Australian Left Review

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Comment: ALR 12

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TWO WEEKS BEFORE the National Liberation Front launched its Tet offensive, this column commented:

In reality, the war is running against the Americans. The battles are still being fought in the areas declared ‘cleared’ a year ago, the most ‘secure’ US bases are still open to National Liberation Front attacks, and daring probes are made up to the very outskirts of Saigon. The NLF forces alternate guerilla and positional battles with bewildering variety and brilliance. Indeed, the NLF army is proving superior to the US in both strategy and tactics. Its forces are better equipped than ever, and they have been able to counter every new tactical weapon the Americans have thrown into the war.

Then, it seemed necessary to challenge the U.S. Administration’s propaganda line, backed to the hilt by Hasluck and Co., that the “allies” were winning, that the NLF had lost the initiative; “pacification” was succeeding; it was now only a matter of time before the war was over.