American Strategic Deception Bureau

　——In addition to forcing reconnaissance planes and helicopters to search the front again and again in rainy weather, they also made the engineers holding Geiger counters and mine-clearing equipment walk tremblingly in the front, while the rest of the troops huddled behind the tanks and armored vehicles, wearing

　Walking at a snail's pace in a raincoat.

　As a result, although there was only a little over 30 kilometers of flat road between the 1st Marine Division's forward station outside Phan Rang and Da Dao City, they encountered no armed resistance along the way and only encountered a few damaged sections of road. The 1st Marine Division managed to cover only 5 kilometers in a single day.

　This snail-like advancement speed is really frustrating.

　Then, the 1st Marine Division, which was still on the road, received mixed news: there was no need to fight, because Dadao had surrendered without a fight!

　——In the beginning, the reason why Dadao, with its dangerous terrain, fell so easily was, on the one hand, because the defenders had no fighting spirit and fled without a fight; on the other hand, the Cao Dai militia in the city launched an uprising and cooperated with the Viet Cong inside and outside, which made Dadao almost "open the city without bloodshed."

　As a result, the honeymoon period between Cao Dai and the Viet Cong lasted less than a month before it came to an abrupt end - the radical forces of the Viet Cong took the initiative to turn against them, sending troops to attack the Holy See of Cao Dai in Xining, killing and injuring a large number of priests, and forcing tens of thousands of Cao Dai believers into labor camps.

　Naturally, relations between the Cao Dai militia and the Vietcong in Dadao quickly broke down. However, the local Cao Dai militia, leaderless, hesitated to make a decision. Meanwhile, the Vietcong guerrillas and underground forces in Dadao were weak and too afraid to initiate a fight, so they desperately sought help.

　The problem was that with the US military stationed in Phan Rang and the Hmong militia defending Buon Me Thuot, all roads and railways leading to Da Dao were cut off. To reach Da Dao, the Viet Cong had to trek through muddy rural mountain roads during the rainy season... Even if reinforcements came, they would not arrive quickly.

　Therefore, the Vietcong, who had been trying to mobilize forces everywhere, ultimately received no reinforcements. Instead, they waited for the arrival of Cao Dai leader Le Van Tong and Cao Dai militia commander-in-chief Tran Quang Vinh. They broke out of Tay Ninh Province with a small number of their trusted followers, and after escaping to Da Dao, they immediately mobilized the local Cao Dai militia to fight the Vietcong.

　After a brief battle of several hours, the Cao Dai militia successfully expelled more than 200 Viet Cong guerrillas stationed in Da Dao and recaptured the entire city.

　Next, Cao Dai leader Le Van Tong issued a public telegram in Da Dao, once again condemning the Viet Cong's betrayal and brutality, and inviting the US military to enter and take over Da Dao. So, when the 1st Marine Division was still slowly dawdling on the road, a battalion of the 101st Airborne Division had taken advantage of a rare sunny day in the rainy season and successfully airlifted to Da Dao Airport. With the Cao Dai believers waving flags to welcome them, they easily took over the city.

　In other words, the 1st Marine Division was "a scare in vain" from beginning to end, and also lost the military merit that could have been easily achieved.

　Chapter 263: Reverse Nuclear Blackmail! What if the Vietcong really had a nuclear bomb?!

　Unfortunately, although the US military easily captured Dadao City due to the Cao Dai sect's rebellion, the reactor could not be completely recaptured.

　When the American officers, armed with maps and Geiger counters, carefully arrived at the site of the reactor under the guidance of local citizens, they found that the Viet Cong had looted the place. Everything that could be moved had been taken away, leaving the place so clean that not even a piece of paper was left.

　Among the things that were emptied, naturally, was the most important uranium-235 nuclear fuel rods.

　Well, we can’t imagine that the Viet Cong are all stupid barbarians. They must have been eyeing this reactor in Dadao City for a long time!

　"It's over! All 96 nuclear fuel rods left in Dadao have been taken away by the Vietcong! They were taken away last month!

　Because the Viet Cong arrived too quickly, the reactor didn't even have time to start up before the city fell. So these fuel rods were all unused, had very low radiation levels, and were packed in special containers that the Viet Cong guerrillas could just pick up and carry away safely.

　Alas, I am afraid that we will be threatened by radiation contamination from the Vietcong's dirty bomb for a long time to come!"

　Holding the intelligence sent by the US military headquarters in Da Nang, Vietnam, Kissinger and Firi on Phu Quoc Island could not help but sigh together.

　In short, a batch of nuclear fuel unfortunately fell into the hands of the enemy on the battlefield in Vietnam. This is now a fait accompli that cannot be changed or recovered.

