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University of Iowa anti-war protests, 1965-1967

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VIET MESSAGE

University of Iowa Vietnam Peace Committee

February 1967 No.3

Who are the "Communists" in Vietnam?

The word " Vietcong" is a derogatory term used originally by the late Ngo Dinh Diem to (shear?) as communists the South Vietnamese that rebelled against his dictatorship. American newsmen copied the word from Diem and continue to use it to provide a distorted and dehumanizing label for the South Vietnamese insurgents. The liberation forces object to the use of the word " Vietcong", for they insist that they are not all communists. The newsmen say the Vietcong are wicked, They say the North Vietnamese are wicked, but they don't point out that the two are not the same, So, the casual newspaper reader fails to realize that battles against the " Vietcong" are battles against South Vietnamese people. 
    Of course, according to the news media, all enemy forces are " Communists."
  The New York Times for April 6, 1965, said that Premier Eisaku Sato of Japan sent a senior diplomat to Vietnam to make an investigation and report back to him. That diplomat reported that "even the people of Saigon" estimated the percentage of Communists to be, " at the most, 30 per cent" of what is called the Vietcong. 
   If 70 per cent, or more, of the South Vietnamese insurgents are not communists, then Americans cannot claim they are well informed about the war, for the news media give no indication that the enemy is not 100 per cent communistic. 
      Of course, according to the news media, all enemy forces are " Communistic. 
   A group of religious leaders went to Vietnam under arrangements made by the Fellowship of Reconciliation, as reported in the N.Y. Herald-Tribune for Jul 12, 1965, they interviewed U.S. embassy officials, Vietnamese officials, insurgent defectors, soldiers, students and peasants. Dr Edwin T. Dahlberg, former president of the National Council of Churches, and Dr. Harold A. Bosley, a distinguished clergyman, told the press at the conclusion of their investigation that they were amazed to find that "the word 'Communist' isn't even known"  to many Vietnamese, including defectors from the liberation forces. 
   How can anyone be a Communist if he has never heard of it ?
   Dr. Dahlberg  also said, " These people are fighting a genuine revolutionary war against oppression, poverty, misery and ignorance." " I'm told there are something like 45 little wars going on in 45 provinces."
   Another investigation was made by the Rand Corp., the "think tank" for the Defense Dept. The Rand Corp. makes studies of the opinions and morale of defectors and prisoners. The July to Dec, 1964, portion of the studies (N.Y. Times, June 7, 1965) showed that few of the insurgents could define communism, nor did they consider themselves to Communists. 
   If enemy forces don't know what communism is, and don't consider themselves to be Communists, how can they be Communists?
   The (1?) test figures show that the South Vietnamese insurgents are five times as large in number as their North Vietnamese allies who are in South Vietnam, Few large in number as their North Vietnamese allies who are in South Vietnam. Few Americans know that most of those they are fighting are South Vietnamese. 
   This, Americans don't know who they are fighting and don't know what his ideology is. 

Are Prospects for Victory Improving in Vietnam?
   We are continually told by "informed sources," "military spokesmen" " Defense Dept. officials," that the military situation in Vietnam is showing substantial improvement. In addition we are told that the great " search and destroy" operations are having a crippling effect on the military capacity of Liberation Armed Forces (LAF). Therefore we are entitled to ask: does a close look at the facts substantiate the "cautious optimism" expressed by Defense Dec. McNamara? We do not think so. 
   Yes, U.S troops are able to go anywhere they want to within South Vietnam. But only " en masse." Yes, there are U.S. units camped in areas long considered NLF/Viet Minh strongholds, but these camps are virtually surrounded by the enemy, It is also true that we are killing a lot of " Charlie Cong," but how many of " Charlie" are actually innocent civilians who unfortunately got into the line of fire ? The distinction between the two kinds of dead Vietnamese has not always been maintained in the past. And, of course, there is considerable reason to distrust the figures given in the body count of LAF dead. 
    Also there are many indications that the so-called secure areas in Vietnam are secure in name only. The attacks on the Long Bihn Ammo dump ( two in a period of ten days) and the numerous attacks on the Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Saigon certainly attest to the precarious lack of security that exists throughout all of South Vietnam insofar as the U.S. forces are involved. 
   Another important factor in the winning of the war is the capturing of territory long held by the NLF. The evidence shows that little if any territory has been "won" back from the NLF since the influx of U.S. troops over the past year. There is evidence indicating that the NLF has even consolidated its control in their areas, despit the U.S. build-up. 
   If it has been argued that the military situation in South Vietnam is improving, this has not been argued insofar as the political situation is concerned. It is plausible to say that politically, the situation in Vietnam is approaching complete chaos. The latest issue of Atlantic reflects the sad state of Saigon's bureaucracy.

