their confusion soon turned to anger and dIers. The explanation seems to be that de­ "The State Department's characterization even hatred. The massive and incUscriminate spite the rigors of the war, tl1e soldiers C011­ of Ho Chi Minh as 'the mortal enemy of na­ bombing branded the Americans clearly as tinue tOe treat the locai popUlation wIth tive independence In Indochina' did notquite aggressors-with no further proof needed. A respect and otherwise attractive behavior." ring true with young men and women who peasant's only choice was fight or join the Ibid: "The North Vietnamese government at ,this moment were defending their v11­ aggressors and their collaborators. is perhaps Olle of the most genuInely popu­ lages against French tlame-throwers and Blanket bombing has also forced the Indo­ lar In the world today. The 20 million North napaim bombs. It is not difficUlt to see Why." Vietnamese like it there, find the system Robert Keatley, Wall Street Journal. 12/1/ chinese to be more self-reliant, more imag­ just and their labor rewarding:' inative at the local level. They have mobilized 71: "Earlier th1s year a North Vietnamese Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam Courie''', April 28, jouma.list named Khanh Van presented a re­ resistance from the village upward, shar­ 1966: "They are ... mistaken In thinking Ing suppUes. repairing roads, creating medical marka.ble account of life along (the Ho Chi their bombs and bullets can shake the de­ Minh TraUI many truck trails. The account fac1l1ties, and disperSing children and old ter:l1liuaUon of our people:' people to safer locations. Wllere the bombing appeared as a 15-part series in Nhan Dan, Ibid. "Tile war of resistance against U.S. Hanoi's otllcial newspaper, and was presuma­ is heaviest. the people overcome the threat aggression may drag on. Our people may by liVing and working underground in caves. bly designed to rouse patriotic fervor back have to face new sacrifices of life and prop­ home .•. But it also tells more. It makes In northern Laos, for example, it is common erty. Whatever happens, we must keep firm to find factories, sl'hools, and clinics complete clear that trail workers are human beings­ our resol.es to fight the U.S. aggressors un­ not just abstract targets for high-fiying U.8. with electricity, undergrolmd. In all areas W total victory:' subject to U.S. bombing there is a strict jets-and that they too can hurt and bleed. Taylor's Briefing of Key Ollicials on the It tells of sUffering and pain. seemingly end­ and well-rehearsed discipline that promotes Situation in November 1964, Document No. cooperation and minimizes casualties. less hard work and constant danger. It re­ 87, NYT Version of Pentagon Papers: minds an American that the war is grim on The Indochinese have even found ways to "The ability of the Viet Cong con­ utilize the debris of U.S. bombing. Pots and both sides of the battletleld. And 11. prompts tlmlOusly to rebuild their units and to make wonderment at the tenacity of Hanoi's forces, pans are made from napalm cannisters; 011 good their losses is one of the mysteries of lamps from defused pineapple bombs; rings, and questions of why they believe this un­ this guerrilla war. We are aware of the re­ relentingly m1lltant road to politIcal power bracelets, combs and surgical tools from the crUiting methods by which local boys are wreckage of U.S. planes. is st111 so necessary •••• the account makes inducted 01' compelled to join the Viet Cong clear that the men on the traIl are not only The Indochinese do more than passively re­ ranks and have some general appreciation sist the air war. There Is a well-planned mortals but. specltl.cally, Vietnamese mor­ of the amount of infiltration personnel from tals-with a culture quite different from that strategy to shoot down the war planes. Peas­ the outside. Yet taking both of these sources of the attackers above:' ants throughout