Death From Above 1969: Operation Menu and Nixon's Secret Bombing of Cambodia
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In March 1969, American B-52s began bombing Cambodia, a neutral country, in an operation so secret that even the Air Force's own reporting system was falsified to hide it. The campaigns were codenamed Breakfast, Lunch, Snack, Dinner, Dessert and Supper. The menu would run for fourteen months.
Time Period Covered: 1968 to 1969
How did Cambodia become the 'key' to Nixon's plan to end the Vietnam War? What was the secret bombing of Cambodia? How many bombs did the US drop on Cambodia? What factors led to the end of Sihanouk's leadership of the country?
In this episode Lachlan looks at the gradually degrading situation in Cambodia, and the destabilisation prior to a change in the White House that will only make matters worse. We look at Sihanouk's movies, the Cambodian economy, and the Khmer Rouge as they continue their 'armed struggle' across the country. Nixon's ascension to power is explored, his plans for a quick end to the Vietnam War, and the role Cambodia could play in producing this. The bombing, done in secret, is explained, as well as some comments on the general discourse around the idea of 'bombs over Cambodia' and the correction Kiernan made in his cowritten article.
Check out the YouTube Channel at https://youtu.be/8QdRvpbMr_w?si=vTEurMs6dDEmjjHI
Sources
Short “Pol Pot”
Chandler “Tragedy of Cambodian History”
Shawcross “Sideshow”
Mark Atwood Lawrence “Concise History of the Vietnam War”
Kiernan “How Pol Pot Came To Power”
Osbourne “Sihanouk”
Heder “Cambodian Communism and the Vietnamese Model”
Article Links
https://quillette.com/2023/12/07/kissinger-and-cambodia/
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