More calls for Thieu to leave

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33814, 10 April 1975, Page 13

More calls for Thieu to leave

<New Zealand Press Association—Copyright) SAIGON, April 9. Opposition politicians today condemned the bombing of President Nguyen Van Thieu’s palace but called on the South Vietnamese leader to resign.

President Thieu moved! back into his bomb-damaged palace, however, and vowed to remain in office despite the attack by a renegaae fighter pilot. A leading South Vietnamese general apparently shot himself dead after arguing with his commander over tactics to combat the Communist advance on Sai-1 gon. Communist forces! launched a series of shelling i and infantry attacks around! the capital, smashing] through the barbed wire per-] inieter of a tank training! centre. In Washington. President [ Ford neared a decision on! whether to try to salvage] rhe rapidly deteriorating sit-! nation in South Vietnam by! seeking more aid from Con-! gress. , j Mr Ford summoned his] top diplomatic and military i advisers to a National Se-[

Icurity Council meeting to consider the options. Privately, his aides doubted if South Vietnam could remain in the non-Communist camp for long. In Saigon, members of the formidable Opposition today denied any knowledge of the bombing and criticised at-] tempts by dissidents to I ! overthrow President Thieu! I by' force. A former Prime Minister,; IMr Nguyen Cao Ky, long an] iopponent of Mr Thieu, called! |on Mr Thieu to resign in! ■ favour of a new Government! ■ “with the confidence of the] people and the Army.” Government officials said [ .■that Mr Thieu returned to' [the Presidential palace! [yesterday afternoon for a] ] top-level meeting with his] 'leading advisers. . President Thieu and his] wife were out of. Indepen-] idence Palace yesterday! imorning when a South Viet-] namese pilot dropped two] ] bombs on the building in! I central Saigon. | Military sources said that ithe pilot, identified as Lieutenant Nguyen Thanh Trung, ! apparently flew into Com- : munist-controlled territory after the attack and defected [to the Viet Cong.

United Press International i saw Mr Thieu travelling [through Saigon today in a i fast-moving, heavily projected motorcade from the [direction of the palace to[ward general staff headquarters near Tan Son Nhut Air (Base.