Tucker's Last Stand by William F. Buckley

Author:William F. Buckley
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781504018579
Publisher: MysteriousPress.com/Open Road

18

July 27, 1964

Saigon, South Vietnam

For their next meeting in Saigon, Rufus took the precaution of calling Tucker into town one day before Blackford. His message said merely that he was calling him in from Nakhon Phanom one day before their joint meeting “to give you a few hours of leisure in a city where you can order a decent meal.” Blackford flew in from Danang on Air America, went directly to the apartment (a different one, of course) to which they had been directed. Tucker had spent several days making tests and his mood was transparently high. He welcomed Blackford warmly, as Rufus did, in his own way.

They drank iced tea. Rufus gave a general account of the political picture. Not much there, really, that they hadn’t picked up on Voice of America and in Stars & Stripes, though as Rufus spoke of the political picture it was clear that it was freighted with the suspense that attached to coexisting anomalies that couldn’t go on too long without colliding. North Vietnam was technically at peace with South Vietnam. South Vietnam was technically at peace with North Vietnam. The United States was technically at peace with North Vietnam. The Geneva Accords forbade its signatories, including the Soviet Union and North Vietnam, from doing what they were nevertheless blatantly doing. Codicils to the SEATO treaty and to the Geneva Accords pledged the United States to defend a nation being aggressed against. And nothing—nothing decisive—was being done to reify, and then act conclusively on, reality.

“The only thing we are doing that is unambiguously legal,” Rufus sighed, an amused-bitter sigh, “is what you are up to, Tucker. Because what we do in Thailand, at Nakhon Phanom, in order to close down the Trail in Laos, is of no theoretical concern to the North Vietnamese, since Laos is a foreign country, pledged to neutrality.”

Blackford tilted his iced tea glass, swallowed, then said, “As a matter of curiosity, Rufus, what’s legal in respect of North Vietnam isn’t necessarily legal in respect of Thailand and Laos, is it? I mean, we’re operating out of two independent countries—”

“No, it would not necessarily follow. But in this case it does. We have the permission of Thailand to proceed with Operation Igloo White, and under the 1962 Second Geneva Conference Accord, all parties are not only permitted to take steps to ensure Laotian neutrality, they are urged to take such steps.”

“Including bombing Laotian territory?” Blackford pressed the point. “After all, when we bomb the Trail with our Thai planes, we’re bombing a foreign country.”

“We are not now bombing Laotian territory. We are preparing to bomb Laotian territory. Our motives in doing so are to put into effect a neutrality that was guaranteed to Laos, and by Laos. You speak like a lawyer, Blackford.”

“Rufus, considering what I’ve done for you in the last thirteen years, if I were a lawyer I would have to, as a matter of honor, disbar myself.”

“Now wait a minute, Blacky—” Tucker spoke up. “This business of

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