North Vietnam and the lib­ into account, we stlll find no plausible ex­ Ibid.: "Elsewhere Mr. Van meets a soldier erated zones have small arlllii which have planation of the continued strength of the taken a heavy toll of aircraft. The small arms who recalls that hIs ninth grade teacher, a Viet-Con;)' If our data on Viet-Cong losses Miss Kim Chi, told his class: 'If ever you fire forces the attacking planes to a higher are even apprOXimately correct. Not only do become soldiers, no matter in what armed level where they are VUlnerable to antiair­ tIle Viet-Cong units have the recuperative branch you may be, you must maintain an craft artillery and surface-to-air misslles. Al­ powers of the phoeniX, but they have an imposing appearance and a romantic qUal­ though such air defenses are primitive and amazing abll1ty to maintain morale. Only in ity.... For instance, a signal combatant ineffective by American standards, more than rare cases have we found evidence of bad shows his Imposing appearance by braving 1,500 U.S. war planes have been downed and morale aInong Viet Cong prisoners or re­ bomb smoke in order to reconnect the Wire, hundreds of pUots captured. corded in captured Viet Cong documents:' and he has a romantic quality when he in­ Confident that just wars can be won, and Dr. Pham Ngoc Thach, Minister of Health, stalls the wire on trees so that birds can that people are ultimately more important DRV, North Vietnamese Medicine Facing the perch on it and sing.' It's difficult to imagine than weaponry, mUlions of Indochinese have Trial of War, 1967: "It is a moving, and GIs getting similar gUidance:' joined the struggle. Aircraft are to be feared, at the same time comforting spectacle to George Smith, P.O.W.: Two Years with without question, but human Ingenuity is a see the children, on hearing au air raid the Vietcong: "The bombing got more and powerfUl antidote When there is adequate 01'- warning, calmly slip into their shelters. more intense. First they were coming a MaTch 23, 1972 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD - SENATE 9837 couple of times a week, then every morning, down. When they stayed up high. they could Battlefield Producers and their COnsumer then twice a day, three times a day, some­ not do so very much damage because they Products". (NARMIC) 10 cents. times all day long.... It really began to didn't know where we were. Branfman, Fred. "The Era of the Blue wear on me. Every day! Every dayl I'd get "The man who pIlots the plane Is a man Machine". Washington Monthly, 7/71. Excel­ up and try to eat my breakfast, and the just like me. He eats food just llke me. He lent overview of the alr war. Pamphlet lllus­ first bomber would arrive before I'd finished. has a braIn just like me. Ifhe comes to shoot trated with drawings depleting the bombIng I became very nervous about the whole me, I wlll shoot back by Laotian refugees. (PAW) 20 cents, 15 thing.•.• Every day was unnerving. Your "I wasn't afraId. cents-l0 or more, 10 cents bUlk. adrenalin was constantly flowing. I could "He is only another human being, just llke Branfma.n, Fred. "The New TotalItarian­ never figure out why they'd [Note: their me...." Ism". Liberation, SprIng, 1971, 4 page glossy. NLF captors] construct a camp at ground RESOURCES Shorter, more general than "mue MachIne", zero of a bomb range, unless they felt Groups (PAW) 15 cents, 5 cents bUlk. that •.. nobody woUld ever suspect any­ Branfman, Fred. "Life Under the Bombs". body of bUllding a camp at ,the end of a FollowIng Is a list of groups from which CollectIon of articles from American Report materIals can be obtained: dive path. On those terms I suppose it woUld based on Interviews with Lao refugees. Elee­ be safe. It made me nervous as hell, but we American Friends Service Committee trostencllled. (PAW) 15 cents, 5 cents bUlk. never got hit ... (AFCS) , 160 N. 15th St.