U.S. Bombing Of Laos Admitted

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31586, 25 January 1968, Page 11

U.S. Bombing Of Laos Admitted

(N.Z.P. A.-Reuter —Copyright) BANGKOK, January 23. The Thai Prime Minister, Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn, broke a badly-kept secret today and officially revealed for the first time that United States planes were bombing Laos from bases in Thailand.

Until Field Marshal Kittikachorn spoke in reply to a question at his weekly press conference, the Thai Government had maintained silence |on the activities of United ! States aircraft over Laos. The United States has been equally discreet. It has maintained that Thai-based American aircraft fly over Laos only on armed reconnaissance missions. A United States Embassy spokesman in Bangkok said that this was still the official 'American position. I The six big United States bases in Thailand—Korat. Tahkli, Udorn, Übol, Utapao and Nakorn Phanom—are used by a wide variety of aircraft, ranging from 852 strategic bombers and FlO5 and IF4C fighter-bombers to rescue helicopters and pistonengined Skyraiders. Until recently, most of the FlO5 raids were directed at targets in North Vietnam. But in recent months heavy atitacks have been launched against Communist supply routes in Laos along the network of roads known as the Ho Chi Minh trail. Sources in Bangkok and Vientiane, the Laotian Administrative capital, say the trail is well defended by anti-

i- aircraft weapons and some a surface-to-air missiles. s The missiles and heavy i- guns are located mainly e around the larger staging i areas along the trail. United States aircraft have) t) ibeen shot down in Laos, but; ' jtheir number have not been '■revealed. The Prime Minister’s state- ’ jnent to Thai reporters said [the American bombing of ][ Laos was benefiting Thailand. : When United States planes 1 carried out air strikes against North Vietnam and Laos. s bombing and destroying com- ■ munications routes used by 5 the North Vietnamese, they e helped to protect Thailand. “The Americans also help jby flying reconnaissance ‘ flights along our border,” the Prime Minister added.