What was the CIA Secret War in Laos?

The CIA-organized group of Hmong tribesmen fighting in the Vietnam War is known as the “Secret Army”, and their participation was called the Secret War, where the Secret War is meant to denote the Laotian Civil War (1960ā€“1975) and the Laotian front of the Vietnam War.

What caused the Secret War in Laos?

On the day of his farewell address in 1961, President Eisenhower approved the CIA’s training of anti-communist forces in the mountains of Laos. Their mission: To disrupt communist supply routes across the Ho Chi Minh Trail to Vietnam. The secret war in Laos had begun.

Who fought in the Secret War in Laos?

These three countries came together and took on the task of stopping the spread of communism into Laos. This war between communist Vietnam and the alliance was known as the Secret War.

Why did U.S. bomb Laos?

The bombings were part of the U.S. Secret War in Laos to support the Royal Lao Government against the Pathet Lao and to interdict traffic along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The bombings destroyed many villages and displaced hundreds of thousands of Lao civilians during the nine-year period.

Who won in the secret war?

The North Vietnamese and Pathet Lao eventually emerged victorious in 1975, as part of the general communist victory in all of former French Indochina that year. A total of up to 300,000 people from Laos fled to neighbouring Thailand following the Pathet Lao takeover.

What did the CIA do in Vietnam?

The CIA provided suggestions for political platforms, supported candidates, used agency resources to refute electoral fraud charges, manipulated the certification of election results by the South Vietnamese National Assembly, and instituted the Phoenix Program.

Is Lao PDR the same as Laos?

The country of Laos, officially named the Lao People’s Democratic Republic or Lao PDR, has a long history in which it has been known by many names. Today in the west, the country is commonly called Laos. While westerners commonly pronounce the ā€œsā€ at the end of the name, Lao nationals and others in the region do not.

What was the Secret War in Laos?

The bombings were part of the U.S. Secret War in Laos to support the Royal Lao Government against the Pathet Lao and to interdict traffic along the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The bombings destroyed many villages and displaced hundreds of thousands of Lao civilians during the nine-year period.

What did Laos do in the Vietnam War?

Laos during the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War did not remain within the borders of Vietnam. The conflict expanded into neighbouring countries like Laos and Cambodia , where North Vietnamese Army (NVA) and Viet Cong soldiers moved and operated, at times pursued by South Vietnamese and American forces.

What is the Secret War?

Secret Wars or Secret War may refer to: Secret War, a term used in some sources to describe American clandestine involvement in the Laotian Civil War (1953ā€“1975), which was in part a theater of the larger Vietnam War.