Laotian General Vang Pao, early 1960s - (Vinton Lawrence photo)

This Agent Orange baby is a product of WAR - (Vietnam War Remnants Museum photo )

Video Beat EXTRA EXTRA Part 5 - THE CIA's SECRET WAR

James Loving - National Radio Text Service

THE CIA's SECRET WAR film THE MOST SECRET PLACE ON EARTH by Marc Eberle - The documentary used CIA video footage that was released in 2008. The film reveals the who, what where, when and how the CIA set up a secret air base in the mountains of Laos. They recruited Homing Hill tribe people including children to become soldiers - ANOTHER LOCKED UP ABROAD IN THAILAND - Recommended TV Listings

Monday December 27, 2010

THE MOST SECRET PLACE ON EARTH

A documentary film THE MOST SECRET PLACE ON EARTH by Marc Eberle was screened at the Cambodian International Film Festival in October of this year exposes the CIA's clandestine operations in Laos that turned into the biggest air war in history.

The documentary used CIA video footage that was released in 2008. The film reveals the who, what where, when and how the CIA set up a secret air base in the mountains of Laos. They recruited Homing Hill tribe people including children to become soldiers.

At the height of its significance in the late 1960s, the "secret city" of Long Tieng maintained a population of 40,000 inhabitants, making it the second largest city in Laos at the time, although it never appeared on maps throughout this period. In 1962 the CIA first set up a headquarters for Major General Vang Pao in the Long Tieng valley, which at that time had almost no inhabitants. By 1964 a 1260m-long runway had been completed and by 1966 Long Cheng was one of the largest US installations on foreign soil, becoming one of the busiest airports in the world. The film notes that the base had prostitutes that entertained the CIA and their visitors.

Homing boss Vang Pao was depicted as a fearless leader. He demonstrated his ruthlessness when he was annoyed by an individual and shot him in the head and walked on. A CIA agent said of Pao with an amusing tone to his voice that Pao showed he was not one to mess with. One would think that a CIA employee would be more in shock than amused.

The film explored the CIA's Air America which is most notably known for the trafficking of heroin. One of the pilots interviewed said that he didn't know what they were flying. It was pointed out that one third of the US soldiers fighting in the American/Vietnam War was addicted to the drug. Another pilot who was involved in the massive bombing of the region said of their bombing raids over Laos that anything that moved was a target.

The US Senate and Congress were not aware of what the CIA was doing. The CIA presented itself as being there for humanitarian purposes. Author Al McCoy was noted in the film regarding his writing a book on the CIA drug trade. Journalist Fred Bronfman was featured throughout the documentary. Vang Pao currently lives in the USA. This film is a must see.

ANOTHER LOCKED UP ABROAD IN THAILAND

Another Thailand story was featured on this past weeks Locked Up Abroad on the National Geographic Network. A 27-year-old Australian who was thirsty for adventure was lured to the red light scene of Bangkok. He took a job teaching English but his salary didn't match his outlay for the expensive nightlife activities he involved himself in.

When summer came his job was finished and he wanted to remain and live in Bangkok. A foreigner acquaintance informed him that he could make a $1,000 if he took a Thai prostitute to another country via a fake marriage with a fake marriage certificate. He was successful several times. He was then informed that the Thai syndicate was pleased the way he handled questioning by immigration officials when he was challenged. They then offered him a PROMOTION that could earn him $10,000 to smuggle HEROIN to the United States.

On his first trip 1993 he was caught while in the departure area at the Bangkok airport with 10 ½ kilos of the drug. In Thailand being caught with 100 grams is a life sentence. He was then sentenced to LIFE IN PRISON. While there another prisoner informed him that he was set up by his foreigner contact. He was told that his contact Bradley was caught by authorities three months earlier and was permitted to go free if he were to become an undercover INFORMANT. Thus he set the Australian up for the bust.

While in prison the Aussie said the guards were so corrupt that it was easier to buy drugs on credit than food. In the process he became strung out on heroin and used shared needles. His logic was, "A Life sentence I'm not getting out so who cares, I wasn't." He became HIV POSITIVE. Bradley the foreigner informant was later found dead in the red light district of Bangkok of a heroin overdose. "He was bumped off," the Aussie said.

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