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5 US camp is besieged by deserters and has own problem with Viet. citizens who've worked for US and would be on "marked for death" list if communists took over. Can't get them out tho, due to chopper shortage. Military priorities of documents and other reports go first - before the people, emphasized reporter. The top ARVN officer inside battered An Loc promised to stay until there are no more NVA" and says he'll obey Thieu's order to hold the city "at all costs¹ despite his own feelings that defense of An Loc was a trap. RLG reopened Hwy 13 between Vientiane and Luang Prabang for the first time since Jan. In his commentary, titled "The Only Way Out, 11 Howard K. Smith notes that events rarely go all the way to their logical conclusion. The NVA has paid a "crushing cost¹ for its successes (700, 000 killed.) And, as they concentrate themselves in conquered towns, they're opposed to US bombing, which will raise their cost "beyond endurance. " But the more we bomb, said Howard, we hit civilians, and we can't go on doing that. 11 Both sides are driving deeper than ever before into a mire, with the only exit a negotiated settlement. Both sides will have to give, said Smith, For us, perhaps accepting a coalition gov't. that would leave Thieu in office, but without power. Something like that, said Howard, is probably what they're moving towards. MORE INDOCHINA Stennis, in his grimmest account of the SVN fighting, urged the Senate not to interfere with RN's strategy but leave him alone and "keep the responsibility on him. 11 Stennis emphasized he didn't favor re- introduction of US GIs, saying "I don't think RN has anything like that in mind. 11 But said Stennis, it will be "awfully hard" for SVN without US ground assistance "to recover from these crushing blows. Noting the full extent of US air support, Stennis said the "battle is being lost. there is a crisis there now of the greatest kind. If worse comes to worse, it's going to lead to a great humiliation. " In urging defeat of legis. to cut off funds for VN by the end of '72, Stennis pointed out the American people "don't want to be driven out. They don't want to leave like a whipped dog. 11

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    "ocrText": "5\nUS camp is besieged by deserters and has own problem with Viet.\ncitizens who've worked for US and would be on \"marked for death\"\nlist if communists took over. Can't get them out tho, due to chopper\nshortage. Military priorities of documents and other reports go first -\nbefore the people, emphasized reporter.\nThe top ARVN officer inside battered An Loc promised to stay\nuntil there are no more NVA\" and says he'll obey Thieu's order to\nhold the city \"at all costs¹ despite his own feelings that defense of\nAn Loc was a trap.\nRLG reopened Hwy 13 between Vientiane and Luang Prabang\nfor the first time since Jan.\nIn his commentary, titled \"The Only Way Out, 11 Howard K. Smith\nnotes that events rarely go all the way to their logical conclusion. The\nNVA has paid a \"crushing cost¹ for its successes (700, 000 killed.)\nAnd, as they concentrate themselves in conquered towns, they're\nopposed to US bombing, which will raise their cost \"beyond endurance. \"\nBut the more we bomb, said Howard, we hit civilians, and we can't\ngo on doing that. 11 Both sides are driving deeper than ever before into\na mire, with the only exit a negotiated settlement. Both sides will\nhave to give, said Smith, For us, perhaps accepting a coalition gov't.\nthat would leave Thieu in office, but without power. Something like\nthat, said Howard, is probably what they're moving towards.\nMORE INDOCHINA\nStennis, in his grimmest account of the SVN fighting, urged the\nSenate not to interfere with RN's strategy but leave him alone and \"keep\nthe responsibility on him. 11 Stennis emphasized he didn't favor re-\nintroduction of US GIs, saying \"I don't think RN has anything like\nthat in mind. 11 But said Stennis, it will be \"awfully hard\" for SVN\nwithout US ground assistance \"to recover from these crushing blows.\nNoting the full extent of US air support, Stennis said the \"battle\nis being lost. there is a crisis there now of the greatest kind.\nIf worse comes to worse, it's going to lead to a great humiliation. \"\nIn urging defeat of legis. to cut off funds for VN by the end of '72,\nStennis pointed out the American people \"don't want to be driven out.\nThey don't want to leave like a whipped dog. 11"
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