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ately received an answer from Jeru–
salem: "No
RELEASE
of prisoners.
AbsoJuteJy
NO NEGOTIATION
with
guerrillas." There was absolutely
nothing, from tbat moment, that the
Israelí Ambassador could do for
the hostages.
At that poínt, the Thai govern–
ment took over. They did not want a
mass slaughter on their hands on
the day that meant so much to the
King. 1 was told by friends close to
tbe King, including a princess, tha t
the Kíng hímself played a Jeading
part in devising the strategy, and
Prime Minister Kittikachorn saw
that the plan was carried out.
They knew, since the Israeli gov–
ernment at Jerusalem refused to
give in, or even negotiate, that the
Arab guerrillas realized that if they
díd not
kili
the two women and four
men hostages, the guerrillas them–
selves would certainly be killed. The
Thai government promised them
safe passage to any Arab country
if
they would free the hostages. The
Arabs, knowing bow most of the
Black September commaodos at
Munich were never allowed to es–
cape alive, feared they would be
shot instead of given safe passage.
To reassure the Black September–
ists, the Thai government offered
Thai
hostages, in exchange for the
Israeli hostages. The Thai govern–
ment offered the Deputy Minister of
Foreign Affairs, the Chief of Staff of
the Army, and the Egyptian Am–
bassador to Thailand. The Arab
guerrillas agreed. A Thai aircraft
tlew the guerrillas and hostages
safely to Cairo.
True, this maoeuver allowed the
commandos to get away, but it pre–
vented any bloodshed from marring
the day of the investiture of the
Crown Prince. For 19 tense hours,
the Deputy Prime Minister of Thai–
land remained with the Israeli Am–
bassador during this emergency.
This Prime Minister himself spent
15 hours with the Ambassador, and
the King made severa! personal in-
48
quiries about the progress of the ne–
gotiations.
The Coming Shift of Power
Following withdrawal of U. S.
troops from Vietnam, look for the
United States to shift headquarters
for all
U.
S. air operations to sorne
point in Thailand.
Let me give you the reasoos wby 1
think it inevitable that Thailand
will
now
become the free world's oew
bastion against furthe r Communist
invasion in Southeast Asia.
Thailand has a stable government
that has been
in
office longer than
any of the others. If the Commu–
nists were able to take over South
Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia po–
litically, or by mílitary force, they
still would be stopped cold at Thai–
land's border - as long as the Thais
could hold them off.
At this point in time, it is prob–
able there will be no further fighting
by major conventional military
units in Vietnam - for the present,
that is. Actually, the war
will not
stop.
The Communist thrust to the
south in that area will continue, but
it will now shift from organized con–
ventional rnilitary war to
POLITICAL
war - which is propaganda - ac–
companied by sporadic guerrilla
fighting here and there, and occa–
sional terrorism.
North Vietnam is not in position
to mount another major military of–
fensive against South Vietnam, un–
less the U.S.S.R. would load them
up, as they did in 1971 - and guar–
antee North Vietnam sufficient fi–
nancia! and military backing to
keep going. There's every evidence
that Moscow is not inclined to do
that for the present. China probably
is not in
position
to do it now. Be–
sides, there is still rivalry between
the U.S.S.R. and Communist China.
The administration in Washing–
ton is not going to want to reduce its
forces in Southeast Asia right now,
further than getting the soldiers out
of South Vietnam. Todo that would
weaken Mr. Nixon's and Henry
Kissinger's hands in carrying the
cease-fi re negotiations to a satis–
factory conclusion. So, 1 think you'll
see the main bulk of U. S. power in
Southeast Asia
shifted
into Thai–
land.
Thailand not on ly has a tried and
competent leader in Prime Minister
Kittíkachorn, but the country ís also
held together by íts King, who is ac–
tually reverenced by
bis
people. He
ís very popular, especially in the
outlying regions and mountain
areas, because he has done so much
for bis people, and is so deeply con–
cerned for their welfare. He has very
definitely revealed that tome, in tbe
hours of visíts 1 have had with him
personally. As an example, on my
arrival in Bangkok on this visit, 1
was escorted to the hotel by one of
its young lady representatives, in a
car supplied by the hotel. 1 men–
tioned the
CONCERN
1 knew the
King had for bis people, and she
said, almost fervently, "l would lay
down my life for him." And her eyes
filled wíth tears so that she could not
talk further for sorne minutes.
Yes, the fighting will now shift to
política! propaganda warfare, pri–
marily, in Vietnam. President Thieu
probably will win if there is an elec–
tion. The South Vietnamese govern–
ment will remain - for the present.
T he Uníted States forces in the
Southeast Asían sector will shift to
Thailand, which will now become
the new bastion of defense agaínst
Communist aggression in that part
of the world.
For tbe
PRESENT -
that is! But the
war is not over. War is not over in
the Middle East. Violence is increas–
ing
WORLOWIDE.
And Ít
WILL
in–
Crease, until that "unseen Strong
Hand from Someplace" does ínter–
vene and usher in the
peaceful
world
tomorrow - when natimlS really
will , finally, beat their swords into
plowshares and their spears into
pruning hooks, and men shall learn
war
NO MORE.
Then,
for the first
time since
MAN
was placed on this
earth, we shall have
WORLD PEACE
-
permanently!
O
PLAIN TRUTH Moy 1973