Word: pathet
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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That left Laos about where it has been since 1954-a wobbly stake in the free world's fence against world Communism. Under the Geneva agreement ending the Indo-China war, Red China and North Viet Nam both guaranteed Laos' independence; the Communist Pathet Lao guerrillas in the north were supposed to lay down their arms. Stoked by the Communist Viet Minh from across the border, civil war has flickered for six years, and none of the varying parade of neutralist and anti-Communist Premiers in Laos has been able to put it down...
Last week's resumption of aid amounted to recognition of the fact that Prince Souvanna has the only government in sight. The U.S. hopes to strengthen his hand in negotiating with the Pathet Lao. But the negotiators only meet on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. In Laos no one is in a hurry...
...past five years, the U.S. has poured $300 million in military and economic aid into primitive, soporific Laos to prop up a succession of anti-Communist governments and to help fend off the skulking guerrillas of the Communist Pathet Lao. About all that remains of that policy and all those millions is anti-Communist General Phoumi Nosavan, who is nursing his pride in southern Laos after taking a shellacking from Kong Le's para troopers...
Diplomat Parsons reportedly warned Premier Souvanna that there would be no resumption of U.S. military aid if he persisted in bringing the Pathet Lao into a coalition government. Shrugged the Premier: "If the U.S. doesn't like our neutrality, we will have to seek aid elsewhere." Parsons reminded the Premier that the Communists "are not interested in neutral governments, only in having Communist governments...
Drift to the Left. At week's end, Premier Souvanna announced that a garrison of Phoumi's men at Samneua had fallen to the Pathet Lao. Not so, said Captain Kong Le. His own men, aided by Pathet Lao and local villagers, had taken Samneua. "I don't care about the ceasefire," added Kong Le, who apparently commands the only really effective fighting force in all Laos, and likes to see things done his way. "We will keep fighting until all the Phoumi men surrender...