European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 18, 1969, Darmstadt, Hesse the race for control of land in Vietnam editor s note Ever since the United states became seriously involve Din Vietnam the pacification of the Countryside has been regarded As of major importance. Billions have been spent in its development. With the possibility of Amend to the shooting War where does pacification stand now a pulitzer prize winning writers Peter Arnett and Ihorst Faas who have been in Vietnam More than six years made visits to several pacification areas for this report. A by Peter Arnett and Horst Faas a staff writers daily Magazine Ftp he hot Delta Sun beat Down into Al a Clearing where six sweating men dug into the soft peat like soil of the River Bank. As they dug and Tore at the vegetation the record of similar endeavours in the past unfolded like an archaeological excavation. The rotted stump of a Fence Post entangled with rusted barbed wire was evidence of one former habitation in the Clearing at the Bend in the River a strategic Hamlet outpost built by Chelate president Ngo Dinh diem in 1963. A Concrete Wall of a Pillbox concealed in the undergrowth showed where an attempt had been made to re establish government presence late in 1985 after the strategic hamlets had failed. Vietcong explosives had smashed Down the feet below the surface of the Clearing a shovel banged against a Stone Fence possibly the one that according to District records surrounded French fort that sought in the Early 50s, to control the canal that flows pastry Long Hamlet into the Mekong River workers brushed the sweat from their foreheads and piled dirt and rocks into a new Wall they were building around the Clearing. This will enclose yet another outpost for my Long again symbolizing government authority. The prosperous Hamlet of or Chard growers is one of 1,100 in the vietnamese Countryside ear marked for accelerated pacification by Early february a program begun la november. The official reasoning behind the new program get control of As much land As possible before a cease fire to Dimin ish the Viet Cong s political influence locally and internationally. In the past pacification has Bee seen As the tortuous by slow attempt to win the allegiance of the Countryside to the government Side. Those who de Vised the new program argued that Speed was the important Factor that government control should be established first pacification later. Saigon authorities also reversed a Rul ing for the 59-member revolutionary development teams that decreed they work Only in Safe regions. These teams Are now out in the contested badlands a move that failed in 1967 because Cheviet Cong zeroed in on them and killed Over the country in november american officials and advisers coaxed the vietnamese into the contested areas to occupy hamlets like my Lon that had been occupied and then Given up so often in the past. Y Long like most other accelerated pacification hamlets is being built on the Rains of past pacification failures. If much has been Learned fro the past it is not yet visible. The current project bears some similarities to the strategic hamlets of the diem regime that collapsed in chaos be cause Saigon resources were stretched too diem regime s . Backed Multi million Dollar strategic Hamlet program seemed at the time the logical solution to Stop Viet Cong encroachment into the Countryside. When it failed Saigon authorities went through half a dozen programs before settling upon the revolutionary development program with its59-Man teams As the Best Way to extend government the program moved slowly be cause of its insistence upon skill an patience. The vietnamese were too careful a senior . Province official said recently. Saigon demanded such High degree of perfection that prov Ince chiefs slowed Down the work and minimized Progress he possibility of a break through at the Paris peace talks brought Home to Saigon authorities the realization that pacification must be seeded up to com Pete politically with the Viet Cong. The Saigon government was claiming control Over 68 per cent of Vietnam s 16 million population in Early november statistics which credit the Viet Cong with full or partial control of 32 percent of the population or More than five million huge chunk of population would qualify the Viet Cong in the eyes of the world to a big slice of government representation one . Official declared. It was therefore decided to try Island outpost in Vietcong dominated Delta is base for pacification team. And whittle Down the size of the communist part of Vietnam and accelerated pacification pacification in my Long is the six men digging into the soft Brown Earth to build the new outpost sweating in the Sun but generally Takin their time about the Job because they were not being paid for the idea is to get the population interested in protecting themselves so that s Why there is no Money said capt. Terry Carr from Goldsboro n.c.,commander of the Small Mobile advisory training team 26 that attempts to pump adrenalin into the regional Force company securing my Long. The diggers were drawn from the population. Two months earlier these same men had helped to build a mile Long Trenchi Ine along the canal Bank beside the Hamlet for the Viet Cong also unpaid and also to assist in protecting both sides make free use of the Delta population. About 3,000 people live in my Long and they Are reluctant to talk with visitors. These people Are now include Din the Saigon government s 73 per cent of the population currently claimed under control. Yet it is quite obvious that at night when the regional Force com Pany of 100 men pulls Back into its defensive perimeter Viet Cong cadres could move at will among the people. We know about one . District adviser said. But we Don t care. What we want is political control to Fly the Flag. For too Long we have Bee trying to win the people by building schools and dispensaries. The Viet con have never done that. Now we won t. Maybe later we will build the people of my Long a should the Viet Cong remain As in different to the government pacification work at my Long As it has up to now then the Hamlet could Well survive. But americans in the area have no illusions about the future of the Hamlet and the others in the program should the enemy main forces decide to make a concerted Effort to destroy the pro Gram. . Officials say the vietnamese authorities have made no specific commitment of troops to assist outposts i these out of Way places should they get in trouble. These new pacification Ham lets if attacked might easily be destroyed unless american forces we recommitted to help them. Some americans believe that the Vietcong will make no move for some time believing that government soldiers an officials eventually will lose interest in the new program and retire Back to their towns and outposts leaving the population to the Viet Cong. Historic ally they would be right in thinking this one , pacification officer hit of Iniss characteristics of accelerated pacification he said might doom it to the Fate of All the other programs that preceded it. We have Learned nothing he pacification we still live from year to vietnamese building outpost uncovered remains of three previous attempts. Saturday Janvary 18, 1969 Thi stars and stripes too Long we have been frying to win the people by building schools and dispensaries. The Viet Cong have never done that. Now ice to Page 11
