Today marks the 33rd anniversary of the Fall of Saigon to the North Vietnamese. It was one of the tragic milestones in a conflict which had its roots in the years following the Second World War and that still has lingering sentiments today.
The image that you see to the left is probably one of the most iconic images of the Vietnam War. There were scores of Vietnamese with ties to the Americans in South Vietnam, many who were actually CIA agents. That iconic photo of a CIA officer (whose name escapes me at the moment, but his name is declassified if I am not mistaken) assisting Vietnamese into an Air America helicopter (CIA cover airline) was taken not at the embassy but at a apartment complex nearby.
Reading the book Decent Interval by former CIA analyst Frank Snepp, who was present in Saigon at the time, painted a disturbing picture of what it was like there at that time. It was a chilling reminder that there is always a human cost in the actions of nations, and sometimes that cost doesn't always have to be paid.
So why is this important? While this is a tired, old analogy, take a look at Iraq. The United States has to eventually leave sometime, but if and when it does, there is a risk of instability. People who are in danger due to their assistance to the United States should be evacuated for their own safety, well ahead of the final date of withdrawal, to avoid another Saigon incident. Withdrawal methods, the few that do exist out there, often do not discuss this. If the United States is not to be cheated at the market of human costs, then it should remember 30 Apr 1975 and plan ahead.
No comments:
Post a Comment