Analysis of "Gen. Vang Pao's Last War"

Stephen Grambow

Mr. Zarwell

Global Studies Seminar

15 January 2012

The Betrayed General

In the New York Times Magazine article, “Gen. Vang Pao’s Last War,” Tim Weiner explores why General Vang Pao, once a U.S. ally, is considered a terrorist. Weiner takes a look into the how Vang Pao and the Hmong got involved with the United States government.  He explains the C.I.A.’s involvement in the Secret War in the 1960s, where they supported the Hmong community and Gen. Vang Pao to fight the North Vietnamese in Laos.  Once Weiner describes the situation with the Hmong in Laos he dives into the Sting Operation on Gen. Vang Pao, Harrison Jack, and Lo Cha Thao. He goes into the specifics of what type of weapons the sting operation was going to sell to these men and then the arrest of these men under the charge for violation of the Neutrality Laws and attempt to overthrow the current government in Laos. By using personal statements from old C.I.A correspondence and interesting language, Tim Weiner leads the reader to believe that he is against these charges on Gen. Vang Pao.

Weiner uses quotes from former C.I.A. agents that worked with Gen. Vang Pao to show some hypocrisy with the U.S. government. When talking about the Secret War, Weiner interviews Dick Holm, a former C.I.A. agent, who states that the U.S., “ failed to assume the moral responsibility that we owed to those who worked so closely with us during those tumultuous years” (51).  Using first person sources like Dick Holm, plants the seed of doubt in the reader of why these charges against Pao even exists.  Weiner also uses the language that suggests that he is against the charges as well.  When he talks about the case he uses phrases like, “prosecutors painted him as a Laotian bin Laden” (48). The word “painted”  leaves the reader with ideas if the prosecutors are elaborating Vangs involvement or are taking it too far. Tim Weiner sides with Gen. Vang Pao with his constant referencing toward the regrets of former C.I.A agents and his slanted language.

 Weiner, Tim. "Gen. Vang Paos Last War." New York Times Magazine May 11 2008: 48-53. National Newspapers Core; ProQuest Research Library. Web. 5 Jan. 2012 .