Word: nixons
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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...President has always been ambiguous about his exact schedule for ending U.S. participation in the Viet Nam War. But last week Richard Nixon laid out his timetable more clearly than ever before to a concerned and respected Republican Senator who was one of the persistent critics of Lyndon Johnson's war policies. Nixon's guest came away from the meeting convinced that the President intends to get out of Viet Nam "come hell or high water...
...Nixon told the Senator that he wants to "virtually eliminate" American involvement in Viet Nam by 1972. To meet this goal, he will pull out "nearly all" of the ground combat troops before the end of 1970; he believes that American casualties will have become "insignificant" by then. At the end of 1971, he intends to have withdrawn most of the combat support units as well. Thus, by election year 1972, the U.S. would have substantially fewer than 40,000 soldiers, serving only as advisers, in Viet...
...Nixon expects the enemy to "cooperate" in this exit. The President has been told by his intelligence sources that the North Vietnamese and Viet Cong are currently in trouble, that they have had their fill of heavy fighting. As Nixon sees it, his withdrawal plan will allow the Vietnamese Communists to "save face" by claiming that they drove the Americans home. He has also been advised that neither the Chinese nor the Soviets are pushing Hanoi to increase the present low level of fighting...
...fails to materialize by February, the rate of troop withdrawal-now running at about 15,000 monthly-will be increased. The Saigon government has told the President that it can survive the removal of 100,000 U.S. troops in 1969, and up to 180,000 in 1970. The Nixon timetable has been drawn up accordingly...
...factor not included in this formula is the possibility that the South Vietnamese army might be unable to hold its own once U.S. troops leave. Nixon seems convinced that Saigon can manage, but the Senator came away with the impression that, in any case, Nixon is determined to be out by 1972, leaving the South Vietnamese well supplied with U.S. arms and aid but otherwise on their own to succeed or fail-or strike a bargain with their enemies...