◆ SpookStack

Tn en ee re a ee ee Bee ee ee ke ee ome, Pe et Soe es peewee — = that could negotiate with the Viet tong. en te a a ee ee ee te ee ee ee are ee ~ . - 4 Voren's Int'l League fo. ai 2ceeh: Frécéos, 2005, eka ut Sy » hiledelphic, Pe. 19: ars . _ - «- a "os Loo Sty ; . a aa . . af : oe po ow Fd tro) Apr OS a . " * ee - : eet om a ’ wo Sas “e Press relecs2 of Morch 27, 3957 from A.¥.5.C, — “The United States has the power to destroy Vietnaz but it cannot vin the people ercording to Bronson PF. Clark, progrem associete of the Auerican Friends Service ‘Comittee, who hes just returned Tron a two rontks survey trip to Vietnan and So ezst Asia. . - ba South, think of thenselves ES ‘Vie ‘tremise end do: 5 thet they heve tnyaied thencelve cs," Cinrk seid, Tf we wish to ster tre Jess of American ené Vietn lives, then we mus e not defending fouth Vietric but ere in a cv enemies wei ft esr pattTag _ n es era ee moe APT aie FRAT AS = OM e--dt. tht 4 N TESEsve Elsi ber Flare a] hvOse Bererreene, Gl Vir Cavite OL PouLtd FYAe nan. "The Vietnerese, both Forth en ectept the efriristrsti a revorting to the Arh nt ‘Clark traveled extensively in V me Li arr members in Quang Ngai and in t leagers end students, fourn Saigon eree. ing to militery, personnel,’ Vietnenes +s Clark wes in Vietnen during the “Iron Tri angle" or “Ceder Falls Overation.” He. ported that the frericans steged fourteen con secuteye 5-52 raids, erplioyed nepal flanethresvers, defolietion en? u used ditch diggers and balldozers “until the jung doghed dike 2 Eient stos at Clisy kh het reed it oe. end forth. WooVet chaeti-s aftex - ae Vern Gl wa SLA Gy Gk conclusions of this cperation, the Viet Tong stased en antush which proijuced hea casualties to an Americen militery group. * So : "“Thet is the story of this war," said Clerk. "We have the ebility to move in fo where we wish, but cennot in fect pac ify 4 in any fignificent way. The militery indicate thet ’ che war ispe five-year wer et e mirimom and that many more Arerice ‘troops would have to be employed." Clark saf4 that the edministretion in Veshin as demanding of our military vareasoneble- dates and wunetteinable Onjectives. Clark said there were tyo ryths holding up negotietiors. The first ryth, thet w have almost won the war, is contrary to the facts in the field. Even those pro- vinces which are declared "pacified" are, in fect, wisefe For x Americans wno live in forts surrounded by barbed wire end only venture out an ar rmed strength. “The second myth,” said Clerk, “is the con ntinual stress. on negotiations when, ‘An fact, the Americen position in Vietnam is to drive forvard with the war in order to in" something, Clark indicated thet, if tbe Americans were sincere about ~ negotiations, tacy should irzsiiateiy aliow a free press ané pernit Buidhists, doctors, journelists, and other Saigon intellectuals en Cpporsunity to agin to discuss negotiat Zons with the National Literation Front. "Ye cemot convince the Front we wisn to negotiate: when we . make ‘it Smpossible fo the Vietinenese to workout enong thenselves whet form of government mignt ensrge To help with negotiations, Anericans n en international. presence in Vietuen, to serve es a ncdietor end to essist the - ..debnson aininistration in ecouiring a practicel politicel procedur e fi ai Retehe ee fron Vietaz= a, witnout poli ijtical t trauma in the United States. a