• Phlla., Pa. 19102. Branfman, Fred. "A VisIt to a Refugee "I talked with Little King. [Note: one of AmerIcan Report Radio (ARB), 133 Mass. Camp". Liberation, SprIng, 1971. Electrosten­ his NLF captors) He'd been with them about Ave. N.W., Rm 101, WashIngton, D.C. 20005. cllled. (PAW) 5 cents, 3 cents bulk. as long as I had. I asked him why he'd joined Campaign to End the Air War, 339 La­ Branfman, Fred. "A Lake of Blood". New the NLF. He said that his family had been fayette St.• NYC 10012. York Times Op Ed Page, 4/7/71. Eleetrosten­ very poor, but that CUdn't prevent the Diem Center for the Study of Power and Peil,~e cUled. Air war In Laos and cIvlUan casUalties. regime from coming and taking away every (CSPP), 110 Maryland Ave.. N.E.. Washing­ (PAW) 5 cents, 2 cents In bulk. damned thing they had. He knew that his ton,D.C. Branfman, Fred. "Laos No Place to mde". family was just one of many. ... He felt Clergy and Laymen Concerned (CALC). BUlletin at Concerned, Asian Scholars, Fall. that they were the people Who should be in 627 West 125th St., NYC 10007. ' 1971. 30 page essay emphasIzing air war In control of the country, that they were his CommunIty Video Center (CVC). 1411 K Laos. (PAW) 35 cents. people. He seemed very sincere. Nobody was St., N.W., Washington, D.C. Branfman, Fred. "Air War Laos". Boston forcing him to stay there. He was very pleased Computer People for Peace (CPC), The Globe, 1/26/70. Pamphlet emphasizing CIA with the life he had taken up and was very DolphIn Center. 137 A West 14th St.. NYC role In targettlng and a.Ir war polley decIsIons. definitely motivated to winnIng the war.•.. 10011. (PAW) 20 cents, 10 cents In bUlk. I regretted not knowing more about each of Congressional Hearings (CH). Free upon Browning, Frank and Garrett, BannIng. them. TheY'd never told us much about request to appropriate commIttee. Also ob­ Ramparts, 5/71. "The New Opium War", The themselves. but then we'd never asked. We tainable through local Congressman or role of VANAF, RLAF, and the CIA's private just lay on our beds feeling superIor ... Senator. alrUnes In transportIng the opIum harvest In Gradually I had changed. I had learned Congressional Record (CR). Superintend­ Southeast Asia, (R) $1 back Issue, 40 cents hUmlUty, I believe ... I changed from my ent of Documents, Government Printing Of­ bUlk. arrogance and nastIness to liking people, fice. WashIngton. D,C. 20402. Center for the Study of Power and Peace. from my superIority to feeling that the Viet. Dispatch News Service International "Alr War In IndochIna Fact Sheet". 12/71 namese were pretty good people. Some of the (DNSI). 1826 R St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 4 page glossy. (CSPP) 20 cents, bUlk rates on honest cUlture of an oppressed people must 20009. request. have worn oft' on me." Earth MagazIne (E), The AgrICUltural Clergy and Laymen Concerned, "Alr War Fred Branfman, Washington Monthly, 7/71: Building, Embarcadero at MissIon. S.F., Ca. Fact Sheet". Ja.nuary, 1972. 4-page basic "IntervIews with Pathet Lao defectors Indi­ 94105. primer. including such Itema as definitIons of cate that far from breakIng the enemy's wlll, Earthllght Video (EV), 354 Broadway. Cam­ "tactIcal air strike", "sortle", etc. (CALC). the bombing strengthened It. 'Before, maybe bridge, Mass. 02139. Chomsky, Noam. "DestroyIng Laos". N.Y. only 20-30 percent of the young men would Glad Day Press (GDP), 308 Stewart Ave.• Review at Books. IncIsive presentation of the Volunteer to joIn the Pathet Lao army," ex­ Ithaca. N.Y. 14850. war In Laos and the role of alr power. (GDP) plaIns one defector. 'But by 1969, 90 percent Honeywell Project (HP), 529 Cedar Ave. 25 cents. and more wanted to join.' " South, Mlnneapolls, Minn. 55401. Committee of Responslbllity. "They Sur­ Former Pathet Lao soldier, Interviewed at IndochIna Resource Center (IRC) , 1322 vived: Sample Case Histories of VIctIms of Sayaboury defector camp. Fred Branfman. 18th St.• N.W.