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derivative filename/jpeg
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363-07308 to 363-07318.pdf
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Digital Object Identifier
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363-07308 to 363-07318
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Title
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Second article on the prospects of peace in Vietnam in 1968
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Description
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Original title: "coalition", Keever's title: "Viet Cong Gearing up for Political-Economic-Military Warfare in Urban Centers", Second of a three part article series on the prospects of peace in Vietnam in 1968, from the perspective of the Việt Cộng, for the Christian Science Monitor
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AI Usage Disclosure
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Draft transcripts were automatically generated via Google Document AI and are currently under review. Please report significant errors to Archives & Special Collections at archives@unl.edu.
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Transcript
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- Page 1
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8020 906
yy-1.jp
coalition 1 (normass/doopo)
(This second article in a series discusses the prospects
for peace in 1968 from the Communist viewpoint. The third and last
article deals with the role of the South Vietnamese government
headed by President Nguyen Van Thieu.).
SAIGON, December 27,-The Viet Cong sent Christmas
cards this year toghs leftist Roman Catholic laymen in this
harried capitol. A former Vietnamese government district chief,
once on a Viet Cong black-list, last year received a lunar new
year card from the Communist cadre--and he expects another one
in several weeks as the holiday again approaches.
More Reuter
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2020 sag
yy-ljp
coalition 2 (nromass/deepe)
In Saigon's pagodas-curlesque-roofed enclaves of
government dissidence--the Buddhist monks in robes the color
of tangerine or chocolate clandestinely advise their followers
to study the Viet Cong's 14-point program, police sources reported.
In Cambodia, special air-mail editions of the 14-point program,
printed on thin, high-quality popor, wore available for Western
jour journalists covering the recent visit of Jodie Jackie Kennedy.
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2020 sag
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coalition 3 (nurmass/deepe)
The talk of the town among some politically-conscious
Saigonese, including a few in the government, reveals a new
mood of first-person fear, cynicism and near-dept despair as they
to
look ahead for the next year. Their bleak picture of the future
resembles a losi glorified Santa Domingo extravaganza, with
Viet Cong artillery and mortar bombardments added. They envision
street fighting, economic strikes, black-outs of electricity,
violent anti-American demonstrations, airbases ablaze with
from rocket attacks and suicide squads and Viet Cong
sholling of Saigon or other major cities. In Can Tho, the
capital of the Mekong Delta, the Viet Cong have warned housewives
to stockpile non-perishable foods in preprations for their upcoming
attack within the next three months.
More Reuter
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zcze sag
yy-1.jp
coalition (normass/deepe)
this
The
new mood is light years away, but not necessarily
ntradictory contradictary to, the optimistic evaluations of
American military commanders. These commanders believe Communist
forces within South Vietnam are slipping towards defeat to such
may
an extent they must shift their strategy to other adfusi
these radical ovens 1. call for Chinese Communist volunteers
VETNA
in either the North or the South, or got other military fixtures
from East European countries in order to escalate their military
effort. This is not considered likely here by serious serious
American or Vietnamese sources.
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880
2020 sag
yy-1.jp
coalition (normass/doepe)
American terms
2. either negotiate or else simply "fade away."
This is the current optimistic official American line, but even
high placed Victime Vietnamese government sources veice publicly Voice
skepticism about it.
3. Supplement their military attacks, with overt
political and economic warfare in the urban centers.
This st
potentially catastrophic to the
tactic would be lethel
South Vietnamese government as well as the American position. Since
the government's pacification program has consistently failed to
get off the ground, the Communists have succeeded in encircling the
cities; a political economic thrust throwing the cities in chaos,
combined with military attacks into the neon-lighted storefronts
would seriously jep jeopariz jeopardize the Allied position.
The American officialdom are not talking is not talking much about
this possibility-at least publicly, but the Vietnamese,
who have seen spoeg spectres like this in the past,
are.
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2020 sag
yy-1.jp
coalition 6 (normass/deepe)
"Negotiations at gunpoint"--as distinct from
compromise at the conference table--is what well-informed
Vietnamese nationalists believe the Communists are aiming for
these gunpoints include pistols for political intimidations
and uprisings in the urban centers as well as Soviet-made
rocketfire in the suburbs and the periphery.
NATAS
The Viet Cong ain in their viewpoint, is a
"coalition government a la Communist" then "peace" or a
Communist victory of sorts will come to South Vietnam.
More Reuter
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3020 sag
yy-ljp
coalition 7 (normass/doope)
broadcast
The nationalists' fears spring from the 14-point program
a by the Viet Cong in September, which is rogvedregerie-
di
they interprete as an all-out declaration of war against the
newly elected constitutional government headed by President Nguyen
+
Also
Van Thieu end the warning bell that the Communists would look
Communis
an all-out political offensive against it. the AMERICAS
Supported GOVERNMENT
gover
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2020 80g
yy-1.jp
coalition 8 (normass/doepe)
Captured Communist documents would seen to indicate
this trend of events for 1968 is not far from wrong.
The Communists
no longer speak of a "total victory". . militarily "pushing the
Americans into the sea." Instead, they specify a "decisive
vei victory-welding together military attacks and a political-
economic uprising cor coordinated for a critical moment.
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2020 sag
yy-ljp
coalition 9 (normass/deepe)
Communist documents here do not specify whether
this decisive moment will enfold before or after the American
Presidential elections in November. This is one of the two
pivotal questions the Communist may answer in 1968, with the
second question being whether arm they succeed or fail
in this coordinated campaign.
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2020 sag
yy-1jp
coalition 10 (normass/deepe)
This joint coordinated military-political k
Communist strategy is a natural progression of past developments.
On December 20, 1960, the National Liberation Front for South
Vietnam commonly called the Viet Cong-was founded by issuing
a virtual declaration of war against the pro-American government
of Ngo Dinh Dion, plus fire
Supporting
In 1963, eight days after Diem was overthrown
NationAL
on November first, the Central Om Committee of the Liberation
Front decided to ask for a ceasefire and to enter negotiations
(such as
with those factions that overthrew Diem,
the influential Buddhist priests, and the military junta.).
negotiation, which would have & paved the way for a coalition
This
on their terms, specified as preconditions on a
withdrawal of American advisors, an end to "mopping up operations
which kill the people," and a cvet curtailment of American economic
aid.
Moro REUTER.
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zcze sag
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coalition 11 (normass/deepe)
This decision of the Central Committee was ratified
don by the Front's second congress In January, 1964,
but their proposed coalition never developed.
Their third congress-called a special or extraordinary one-
took place three years later in August, 1967, from which they
issued the l their 14-point program. This 14-point program, is
SUGARY Ela BoRATil
F
general a carbon spy of their 1960 program; more significantly,
it is a declaration of war against
President Thiou in the same way that their 1960 program was directed
against Diom.
More Reuter
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Date
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1967, Dec. 27
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Subject
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Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Peace treaties; Strategy; Mặt trận dân tộc giải phóng miền nam Việt Nam
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Location
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Saigon, South Vietnam
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Coordinates
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10.8231; 106.6311
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Size
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20 x 26 cm
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Container
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B7, F5
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Format
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dispatches
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Collection Number
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MS 363
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Collection Title
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Beverly Deepe Keever, Journalism Papers
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Creator
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Keever, Beverly Deepe
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Collector
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Keever, Beverly Deepe
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Copyright Information
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These images are for educational use only. To inquire about usage or publication, please contact Archives & Special Collections.
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Publisher
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Archives & Special Collections, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries
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Language
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English
