PEOPLE MUST HAVE FACTS ABOUT WAR IN VIETNAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-01601R000300360058-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 17, 2000
• Sequence Number: 58
• Publication Date: October 14, 1971
• Content Type: NSPR

i
. STATIN Ipproved For Release 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP80-0160
MACON, GA.
NEWS
E -- 22,382
TELEGRAPH & NEWS
S -. 69,214
11 1/J. 19-1
"Lei terfille 1 `fie
People Must have Facts
About War in Vivtnarn
lsclitor, The News: Since the Central.
Intelligence Agency hasn't provided the
facts, we cant be c c r t a i n about the
trends of the military or political situa-
tions in South Vietnam.
We need to have facts in our heads be-
fore our thinking is clone. We know that
there is something wrong with the way
the Thieu government is organized, but
we haven't been able to solve the prob-
lems connected with it. The U. S. has be-
come invo]vcd in South. Vietnam without
Congress or the people knowing much
about military or political trends.
A credibility gap developed during the
Johnson administration about our aims
and objectives in South V i e t n a in. We
have not been honest with the North Viet-
namese,
A lot of bombing of North Vietnam did
not concern strictly military objectives.
Lyndon Johnson wanted to carry on a
war of attrition and gain recompense for
his sins. What resulted wi. not war in a
military sense, but a melee, The thing in
Vietnam never proved anything.
Reports of the March 1968 massacre
may help its reach some sort of political
construction in South Vietnam. After all,
the U. S. should not be telling the people
there what to do.
We should be telling Thieu and his gen-
orals what to do, but the U. S. cannot and
should not directly intervene in the lives
of the Vietna in ese people, We have
reached a new phase in Vietnamese af-
fairs, and if the Vietnamese will profit
from experience, things will be better.
We have been having totals of about 20
or 30 Americans killed each week in Viet-
na.m. That is much better than the man;
nor in which LBJ carried on the offen-
sive.
CHARLES W. SHEPARD
Atlanta
VI
Approved For Release 2001/03/04: CIA-RDP80-01601 R000300360058-0