February 15, 1969
Muskie discusses his Vietnam policy
The time has come for a fresh approach in Vietnam, said President Muskie in a speech yesterday. With peace talks stalling, he believes that a ceasefire in Vietnam is needed in order to bring the North Vietnamese to the bargaining table. “It would involve some risks, of course, but if we are ever going to end the war, we will have to take risks…A ceasefire would put the monkey on the backs of the Communists and might prod them to move forward in the Paris talks.” Secretary of Defense Clark Clifford agreed with the President, calling for a pullout of 100,000 men. “There is no way to achieve our goal of creating the conditions that will allow the South Vietnamese to determine their own future unless we… turn over to them the major responsibility for their own defense.” [1]
Muskie outlined three major objectives in Vietnam: end the fighting, support a political settlement, and re-examine U.S. interests in Southeast Asia. “We are arrogant and mistaken if we believe that we of the Western world are the sole possessors of the yearnings which motivated our own revolution," said Muskie. It is not our national responsibility or duty to stifle or prevent these yearnings elsewhere.” [2]
While Muskie’s controversial Vietnam stance appeals to the anti-war crowd, he has been criticized by many in both parties, who fear that de-escalation will mean defeat for our allies in South Vietnam and more dangerous conditions for our troops. Muskie, however, denied that this is the case, cautioning that the U.S. must fulfill its responsibilities to both its allies and its soldiers. “We are going to end this war and we are going to end it in a way that I think most Americans can accept. But we cannot end in such a way as to create greater risks to those of our boys who are fighting in Vietnam and we cannot afford to end it by running out on our responsibility.” [3]