Word: indochina
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Kissinger's hand was even apparent in the key portions of Ford's address that dealt with places outside the crisis area of Indochina, where he talked about the need "to recover our balance." Ford showed more emotion, and drew his first spurts of Republican applause, on three issues known to be especially bothersome to the Secretary of State. In each case, Ford was protesting what he considered encroachments by the Democratic Congresses of recent years on Executive functions. They were...
...manner that at times suggested he did not have a firm grasp of what he was talking about. Instead of a thorough reassessment of U.S. foreign policy, which he had promised, Ford pretty much reaffirmed long-held U.S. positions. As expected, he declared that the U.S.'s difficulties in Indochina did not mean that the U.S. had been rendered impotent elsewhere. "Let no potential adversary believe that our difficulties or our debates mean a slackening of our national will," he warned. "We will stand by our friends. We will honor our commitments. We will uphold our country's principles." Although...
While generally devoid of new initiatives or concepts, Ford's speech did announce some new diplomatic moves. He said that he intended to meet with the leaders of Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Indonesia, as well as other Asian nations, to reassure them personally that the events in Indochina would not affect America's resolve to retain close ties with them. He revealed that he plans to go to Peking "later this year." As for the breakdown of Kissinger's shuttle diplomacy in the Middle East, Ford repeated the willingness of the U.S. to take the issues to a Geneva...
...sure, he could not with a mere speech assuage the agony or the guilt that many Americans feel when they think of the lost and ruined lives, or watch the suffering of the war victims on their television screens. The worry over what still lies ahead for those in Indochina, both Americans and those to whom the U.S. owes a moral debt of gratitude, is real enough. But something more could properly have been expected of a new President who had no need to feel fettered by the mistakes and the policies of the past...
Recent events in Indochina have raised questions about the accuracy of Martin's perceptions. "Politically, the South Vietnamese government is stronger than ever," he told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last July, while arguing for greater aid to Saigon. "Militarily, the South Vietnamese armed forces have demonstrated their ability to defend the country without U.S. ground support." As it happens, Martin, who normally sees President Thieu at least once a month, could not be directly blamed for failing to inform Washington of Saigon's decision to withdraw from the Central Highlands; the ambassador was on home leave...