Word: phoumi
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...Laos, chose to fan the flames, the U.S. reaction would be immediate. For every two guns the Communists sent to the Pathet Lao. the U.S. was prepared by way of "escalation"' to ship three to the pro-Western army of Premier Boun Oum and his strongman, General Phoumi Nosavan...
While the big powers were talking over the heads of the Laotians, General Phoumi. most anti-Communist of Laotian leaders, journeyed to Cambodia last week to see self-exiled Neutralist Prince Souvanna Phouma, who was just back from a visit to northern Laos, where he hailed the pro-Communist rebels as "liberators." Surprisingly, the two old enemies agreed to a three-nation commission of neutrals (Malaya, Burma and Cambodia) to supervise a cease-fire in Laos. In return for Souvanna's assent. General Phoumi. with U.S. encouragement, promised to support Souvanna's policy of "strict neutrality...
...sort of Buddhist Falstaff." One of Boun Oum's supporters called him "the most representative personality of the kingdom"-by which was meant that he is excessively fond of drinking and wenching. In fact, Boun Oum owes his position to the strong man on the Western side-General Phoumi Nosavan. an anti-Communist soldier who captured Vientiane three months ago and forced Souvanna into exile...
...Russian-aided move, Kong Le had virtually cut the country in two and was poised to strike either south toward Vientiane or north toward the royal capital of Luangprabang. But he was outmanned by the larger government garrisons and seemed content to fight minor patrol actions. Nor did General Phoumi seem anxious for a battle to the death...
...uneasy stalemate settled in, the U.S. reluctantly dropped its hopes of a clear-cut military solution in Laos. The British and French thought the U.S. had already gone too far with its plentiful supplies of weapons and Central Intelligence Agency advisers to General Phoumi. The truculent Russian airdrops convinced the nervous U.S. allies that, if pushed too hard, the Soviets might just be willing to start another Korea, this time using North Vietnamese to do the fighting. Equally weighty advice came from the Pentagon, whose planners found the prospects dismaying. With no seaport, jet airfields or railroad, with only...