Word: quester
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Dates: during 1966-1966
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...Quester said that although it could be impossible to get rid of all the Communists, they might be forced into abandoning the revolution as they did in Greece. As to Craig's objection that we didn't really know what our negotiation terms would be if we ever got to a peace table, Quester pointed out that it would weaken our bargaining position if we let the opposition know "what we would bargain for." You can't do much haggling, he explained, if the other party knows your limits...
While Craig said the bombing was probably the result of a sense of frustration, Quester suggested the decision was made on a basis of China's inability to retaliate. "The primary factor in our decision to time it at this point was that China would have to put its own house in order before it could effectively deal with a challenger from without." Quester didn't think it had anything to do with U.S. domestic politics, because if Johnson had really wanted to capitalize on the move, he would have waited until the elections were closer...
When asked whether he thought we were really raising the costs of aggression, Quester said that the bombing both made the Viet Cong less capable of waging the war, and at the same time made aggression more expensive. Although the damage is only temporary, he continued, "we have played a delicate game well. A few years ago no one would have thought that careful escalation was a possible alternative." The reports that Hanoi has said that it will need greater help from its allies within a year seem perfectly plausible, Quester said...
...whether the recent bombing would provoke North Vietnam's allies to give greater material aid and possibly volunteer manpower, Quester said that as of right now neither Russia nor Red China were giving much aid, and that he doubted whether there would be any significant increases as a result of the bombing...
Klein doubted that Red China would send troops unless South Vietnamese and American troops landed in the North. As for U.S. allies, Klein said that Prime Minister Wilson had probably denounced our bombing Hanoi because of internal political pressure from left-wing Labourites. Quester agreed with this interpretation, but went one step further, saying that he thought a number of countries which decry our actions publicly, are quietly quite pleased with U.S. policy in the Far East...