• Washington, D.C. 20036. AmerIcan Bombing In Laos", ContaIns 16 case Liberation, SprIng, 1971: "I was once up on LIberatIon (L) 339 Lafayette St., NYC histories; photos. (PAW) 20 cents, 15 cents the Iron MountaIn for four months ••• fa­ 10012. In bUlk. mous throughout Pathet Lao territory•••. NatIonal Action Research on the MllItary Computer People for Peace. "The Techno­ the mountain guarded the approach to the Industrial Complex (NARMIC), 160 North logical Warlords". Specifically IBM, Litton PlaIn of Jars. It was very Important. We held 15th St., Phlla., Pa 19102. and Honeywell; theIr aIr war electronIc bat­ It from 1964. The Americans did everything National Council of Churches. Offlce of tlefield contracts. (CPP). they could to get us off It. But they never Resource Studies (NCC) , 475 RiversIde Drive, Decornoy, Jacques. "Laos The Forgotten COUld. We called it the Iron MountaIn be­ NYC 10027. War". Le Monde, 7/68. One of the few West­ cause tbe Americans bombed It so much. The New England Free Press (NEFP). 791 Tre­ ern eyewitness accounts of the destruction Whole top part had been leveled off.... It mount St., Boston, Mass. 02110. and ongoIng Ufe under the bombs wIthIn was really desolate up there. There were no New HampshIre Peace Action Coalltlon guerrilla controlled zones, by a Southeast Asia clvlllans, no anImals or llvestock, just we (NHPAC), 28 Profile Ave.• Portsmouth. New Desk EdItor of Le Mon!te. (NEFP) 15 cents. soldiers sleeping In our bunkers. We even HampshIre. Dickson, PaUl a];Jd RotbchUd, John. "The had to carry our food and water all the way Non VIolent ActIon (NVA). 2143 Market St., Electronic Battlefield-WIrIng Down the up. Sometimes we would go for days wIthout San Diego, Calif. 92102. War", Washington Monthly, 5/71. (NARMIC) eating. Pacific Studies Center (PSC) , 1983 UnI­ 10 cents. "Was I Unhappy? Oh no. That was the versltv Ave. East, Palo Alto, Callf. 94303. Haseltine, WUllam. "The Automated Alr happiest tIme of my llfe. You see, we knew ProJect Air War (PAW), 1322 18th St.. War". New RepUblic, 10/16/71. 4 page glossy. we were protecting the people from the Washington, D.C. 20036. (NARMIC) 10 cents. Americans. Ramnarts (R). 2054 UnlversItv Ave.. Berke- Honeywell Project, "A Practical GuIde to "We were proud to be there. ley. Calif. 94704. . the Honeywell BusIness World". Honeywell's "The planes came over all the time. We Raytheon Pro.lect-Unlversltv Christian aIr war production: anti-personnel weapons would crouch down low until they got close. Movement (RP-UCM). 474 Center St., New­ and genera.l input Into the electronic battle­ then we would let loose. It was really a good ton. Mass.• 02158. field. Entire packet of materIals also avall­ feellng to be up there on the mountaIn. st. LouIs Project (SLP), 4372 Westminster able. (HP) shooting at the airplanes. Place. St. LouIs. Mo. 63108. IndochIna Resource Center. "Indochina "If they had only come to shoot me, I Stanford BIology Stndy Group (SBSG), C'hronicle #6 and #7." Booklet contaInlng woUldn't have cared so much. After all. I was Box 3724, Stanford Callf. 94305. Branfman's "Blue Machine" and "The Air a soldier. Also, we had our methods for hiding Unsell IU), 637 West 125th St., NYC 10007. Force's Secret ElectronIc War" by George and they rarely killed any of us. War R,esisters League (WRL). 339 La­ Weiss. The latter beIng a pro-war account "But they had been trying to k11l all the fayette St., NYC 10012. from a mtUtary magazine. Also a 2 page fact vlllagers In our regIon for years. The vlllagers West Coast VIdeo Project-Cosmlc Produc­ sheet. (IRC). are just farmers, they just grow rice. They tions (WCVP-CP), cio Ed Rasen. 9 Sutter St.• Indochina Resource Center. "summary of #300. S.F., CA 94704. the Cornell Alr War Study". Fall, 1971. An didn't do anything agaInst those pllots. I am excellent 8 page overview and statistical a Lao man. Those vlliagers are Lao, my ARTICLl!:S AND REPIlmTS summary. (mC) 20 cents, 15 cents-tO or people. Abbreviations below refer to resource more. 10 cents bUlk. "I wasn't afraid of the planes at all ... groups listed on page 45. Morgan, Terry. "Bombing Aircraft of the when they came low we woUld shoot them Another Mother tor Peace. "Automated U.S.". Arco PubUshlng Company, 1968. 9838 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE March 23, 1972