　The next question is how to deal with the subsequent impact of this nuclear crisis and the subsequent public outcry.

　After several days of this, rumors of uranium fuel falling into the hands of the Vietcong had already spread, and many tabloids, preying on rumors, published related news. They even misrepresented the story of "the Vietcong stole nuclear fuel" as "the Vietcong stole a US nuclear bomb"!

　So, as a follower of the Prince of Lies, Ferry couldn't help but have an idea and came up with an idea to take advantage of the opportunity to praise and kill the Viet Cong.

　Talking nonsense seriously is the talent and instinct of people like him, okay?

　"The nuclear fuel rods lost in Dadao were taken somewhere by the Vietcong. They're destined to be lost forever, and the negative impact of this incident can't be suppressed any further. In my opinion, rather than covering it up or telling the truth, it's better to simply exaggerate the facts."

　Facing the gloomy Dr. Kissinger and Professor Zbigniew Brzezinski, the U.S. Ambassador to the Western Highlands Federation, who had just flown in from Phan Rang to discuss the matter, Fili beamed and said, "I have an idea. Let's exaggerate the number of nuclear fuel rods lost from the Dadao reactor by three times. Let's say we lost 300 fuel rods, about 30 kilograms of uranium-235. How about that?"

　"Exaggerating the amount of lost nuclear fuel? What good does that do us?" Brzezin said.

　Professor Ski was confused for a moment.

　"First, if more than 15 kilograms of uranium-235 were lost, that would be the minimum amount needed to produce an atomic bomb."

　Firi replied, "Secondly, at this point, Red China in the north hasn't even developed its own atomic bomb, but Ho Chi Minh's Viet Cong already has enough uranium-235 to make one... So, what would Khrushchev of the Soviet Union and Mao of China think?

　Will Beijing harbor resentment, or will it continue to generously aid a Vietnamese brother who may possess nuclear weapons?

　Furthermore, would the Chinese demand the fuel rods from Ho Chi Minh? And could Ho Chi Minh withstand pressure from his own party opponents and hand them over? Would he also have to explain to the Chinese that the Vietcong simply didn't have that much uranium-235? Or perhaps even less than half the amount?

　Moreover, even if Ho Chi Minh said so, would Red China believe it?"

　——It is conceivable that Beijing’s attitude is most likely one of disbelief.

　Chiang Kai-shek and Chiang Ching-kuo had only a small sliver of territory left in Taiwan, and despite being closely monitored by the United States, they still secretly pursued nuclear weapons. Ho Chi Minh now had a medium-sized country with a population of over 10 million, and the United States had insanely gifted him uranium... Could he resist the temptation of possessing an atomic bomb?

　Putting ourselves in China's shoes, we would certainly not want to see this "rebellious province" that broke away from us a thousand years ago gain the possibility of possessing nuclear weapons.

　What's more, North Vietnam might choose to deny this nuclear crisis and insist that it has not obtained any nuclear materials!

　"Well, that's true. According to your suggestion, even if Ho Chi Minh could really suppress the nationalists at home and hand over all 96 nuclear fuel rods obtained from Da Dao to Beijing, Beijing would still suspect that the Vietnamese had withheld enough uranium-235 to produce an atomic bomb.

　Furthermore, with Sino-Soviet relations now broken, North Vietnam couldn't lean too heavily towards either side and could only maintain a difficult balance. If it voluntarily handed over the uranium fuel rods to Beijing, it would offend the Soviet Union. Therefore, even if it wanted to prove its innocence, it would be impossible.

　Dr. Kissinger nodded, stroked his chin, and said, "Under the mutual suspicion, even if Ho Chi Minh had a mouth full of words, he couldn't explain it clearly..."

　"In addition, the nuclear fuel rods used in the reactor contain only 3% to 5% uranium-235 (this is already considered a high concentration. If the spent fuel is to be scrapped after use, the remaining uranium-235 content is only 1%). If you want to make an atomic bomb, the concentration must be 90%.

　If Ho Chi Minh wanted to purify the uranium-235 in this batch of nuclear fuel rods to weapons grade and make its concentration reach the standard for making atomic bombs, he would have to build a large number of centrifuges and consume a huge amount of electricity. So, in this case, would China still be willing to help Vietnam build a power plant?

　Did the Chinese really want to see North Vietnam develop an atomic bomb before their own country? Weren't they afraid that North Vietnam would use the atomic bomb to threaten and blackmail China?

　However, electricity is the foundation of all modern industries. As long as the power generation capacity cannot be increased, it will be difficult for North Vietnam to achieve much success in industrial construction..."

