CIA's Secret War in Laos

The CIA Trained Hmong Tribesmen to Fight in Laos and Then Abandoned Them

On May 15, 1961, CIA operative James William Lair arrived in Vientiane, Laos, to oversee a secret operation that would change the course of the Vietnam War. Lair, a seasoned operative with years of experience in covert operations, was tasked with recruiting and training Hmong tribesmen to fight against the communist Pathet Lao. This operation would eventually involve thousands of Hmong fighters, but it would also ultimately lead to their abandonment by the CIA after the war. In the town of Long Tieng, a secret CIA base was established to train and supply the Hmong fighters.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that the CIA's involvement in Laos was a minor aspect of the Vietnam War, a small sideshow with little significance. The standard story goes that the CIA was simply trying to disrupt the supply lines of the North Vietnamese Army, and that the Hmong tribesmen were merely pawns in a larger game. However, this narrative overlooks the complexity and scale of the CIA's operation in Laos, which involved extensive training and equipment of Hmong fighters.

What History Actually Shows

Historian Alfred McCoy, in his book "The Politics of Heroin in Southeast Asia", reveals that the CIA's operation in Laos was far more extensive than previously thought, with the agency providing training and equipment to over 30,000 Hmong fighters by 1968. According to CIA documents, including a memo from CIA Director Richard Helms dated January 23, 1970, the agency was actively involved in the training and direction of Hmong forces, with the goal of disrupting the Ho Chi Minh Trail. The CIA's operation in Laos was so extensive that it became the largest covert operation in CIA history, with a budget of over $500 million by 1972. Historians such as Jane Hamilton-Merritt, in her book "Tragic Mountains: The Hmong, the Americans, and the Secret Wars for Laos, 1942-1992", have documented the extensive training and equipment provided to the Hmong, including the use of air support and artillery. By 1973, the CIA's operation in Laos had become a major factor in the Vietnam War, with the Hmong fighters playing a key role in disrupting the North Vietnamese Army's supply lines. However, as the war drew to a close, the CIA began to withdraw its support for the Hmong, leaving them to face the consequences of their involvement in the war.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians and journalists have scrutinized the CIA's involvement in Laos, but the story of the Hmong tribesmen's abandonment remains largely untold. Key officials, such as former CIA director William Colby, actively worked to conceal the agency's role in the conflict, citing national security concerns. The US government's decision to withhold documents and declassify information only after a significant delay also contributed to the story's suppression. Specifically, the CIA's destruction of records related to the Secret War in Laos, as revealed by a 1975 congressional investigation, made it difficult for researchers to reconstruct the events. Furthermore, the US media's focus on the Vietnam War overshadowed the conflict in Laos, relegating the story of the Hmong tribesmen to the margins of historical discourse. As a result, the story of the CIA's training and abandonment of the Hmong tribesmen was not told, and the public remained largely unaware of the agency's actions.

The Ripple Effect

The CIA's actions in Laos had concrete consequences for the Hmong people, who were forced to flee their homes and seek refuge in Thailand. Many Hmong were resettled in the United States, where they faced significant cultural and economic challenges. Today, the Hmong community in the US continues to feel the effects of the war, with many families still seeking justice and recognition for their sacrifices. A specific example of this is the establishment of the Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Act of 2000, which allowed Hmong veterans to become US citizens, a direct result of the CIA's actions in Laos.

The Line That Says It All

The CIA's secret war in Laos ended with the agency's abandonment of its Hmong allies, leaving thousands to face persecution, imprisonment, and death at the hands of the communist regime.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to the CIA's involvement in the Secret War in Laos.