McReynolds, nave. "The Banal1ty of Evil". selected press articles to omcial government Neilands. J. B., et at Harvest 0/ Death: lVRL News, Jan-Feb 1972. 1 page. (WRL). documents. The material is surprisingly read­ Chemical Warfare in Vietnam and Cambodia. National Peace Literature Service. "War able. Foreword by Gunnar Myrdal. The Free Press, Crimes Bibl10graphy and Comment... In­ B) Senate Foreign Relations Committee: 1972. The most comprehensive and objective cludes Neil Sheehan's "ShoUld We Have War Impact of the Vietnam War, June, 1971; study of American use of herbicides and Crimes Trials?" (APSC). "HearIngs on Chemical and BiolOgical War- toxic gases. NARMIC. "Ho Chi Minh Trail-Two View­ fare," 1969. Schell, Jonathan. The Military Half. Vin. points". Contains 2 artIcles, one from a mil­ Excellent summary of war statistics includ­ tage, 1968. $1.65. SomeWhat dated but good itary journal and one distllled from North Ing refugees, cost, etc. in Impact 0/ the Viet­ background. A personal account of the de­ Vietnamese accounts of the Tra.il bombing. nam War. struction caused by the bombing. (NARMIC) 10 cents. C) Senate Subcommittee on United States Smith. George. Two Years with th.e Viet­ NARMIC. "Summary of NARMIC Back­ Security Agreements and Commitments cong. Ramparts Press, 1971. ground Report on the Automated Battle­ Abroad of the Committee on Foreign Rela­ Taylor, Telford. Nuremberg and Vietnam: field". 20 page glossy detailed overview of tions: An American Tragedy. Quadrangle. An In­ the automated war. No photographs. (NAR October, 1969 Hearings on Laos; dictment by the Chief U.S. Prosecutor at MIC). April, 1971 Staff Report on Laos. Nuremberg. NARMIC. "Corporate Complicity Packet". Very useful material. Especially effective OTHER InclUdes such items as: "The Components in revealing Congress' lack of Involvement In and Manufacturers of the Electronic Battle­ the decision-making process surrounding the Slide ahOtD' field," Aug., 1971, 10 cents; "Information on air war. Also useful for indexIng the dimen­ The NARMIC Slide Show on the Automated Researching Local War Industries," 10 cents; sions of the air war. Air War. Excellent. 140 slides. with numbered "The Pentagon's Top 100 Contractors, FY D) Preparedness Investigating Subcom- script carefully footnoted. Running time 35 1971"; "Movement Guide to Stockholder's mittee of the Armed Services Committee: minutes. $50 plUS $5 Shipping and handling. MeetIngs." 50 cents; a list of local war con­ Air War Hearings, 1967; Can be rented from the Indochina Resource tracts awarded In your community, county, Tactical Air Hearings, 1968. Center at $15 for three days. and state. $3 per county. The 1967 hearings contain some useful Air War Slide Show. From the New Hamp­ NARMIC. "Weapons for Counterinsur­ documentation of the bombing's ineffective­ shire Peace Action Coalition. 150 slides and gency". Excellent 100 page booklet, welllllus­ ness. Best source for North Vietnam air war tape soundtrack. Well done. trated, including listing of corporations in­ fallure. though, Is the Pentagon Papers. Films volved in weapons production. Unfortunate­ E) Electronic Battlefield Subcommittee of ly, currently out of print. the Preparedness Investigating Subcommittee "U.S. Technique in Genocide In Vietnam". NARMIC. "Domestic Electronic Battle­ of the Committee on Armed Services, U.S. Made in North Vietnam by the Commission field". Includes "War Toys for Adults". Bar­ Senate: November, 1970 Hearings. on War Crimes. Depicts anti-personnel weap­ kan. New Republic. and "Science Fictlon-