Word: boune
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King Savang Vatthana had designated three princes to form a coalition: Communist Prince Souphanouvong, "Neutralist" Prince Souvanna Phouma, and pro-Western Prince Boun Oum. Boun Oum invited the others to meet with him in the capital city of Vientiane; they agreed, on condition each could bring no troops and 30 advisers, but Boun Oum would allow a total escort of only 120, soldiers included. And so it went...
...Souvanna Phouma as Premier of Laos. Last week the hope went glimmering. In a candy-striped tent on the Lik River, at meetings punctuated by toasts in champagne and burgundy, "Neutralist" Souvanna was selected Premier by two fellow princes, his Communist half brother Souphanouvong and the dispirited pro-Westerner, Boun Oum. Worse, it seems evident that U.S.-supported General Phoumi Nosavan will be fobbed off with a minor cabinet post-or with none at all. His Royal Laotian Army is better trained and equipped than it was at the time of the cease-fire last May. But the most optimistic...
...desperate effort to salvage something, Boun Oum's delegates argued that the princes should confer in the no man's land of the center of the bridge at Hin Heup. This brought wild guffaws from the other side, as one of the neutralist dele gates pointed out that the bridge had been blown up and the princes could not stand in midair. The Boun Oum man came back with the suggestion that a raft be built and anchored in midriver. With a mock-serious air, the neutralist chief delegate drew a lurid picture of the dangers that...
...meeting, scheduled to start this week, the three princes are to select a 16-man Cabinet, which will almost certainly be headed by Souvanna Phouma as Premier. Four of the Cabinet seats will go to Boun Oum's supporters, four to the Reds, and eight to Souvanna Phouma's neutrals, who in most cases are not distinguishable from the Communists. Said a European diplomat: ''How can you expect the Western powers to accept a government with four from our side and twelve from behind the Iron Curtain...
...paper, the Royal Laotian Army supporting Prince Boun Oum looks twice as strong as the Reds. It numbers 29,000 regulars and more than 30,000 self-defense units. In the past year, the U.S. has. poured nearly $25 million into Laotian military salaries and subsistence, as well as undisclosed millions more in arms, munitions, vehicles and planes. Twenty-four U.S. Special Forces teams are busy at combat and tactical training. "The troops in the field are getting their mail, rice and pay," said a U.S. officer. "Whether they'll fight is the key question...