　Firi spread his hands. "Then, claiming that the Vietcong possessed enough uranium-235 to build an atomic bomb would also prompt Southeast Asian countries to further increase their vigilance against the Vietcong, preventing them from continuing to play fence-sitters between the two camps or even secretly siding with North Vietnam. For example, Prince Sihanouk of Cambodia, because of President Eisenhower's radical policies in the 1950s—first inciting a rebellion among Cambodian warlords, then having the CIA directly send a bomb to assassinate him, both of which failed—left him with a very negative impression of the United States.

　So much so that the Kingdom of Cambodia under his rule would allow North Vietnam to station troops in the eastern territory and even control certain rural areas. The reason was that Prince Sihanouk distrusted and feared our country, and was worried that the US and South Vietnamese troops would join forces to attack Phnom Penh and directly overthrow his rule by force.

　Now, with the red flag hoisted over Saigon and Ngo Dinh Diem's ​​Republic of Vietnam no longer in existence, the direct threat posed by the US military to Cambodia has, so to speak, temporarily disappeared. Then, we acknowledged the sovereignty of Phu Quoc Island as belonging to Cambodia, which was a gesture of goodwill.

　So next, while repairing relations with Cambodia, we should also publicize the threat posed by the Viet Cong to Cambodia and drive a wedge of distrust between Prince Sihanouk and Ho Chi Minh. The possibility that the Viet Cong may possess nuclear weapons is an excellent topic.

　No matter what, the historical hatred of the Vietnamese taking away a large amount of fertile land from Cambodia is something that every Cambodian will never forget.

　If Ho Chi Minh had nuclear weapons, would he immediately demand that Cambodia kneel down and surrender?

　In addition, for Thailand, Myanmar and Malaysia, a Red Vietnam that may possess nuclear weapons and attempt to dominate the entire Indochina Peninsula will also make them more fearful and hostile, and will make them turn more towards the United States and beg for US military protection..."

　"Use the disaster of the missing nuclear fuel rods in the Dadao reactor to sow suspicion and rifts within the enemy camp?

　This is simply... reverse nuclear blackmail! They insist their adversaries have the capability to produce nuclear weapons when they don't, at least not yet.

　However, this is indeed a new way of thinking about solving the problem. Especially in the current situation where things are already so bad that they can’t get any worse.”

　Professor Brzezinski

　Tank frowned and said in a breath, "I basically agree with your suggestion, but, Colonel Jin, I wonder if you have ever thought about this. If we deliberately exaggerate the amount of lost nuclear fuel, misleading the world into thinking that the Vietcong have enough uranium-235 to produce an atomic bomb, then this will not only create suspicion within the enemy camp, but will also greatly enhance Ho Chi Minh's prestige and the cohesion of the Vietcong.

　The Viet Cong will be more motivated to fight because of this false "weapon of mass destruction", and neighboring countries will be more wary of the Viet Cong and more afraid of them.

　North Vietnamese diplomats were even able to use this fabricated bargaining chip to maneuver on the international stage and profit for the Hanoi authorities..."

　"You're absolutely right, Mr. Brzezinski. In this day and age, nuclear weapons represent, to a certain extent, supreme power—or, in Eastern parlance, 'the Mandate of Heaven.' Even a false Mandate of Heaven can, for a short period of time, provide a powerful boost to a regime."

　The problem was that even if we didn't exaggerate the amount lost, sowing suspicion among the enemy, or even playing dirty tricks and refusing to admit the loss of nuclear fuel, the nuclear fuel in the reactor at Dadao would still have fallen into the hands of the Viet Cong. And dirty bombs made from this radioactive material could be dropped by Viet Cong guerrillas on our soldiers at any time, leaving the young soldiers and Marines terrified.

　Of course, it is also possible that it may be hidden in some suspicious parcel or gift box and then sent to your embassy, ​​endangering your health.

　Ho Chi Minh could also hold up the nuclear fuel rods seized from Da Dao and boast to the world about his victory and the favor that fate had shown him.

　Fili spread his hands. "You can't just cover your ears and pretend bad things didn't happen. In this kind of defeat, no matter what good countermeasures we come up with, at best we can only clean up the mess and minimize the losses. If we can turn the enemy's tactics against us, making it difficult for them to win and causing them some trouble, that's already the limit. We can't dream of turning the tables and making a fortune - such a thing is simply impossible!"

　Just like the Vietnam War, in which the United States is currently participating, I bet President Kennedy was extremely reluctant to send troops. It wouldn't have benefited him, nor would it have been in line with his governing philosophy. But ultimately, he had no choice but to jump into the Vietnam quagmire and clean up the mess for President Eisenhower.

