Word: binh
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...McNamara flew north from Saigon toward forested Binh Duong province, largely controlled by the Communist Viet Cong guerrillas, gunners in the escorting H21 helicopters stood at open ports, scanning the terrain below over the barrels of .30-caliber machine guns. McNamara landed inside the defenses of a "strategic hamlet" called Ben Tuong, the pilot project of the U.S.-backed Operation Sunrise that was set up two months ago to isolate the population and to deny the Communists shelter and supplies...
...year. To cope with his problems, Diem had no cohesive civil service, could not even depend on a loyal army, since his French-trained military chief. General Nguyen Van Hinh, was personally hostile and forever plotting to take over the reins of government himself. A private gang, the notorious Binh Xuyen, actually operated the national police, having bought the "concession" from Puppet Emperor Bao Dai for $1,000,000. On top of all this, two powerful quasi-religious sects, the Cao Dai and the Hoa Hao, controlled large parts of the countryside, opposing Diem's regime and enforcing their will...
Gangbuster. In this crisis, Diem got little help from the French, who were alarmed at his independence, secretly backed the Binh Xuyen, and yearned for the day when they could restore to power the pliable Bao Dai. But the U.S. backed Diem to the hilt. U.S. Special Emissary General J. Lawton Collins supplied ships of the U.S. Seventh Fleet to help evacuate the hungry refugees, made it clear to troublesome General Hinh that the U.S. would grant no aid to any army that opposed the Premier. Diem whittled at Hinh's power by wooing important subordinate commanders, and when...
With the army behind him, Diem could at last crack down on the Binh Xuyen and the sects. The Binh Xuyen's power was smashed when Diem closed the opium dens, gambling halls and bordellos, from which it drew its revenues, then fought the gangsters with armed force. To crush the Cao Dai and Hoa Hao, Diem sent his troops out again with orders to shoot; bullets whistled through Saigon's streets and in the delta swamps before the sect leaders caved...
...take tougher action in Laos. Cottrell is willing to use rough, unorthodox methods to stop the Communists, works closely with Brigadier General Edward Lansdale, the Pentagon's guerrilla warfare expert who helped Magsaysay crush the Huks in the Philippines and advised Ngo Dinh Diem in his battle against the Binh Xuyen gang...