Page:Pentagon-Papers-Part IV. A. 5.djvu/77

Declassified per Executive Order 13526, Section 3.3 NND Project Number: NND 63316. By: NWD Date: 2011  "The American Colonialists Are the Most Dangerous Enemy of the People." The commentary castigated the American Friends of Vietnam for supporting Diem in "his sabotage of the Geneva Accords and opposition to the clauses relative to free general elections to unify the country. It is obvious that this association is an organization formed by the American imperialists to more cynically and bluntly intervene in the South.... " and called for solidarity against the American intrusion.

However, July 20, 1956, the date the Geneva Conference had indicated for the plebescite on reunification, passed without incident. Years later, 'Then controversy over the failure of the Geneva Settlement raged anew, the U. S. should point to the subsequent behavior of the DRV to demonstrate that its judgment was quite correct in arming the GVN, aiding the refugees, and insist ing with Diem that conditions permitting free elections did not exist in North Vietnam. But in that summer of 1956, most such arguments appeared to be settled to the satisfaction of all parties except Ho Chi Minh. Rh