　After hearing what Firi said, Brzezinski and Dr. Kissinger both nodded in agreement.

　——Speaking of which, the mess of the Vietnam War can really be said to be a pit that President Eisenhower dug for subsequent US presidents.

　Originally, as a French colony, Vietnam's gains and losses had nothing to do with the United States. Ho Chi Minh and his comrades still had a certain degree of pro-American thinking, and they could have found ways to win them over, at least to create a "Pink Vietnam" or "Yugoslavia of the East."

　But President Eisenhower not only led the United States into the Indochina Peninsula in a very reckless manner, but also supported the wrong person in South Vietnam. He insisted on parachuting Ngo Dinh Diem, a Catholic from a poor family with congenital deficiencies, as the leader of a country, and even refused to keep the Nguyen Dynasty emperor as a cover!

　Speaking of which, the United States still knew to retain the emperor in Japan, so why couldn't it tolerate a Great Southern Emperor or Bao Dai in Vietnam?

　Emperor Bao Dai was indeed a Frenchman in spirit. But as long as the United States bribed him hard enough, he could also be pro-American!

　The Japanese supported him as a puppet. Even though it was already 1945 and everyone with a discerning eye knew that Japan was about to be destroyed, he didn't refuse, right?

　To put it bluntly, how could such a "pet-type" feudal monarch who could be kept as a canary by the colonists have any backbone?

　As a result, the United States was obsessed with the spirit of democracy and freedom at this time, and insisted on kicking out the Vietnamese monarch, who still had some appeal and legitimacy, and created a republic without any foundation. This made everyone dissatisfied and made the Ngo Dinh Diem regime in South Vietnam unstable.

　The United States was accused of being a colonizer, but it was powerless to do anything. No matter how much money it spent and how many soldiers it sent, the situation in South Vietnam continued to deteriorate.

　Eisenhower's "domino theory" elevated supporting the South Vietnamese regime to the height of political correctness in the United States. As a result, President Kennedy, no matter how much he loathed the quagmire and pit of fire that was South Vietnam, felt compelled to plunge headfirst into it. Currently, public opinion in the United States favors war. Driven by populism, no politician dared to back down, no one dared to say they didn't want to fight.

　After all, the United States has always been arrogant and domineering, and it would make a big fuss even without any wind. What’s more, it really suffered a setback in Vietnam this time?

　As loyalists and lackeys of the Kennedy administration, everyone present could only try their best to find ways to clean up the mess as nicely as possible.

　-

　Because Phiri's proposal of "reverse nuclear blackmail" was so crucial, Brzezinski and Kissinger personally flew back to Washington to present the pros and cons to the president and cabinet, while also allowing Phiri to remain on Phu Quoc Island and temporarily oversee local affairs.

　It has to be said that although Brzezinski and Kissinger were only marginal figures in the White House at this time, their activity energy was still considerable.

　Moreover, President Kennedy was already fed up with the bad news coming from Vietnam this spring, and he hated the Viet Cong for causing so much trouble. Seeing that there was a way to "turn bad things into good things" and "create trouble for the enemy", he naturally wanted to give it a try.

　The theft of the Dadao nuclear reactor is impossible to conceal, and the US is doomed to international humiliation. Since the humiliation is already inevitable, what difference does it make if a few kilograms of nuclear fuel are lost?

　Let’s see if the so-called “indestructible” red camp on the other side of the Iron Curtain will be cracked by this batch of uranium-235!

　A few days later, on June 19, 1963, with public opinion already in an uproar, the White House finally issued a public statement confirming that a reactor had been built at Da Dao in Vietnam and had been briefly occupied and looted by the Vietcong. The statement also claimed that 256 nuclear fuel rods containing approximately 26 kilograms of uranium-235 had been lost at Da Dao. If purified, this would have been enough to produce an atomic bomb.

　The Kennedy administration declared that the Viet Cong's theft of so much uranium-235 from the United States was a horrific crime and a major blow to the current world order. It not only severely undermined stability in Southeast Asia but also had a significant negative impact on global nuclear non-proliferation.

　Therefore, the White House hopes that the Red South Vietnamese regime in Saigon and Ho Chi Minh in North Vietnam will come to their senses and return all the nuclear fuel rods stolen by Dadao to the US government, or destroy or seal them under the supervision of the United Nations.

　This news sent shockwaves through the world. At that moment, only four nations possessed atomic bombs: the United States, the Soviet Union, Britain, and France. Could Vietnam even have a glimmer of hope of becoming the fifth nuclear power? This was outrageous.

