The U.S. bombing of Laos (1964-1973) was part of a covert attempt by the CIA to wrest power from the communist Pathet Lao, a group allied with North Vietnam and the Soviet Union during the Vietnam War.Today, Laos is the most heavily bombed nation in history. Here are facts about the so-called secret war in Laos.
Contents
How was Laos involved in the Vietnam War?
For almost nine years Laos was a battlefield in the armed conflict between neighbouring North Vietnam and the United States. During the war, US forces flew over 500,000 aerial bombing raids over Laos, which were said to aim at gaining control of the Trường Sơn Strategic Supply Route (also known as Ho Chi Minh trail).
What happened in Laos after the Vietnam War?
Two years after the U.S. withdrawal from South Vietnam, the Kingdom of Laos was overthrown by communist troops supported by the North Vietnamese Army. The Hmong people immediately became targets of retaliation and persecution.
What was the US involvement in Laos?
The US became heavily involved, in a secret covert war, during the Laotian Civil War of 1953–1975, backing the Royal Lao government and the Kingdom of Laos, and Hmong people against the Pathet Lao and the invading PAVN (Vietnam People’s Army) forces.
What was the CIA doing in Laos?
The CIA was responsible for directing natives of Laos to fight the North Vietnamese. Although such efforts were ended at the signing the Paris Peace Accords, the CIA believed it a success as it managed to fight the enemy to a standstill and combat the communist threat. They saw it as a victory and as an accomplishment.
Why did Vietnam invade Laos?
The objective of the invasion would be to sever the Ho Chi Minh trail leading from North Vietnam through Laos into South Vietnam. The jungle trail is the main route for reinforcements and supplies being transmitted from North to South Vietnam.
Why did North Vietnam invade Laos?
The U.S. bombing of Laos (1964-1973) was part of a covert attempt by the CIA to wrest power from the communist Pathet Lao, a group allied with North Vietnam and the Soviet Union during the Vietnam War.
Why did US bomb Laos?
The bombings were part of the U.S. Secret War in Laos to support the Royal Lao Government against the Pathet Lao and to interdict traffic along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The bombings destroyed many villages and displaced hundreds of thousands of Lao civilians during the nine-year period.
Is Laos still communist?
Landlocked Laos is one of the world’s few remaining communist states and one of East Asia’s poorest.Communist forces overthrew the monarchy in 1975, heralding years of isolation. After the fall of the Soviet Union in the 1990s, Laos began opening up to the world.
Why did the US bomb Laos and Cambodia?
In March 1969, President Richard Nixon authorized secret bombing raids in Cambodia, a move that escalated opposition to the Vietnam War in Ohio and across the United States.He hoped that bombing supply routes in Cambodia would weaken the United States’ enemies. The bombing of Cambodia lasted until August 1973.
Who is Laos allied with?
Vietnam
Laos maintains a “special relationship” with Vietnam. Although the two were allies during the Vietnam War, the China-Vietnam conflict in 1979 led to a sharp deterioration in Sino-Lao relations. These relations began to improve in the late 1980s, and in 1989 China and Laos normalized relations.
What did the CIA do in Vietnam?
The CIA provided suggestions for political platforms, supported candidates, used agency resources to refute electoral fraud charges, manipulated the certification of election results by the South Vietnamese National Assembly, and instituted the Phoenix Program.
Is there a US military base in Laos?
Long Tieng (also spelled Long Chieng, Long Cheng, or Long Chen) is a Laotian military base in Xaisomboun Province. During the Laotian Civil War, it served as a town and airbase operated by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States.
| Long Tieng | |
|---|---|
| Occupants | U.S. Air Force/Central Intelligence Agency Royal Lao Army |
Why did Hmong soldiers agree to help the Americans in Laos?
In the late 1960s, when the Vietnam War spread into Laos, the United States recruited the Hmong to fight against communism. Wanting to hold on to their land and the independence they had maintained for thousands of years, the Hmong saw communism as a threat to their autonomy.
What year did Laos fall to the Communists?
Laotian Civil War
| Date | 23 May 1959 – 2 December 1975 (16 years, 6 months, 1 week and 2 days) |
|---|---|
| Location | Laos |
| Result | Pathet Lao and North Vietnamese victory Establishment of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic Exile of the Kingdom of Laos |
What happened to the royal family of Laos?
The Lao Royals are now based in France, where they work to achieve a change of government in Laos.
Is Laos controlled by Vietnam?
Laos was a site of the Ho Chi Minh trail used by North Vietnam.Laos contains Vietnamese soldiers stationed there since Vietnam controls it as a satellite states after the 80s. Due to its dominance during the 19th century Vietnam regards Cambodia and Laos as vassal tributary states.
What race is Lao?
The Lao people are a Tai ethnic group native to Southeast Asia, who speak the eponymous language of the Kra–Dai languages, originating from present-day southern China. They are the majority ethnic group of Laos, making up 53.2% of the total population.
How many people died from bombs in Laos?
More than 50,000 people have been killed by unexploded bombs, 20,000 since the war ended. Almost half have been children. MAG has been working in Laos since 1994 because we believe these tragedies can and must be prevented.
Is it safe in Laos?
Laos is one of the safest tourist destinations in Southeast Asia – locals are often helpful and polite to foreigners. You may encounter low-level crimes, such as scams and pickpockets in touristy spots, which are annoying rather than dangerous.
What did Laos used to be called?
Lao People’s Democratic Republic
In 1893, the three territories came under a French protectorate and were united to form what is now known as Laos.
Laos.
| Lao People’s Democratic Republic ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ (Lao) Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxôn Lao (Romanisation) | |
|---|---|
| • Monarchy abolished | 2 December 1975 |