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VIET MESSAGE University of Iowa Vietnam Peace Committee February 1967 No.3 Who are the "Communists" in Vietnam? The word " Vietcong" is a derogatory term used originally by the late Ngo Dinh Diem to (shear?) as communists the South Vietnamese that rebelled against his dictatorship. American newsmen copied the word from Diem and continue to use it to provide a distorted and dehumanizing label for the South Vietnamese insurgents. The liberation forces object to the use of the word " Vietcong", for they insist that they are not all communists. The newsmen say the Vietcong are wicked, They say the North Vietnamese are wicked, but they don't point out that the two are not the same, So, the casual newspaper reader fails to realize that battles against the " Vietcong" are battles against South Vietnamese people. Of course, according to the news media, all enemy forces are " Communists." The New York Times for April 6, 1965, said that Premier Eisaku Sato of Japan sent a senior diplomat to Vietnam to make an investigation and report back to him. That diplomat reported that "even the people of Saigon" estimated the percentage of Communists to be, " at the most, 30 per cent" of what is called the Vietcong. If 70 per cent, or more, of the South Vietnamese insurgents are not communists, then Americans cannot claim they are well informed about the war, for the news media give no indication that the enemy is not 100 per cent communistic. Of course, according to the news media, all enemy forces are " Communistic. A group of religious leaders went to Vietnam under arrangements made by the Fellowship of Reconciliation, as reported in the N.Y. Herald-Tribune for Jul 12, 1965, they interviewed U.S. embassy officials, Vietnamese officials, insurgent defectors, soldiers, students and peasants. Dr Edwin T. Dahlberg, former president of the National Council of Churches, and Dr. Harold A. Bosley, a distinguished clergyman, told the press at the conclusion of their investigation that they were amazed to find that "the word 'Communist' isn't even known" to many Vietnamese, including defectors from the liberation forces. How can anyone be a Communist if he has never heard of it ? Dr. Dahlberg also said, " These people are fighting a genuine revolutionary war against oppression, poverty, misery and ignorance." " I'm told there are something like 45 little wars going on in 45 provinces." Another investigation was made by the Rand Corp., the "think tank" for the Defense Dept. The Rand Corp. makes studies of the opinions and morale of defectors and prisoners. The July to Dec, 1964, portion of the studies (N.Y. Times, June 7, 1965) showed that few of the insurgents could define communism, nor did they consider themselves to Communists. If enemy forces don't know what communism is, and don't consider themselves to be Communists, how can they be Communists? The (1?) test figures show that the South Vietnamese insurgents are five times as large in number as their North Vietnamese allies who are in South Vietnam, Few large in number as their North Vietnamese allies who are in South Vietnam. Few Americans know that most of those they are fighting are South Vietnamese. This, Americans don't know who they are fighting and don't know what his ideology is. Are Prospects for Victory Improving in Vietnam? We are continually told by "informed sources," "military spokesmen" " Defense Dept. officials," that the military situation in Vietnam is showing substantial improvement. In addition we are told that the great " search and destroy" operations are having a crippling effect on the military capacity of Liberation Armed Forces (LAF). Therefore we are entitled to ask: does a close look at the facts substantiate the "cautious optimism" expressed by Defense Dec. McNamara? We do not think so. Yes, U.S troops are able to go anywhere they want to within South Vietnam. But only " en masse." Yes, there are U.S. units camped in areas long considered NLF/Viet Minh strongholds, but these camps are virtually surrounded by the enemy, It is also true that we are killing a lot of " Charlie Cong," but how many of " Charlie" are actually innocent civilians who unfortunately got into the line of fire ? The distinction between the two kinds of dead Vietnamese has not always been maintained in the past. And, of course, there is considerable reason to distrust the figures given in the body count of LAF dead. Also there are many indications that the so-called secure areas in Vietnam are secure in name only. The attacks on the Long Bihn Ammo dump ( two in a period of ten days) and the numerous attacks on the Tan Son Nhut Air Base in Saigon certainly attest to the precarious lack of security that exists throughout all of South Vietnam insofar as the U.S. forces are involved. Another important factor in the winning of the war is the capturing of territory long held by the NLF. The evidence shows that little if any territory has been "won" back from the NLF since the influx of U.S. troops over the past year. There is evidence indicating that the NLF has even consolidated its control in their areas, despit the U.S. build-up. If it has been argued that the military situation in South Vietnam is improving, this has not been argued insofar as the political situation is concerned. It is plausible to say that politically, the situation in Vietnam is approaching complete chaos. The latest issue of Atlantic reflects the sad state of Saigon's bureaucracy.