　However, when the world's attention was focused on Vietnam, Vietnam remained strangely silent.

　Because, both Ho Chi Minh and Le Duan in Hanoi, and Nguyen Huu Tho, the Prime Minister of the "Republic of South Vietnam" in Saigon, were busy conducting self-inspections, trying to figure out where the more than 100 "disappeared" nuclear fuel rods had gone.

　Is there some daring guy who secretly embezzled these deadly things and wanted to sell them for huge profits?

　Or is it simply that the "Republic of South Vietnam" has become disloyal and wants to use this batch of uranium-235 to challenge the Party Central Committee in Hanoi?

　In short, amidst the global turmoil caused by the Vietnam nuclear crisis, Vice President Johnson, aboard the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, arrived in the waters near Phu Quoc Island, preparing to inspect the area and hold talks with Cambodian Prince Sihanouk...

　Author's words: PS: The reason why Prince Sihanouk took an anti-American stance during the Vietnam War was largely because he was forced by the United States, almost at the same time as Castro was forced to oppose the United States, and it was all the fault of President Eisenhower's second term.

　I feel that the embarrassing behavior of the United States in the early and middle stages of the Cold War was ultimately caused by Eisenhower.

　It is said that Charles de Gaulle of France was assassinated thirty times, several of which seemed to be the work of the CIA.

　Why does it feel like President Eisenhower is just like President Bush, always thinking about abusing force in everything?

　Chapter 264: Vice President Johnson's Visit

　In the history of the United States Navy, there have been many famous ships named Enterprise.

　The most famous of these is naturally the legendary ship CV-6 Enterprise, which was the first to challenge the Japanese Navy during World War II.

　However, by the 1960s, the legendary USS Enterprise, a ship that served in the Pacific War, had long been scrapped. The ship now bearing the name "Enterprise" is the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier in human history, the CVN-65 Enterprise, launched in 1960 and commissioned in 1961.

　With a displacement of 94,000 tons, a maximum speed of 33 knots, enough endurance to travel around the world, and nearly 80 carrier-based aircraft... in this era, it is a maritime overlord that can be deployed to any corner of the world at any time!

　The Yamato, the "strongest battleship in history" that the Japanese boasted about, was nothing more than a target when it met the Enterprise!

　When Vice President Johnson cruised the Western Pacific on the majestic nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Enterprise and visited various Asian allies including Japan, South Korea, and the Philippines, the people watching on the dock were all intoxicated by this towering steel warship.

　Looking at this domineering steel behemoth and the American flag fluttering on its body, everyone couldn't help but feel shocked and awe-inspired.

　——This was also one of the crisis public relations measures taken by the Kennedy administration in response to the disastrous defeat in Vietnam.

　There was no way around it. The devastating defeat in Vietnam this spring, especially the sight of tens of thousands of Americans surrendering overnight and dejectedly entering Vietcong prisoner-of-war camps, was truly humiliating and shameful, comparable to General MacArthur's loss of the Philippines in the early days of the Pacific War.

　What is even more shameful is that General MacArthur at least escaped in a torpedo boat, while General Harkins, the commander of the US forces in Vietnam, was taken prisoner.

　Fortunately, Firi won the Battle of Hai Van Ridge and defended half of South Vietnam, which somewhat saved the Pentagon's face.

　Despite this, people around the world couldn't help but wonder when they saw the photo of the American general in prison uniform in the newspaper:

　How many years has World War II ended? What's going on in the United States right now? Can the US military still fight?

　Obviously, God cannot shed blood. For the United States during the Cold War, the consequences of losing its deterrent power in the international arena were simply

　Incredible.

　Therefore, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier battle group "Enterprise" that Vice President Johnson boarded played a similar role to that of the US "Great White Fleet" half a century ago - showing off its strength to the enemy and boasting about its strength to its allies, in order to demonstrate that the military might of the US imperial division is still there!

　-

　Before arriving in Phu Quoc Island, Vice President Johnson first went to Da Nang and met with President Zun Shiding of Quang Nam.

　Vice President Johnson was very arrogant towards the "Quang Nam Kingdom", a miniature new regime cobbled together from the ruins of South Vietnam, and the "naked official" president, Zun Shiding, who came to power entirely at the expense of the US military and whose entire family was in the United States.

　He assumed the airs of an elder and teacher, reprimanding Son Thi Dinh, saying the Quang Nam government in Da Nang must make a significant effort and win broad support to avoid a successful war. Because, fundamentally, this is your war. Only you can be the winner or loser. Of course, the United States will help its allies, provide them with equipment, and even send troops to assist in the war.