Racial Tensions in the Military


Military Riots

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Source: Central Intelligence Agency. _____ comments on the affect of food shortages, bombing raids and the American race riots on North Vietnamese morale. 1967. Central Intelligence Agency. "_____ comments on the affect of food shortages, bombing raids and the American race riots on North Vietnamese morale." 1967.

Microfiche: 1980 Document #238A
Date Issued: August 28, 1967
Date Declassified: September 20, 1979
Length: 5 pages
Sanitized

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Contained in this CIA "Intelligence Information Cable" is an assessment by "______" (identity unknown due to "sanitation") on food shortages, bombing raids and American race riots on North Vietnamese morale. In "______'s" judgement, neither the food shortages or bombing raids has had much effect, however:
"North Vietnamese morale has been boosted considerably by the Civil Rights and the 'Black Power' movement in the United States. The North Vietnam government has indicated to the French Mission in Hanoi that the riots and the emergence of the 'Black Power' movement, signal the beginning of a popular revolution in the United States against the ruling classes. The North Vietnamese government also believes that the Civil Rights disturbances will adversely affect American participation in the Vietnam War. The United States government will be forced to divert large sums of money to educational, housing, and other social reforms to maintain the loyalty of the underprivileged elements and prevent them from joining the ranks of the Civil Rights dissidents. The North Vietnamese further believe that the United States will have to maintain more troops in the United States to control the rioters. The North Vietnamese government has also indicated that it expects the 'Black Power' movement to spread in perhaps two or three years to the American military establishment. Within that time span the North Vietnamese expect the American forces in Vietnam to be seriously weakened by racial tensions which might possibly result in actual clashes between the negro and white troops." [Emphasis added].
This last prediction proved to be true more than the CIA would have ever cared to imagine. The late 1960's and early 1970's saw a tremendous rise in racial conflict on bases both in the United States and in Vietnam.


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