‘U.S. Troops May Stay For Years’

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29829, 23 May 1962, Page 13

‘U.S. Troops May Stay For Years’

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) NEW YORK, May 22. American officials believe that United States forces may have to be kept in Thailand for a period of years because of the Communist threat in South-east Asia, according to the ‘‘New York Times.”

The newspaper, in a Washington dispatch published today, said some high United Slates officials felt at ieast a nucleus of American combat forces, particularly Air Force units, should be available on the Asian mainland as long as the Communist threat persisted in South Vietnam and ' Laos and affected neighbouring Thailand Nearly 5000 American combat troops are now in Thailand and about 6000 Americans are supporting South Vietnam’s struggle against Communist guerrilla forces President Kennedy said last week that the mission of United States military forces in Thailand was to stabilise the situation along the Mekong river, which forms a border between Laos and Thailand The American force was sent after pro-Communist Pathet Lao units captured the village of Nam Tha in north-west Laos, and pushed towards the Thai frontier. The United States Administration was now virtually satisfied that the attack was a local actico and not the beginning of a major Communist ‘hrust that could extend across the border, the newspaoer said "But in the view of many officials here, the Communist action provided new evidence of the mtentlal strength of th? Communist threat throughout South-east Asia "Furthermore, it is apparent that Communists are active in north-east Thailand, adjoining Laos. svhere organisers from North Vietnam are reported to be laying the groundwork for what mav become another guerrilla campaign ‘The belief here, however, is that these efforts in the Thai mountains are still in the preliminary stage and that the Communists are unlikely to become involved in a major action ’here while the conflicts in South Vietnam and Laos remain unsettled “ All these situation* underscore the need for maintaining an operations! United States force on the Asian mainland. tn the opinion of manv Administration officials.’’ it said. The newspaper said that if

the disputing Laotian groups formed a neutral government. foreign troops would have to leave Laos in order to comply with the terms of the 1955 Geneva agreement which ended the Indo-China War. However, American officials were not sure that the estimated 10.000 North Vietnamese now believed to be supporting the Pathet Lao would leave promptly. The North Vietnamese units also were reported to be using Laos as a corridor to South Vietnam. The United States Administration had no intention of nulling United States military advisers out of Laos as long as Communist troops remained in the country, the newspaper said.