Foreign Relations of the United States, 1964–1968, Volume XXVIII, Laos

367. Telegram From the Embassy in Laos to the Department of State¹

Vientiane, May 16, 1968, 0430Z.

6562. Ref: Vientiane 6554.²

1. When Souvanna urged yesterday that we intensify our bombing throughout Laos, he volunteered that he knew there were many villages in the area between Paksane and Xieng Khouang, but that it was more important to get on with the job of rooting out the enemy. If some friendly villages were damaged in the process, he went on, “Tant pis! You can’t make an omelet without breaking some eggs!”

2. While Souvanna in the past has been cold-blooded about civilians in North Vietnam (“bomb the dikes”), I have not before heard him reflect quite such a diet of raw meat regarding his own population. He is undoubtedly feeling pressure from the King who reportedly had adopted a “bomb them wherever they are” attitude toward the enemy, as a means of forcing them out of Laos. Both the King and Souvanna manifest the amateur’s overconfidence in the effectiveness of air power.

3. Despite Souvanna’s statement, I intend to continue the meticulous care and cautious judgment exercised by Ambassador Sullivan in approving targets within Laos. We shall continue to avoid villages. Nonetheless, I wish to record Souvanna’s current position which may prove helpful in the event of a navigational error or a really border-line decision on an important target.

Hurwitch

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, POL 27 LAOS. Secret; Nodis; Exdis. Repeated to Bangkok.
2. In telegram 6554, May 15, Charge Hurwitch reported that Souvanna had urged that U.S. tactical air operations be stepped up, especially in the area from Paksane north to Xieng Khouang. (Ibid.)