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Post by MARIO on Jun 1, 2005 19:36:04 GMT -8
Was Diem's ouster a prudent move?
The Viet Cong's leader at the time called Diem's assassination a "gift from Heaven for us." General Maxwell Taylor also said that it destroyed stability in South Vietnam.
So, was Kennedy a moron to abandon support for Diem?
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Post by cataracts on Dec 9, 2006 3:52:12 GMT -8
Mario,
I don't think it was Kennedy. Maybe Johnson, but definately not Kennedy.
It was a real "backstabbing, chicken" move on our part to withdraw support at a critical time. The Viet Cong moved right in and took over.
Cataracts
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Post by cataracts on Dec 9, 2006 3:55:15 GMT -8
The administration at that time was Johnson's (I believe). Our so called advisors decided that Diem was not good enough to carry on the war like it was supposed to be carried out. So Diem had to go.
This whole thing brings up the point of why Diem really had to go.
Cataracts
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Post by MARIO on Dec 9, 2006 6:08:42 GMT -8
The administration at that time was Johnson's (I believe). Our so called advisors decided that Diem was not good enough to carry on the war like it was supposed to be carried out. So Diem had to go. This whole thing brings up the point of why Diem really had to go. Cataracts It was kennedy's. November 1963. He was himself assassinated a couple weeks later. |
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Post by peterd on Dec 9, 2006 7:24:20 GMT -8
I would say to much politics. We knew it would happen, however we did not do anything about. We just did not want to interfere with South Vietnamese politics. Eventually we got suck into it anyway. You may add Einsehower. We had advisor in South Vietnam under his administration.
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Post by dustdevil28 on Dec 9, 2006 8:52:18 GMT -8
I'd forgotten about this old thread.
Diem's assassination I think should be viewed as the worst move in in the war with the North. In Diem we had a effective leader who through 9 years of his rule had shaken off the rust of French colonization and had established a effective leadership training program that was just beginning to bear fruit.
The problem came with US ambassator Cabot and Kennedies indicision as C and C. Cabot was a active fomentor in the eventual coup and made the generals believe that if Diem was left in power that the United States would cut their aid to the country. In the end Diem was overthrown and killed and even worse, the RVN was put through a purge in which all the effective leaders from Diems riegn were forceable removed and imprisioned.
Nine years of work down the drain because of our idiots in the state department.
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Post by MARIO on Dec 9, 2006 13:34:49 GMT -8
Nine years of work down the drain because of our idiots in the state department
Which is precisely why the State Department should stay completely out of military affairs.
I swear, it seems like the State Department is running the war in Iraq.
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Post by peterd on Dec 9, 2006 15:11:26 GMT -8
Somebody does, because if hard core commander would take over, things may be different.
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Post by MrDoublel on Dec 10, 2006 5:38:37 GMT -8
State seems to have little connection to reality. But that's just my uninformed opinion. They're so wrapped up in thinking diplomacy solves all problems they miss the fact that they are dealing with people that use diplomacy to keep us snowed while they do what we are trying to keep from happening.
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Post by peterd on Dec 10, 2006 10:56:06 GMT -8
SFC, you know what the definition of diplomacy is? It is to tell someone to go to hell and make him/her look forward to the trip.
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