- Title: U.S.A.: SENATE LEADER MIKE MANSFIELD SAYS U.S. SHOULD NOT GIVE AID TO CAMBODIA
- Date: 25th April 1970
- Summary: 1. GV CAPITOL BUILDING 0.16 2. SCU SENATOR MANSFIELD - INTERVIEWER ASKING QUESTION 1.57 TRANSCRIPT: INTERVIEWER: DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD PROVIDE ABSOLUTELY NO ASSISTANCE? MANSFIELD: I DO, NONE. INTERVIEWER: NONE WHATSOEVER? MANSFIELD: NONE WHATSOEVER. INTERVIEWER: NOT EVEN ANY WEAPONS. MANSFIELD: NONE. INTERVIEWER: NO ADVISERS? MANSFIELD: CERTAINLY NOT BECAUSE THE NEXT STEP WILL BE THE MEN WHO WILL DO THE FIGHTING. INTERVIEWER: HAVE YOU CONVEYED YOUR FEELINGS TO THE ADMINISTRATION SENATOR MANSFIELD? MANSFIELD: I WOULD SAY THEY'RE AWARE OF THEM. INTERVIEWER: HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE MOOD HERE IN CONGRESS TOWARDS THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN CAMBODIA. MANSFIELD: NO MORE VIETNAMESE AND CAMBODIA COULD WELL BECOME A VIETNAM IF WE INTERVENED THERE. YOU'VE GOT TO RECOGNISE THAT IF WE GO INTO CAMBODIA YOU'LL HAVE TO EXPECT A REVERSAL OF PRESIDENTIAL POLICY, PRESIDENT NIXON'S POLICY OF A PHASED WITHDRAWAL WHICH IS THOROUGHLY APPROVE OF - I WISH IT COULD BE FASTER - AND THAT WOULD MEAN AN ESCALATION OF MANPOWER, PROBABLY AN ESCALATION OF THE WAR, AND CERTAINLY ADDITIONAL BILLIONS IF NOT TENS OF BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO BE PUT INTO A CONFLICT WHICH WOULD NOT THEN BE JUST A VIETNAMESE WAR BUT WOULD BE AN INDO-CHINA WAR. IT WOULD BE SPREAD CONSIDERABLY AND WE'D HAVE TO PAY THE PRICE THERE. AT HOME WE HAVE ALL THESE DIFFICULTIES IN OUR GHETTOS IN OUR SLUMS, ON OUR FARMS, WE HAVE A CRIME RATE WHICH IS DOUBLING AND REDOUBLING AND DOUBLING AGAIN, WE HAVE A DRUG ADDICTION RATE AMONG OUR YOUNG, WE HAVE THE PROBLEM OF POLLUTION, WE CAN'T FIND THE MONEY TO FACE UP TO THESE THINGS WHICH WOULD BENEFIT OUR OWN PEOPLE. AND I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD FIND THE MONEY TO CARRY OUT ACTIVITIES IN A FOREIGN ADVENTURE WHICH WOULD BE OF NOT BENEFIT TO US OR TO OUR PEOPLE OR TO OUR COUNTRY. INT.: WELL THEN WHAT YOU'RE REALLY SAYING IS THAT NOTHING SHOULD DETER US FROM OUR GOAL OF GETTING OUT OF THAT AREA. MANSFIELD: EXACTLY. Initials KM/N-TELE/PN/OS Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 9th May 1970 13:00
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- Location: WASHINGTON, USA
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- Country: USA
- Reuters ID: LVA47U6R98CDB7OGWHVI81ZE56IW
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