Richard Nixon

             chance to survive as a free people2; so he increased the training of Vietnam's.
             armed forces. .
             Nixon was most concerned with the need to protect the lives of the.
             American troops. So in April of 1970, he approved a joint US-Vietnamese attack.
             on Communist sanctuaries in eastern Cambodia. It took two months and huge.
             quantities of supplies were taken, supposedly assuring that the Communists.
             would not mount an offensive in Vietnam. However, people back in the United.
             States saw this as expansion of the war. This controversy was settled in 1973.
             when it was found out that the United States secretly bombed Communist targets.
             in Cambodia in 1969 and again in 1970; Even though Nixon had said that.
             "neither the United States nor South Vietnam has moved against those enemy.
             sanctuaries because we did not wish to violate the territory of a neutral nation."3.
             To keep these raids secret, the Pentagon sent false reports to a Senate.
             committee, but Nixon said in 1973 that Prince Norodom Sihanouk, Cambodia's.
             chief of state, agreed on the bombings. When South Vietnam invaded Laos in.
             February of 1971, the US gave air, artillery, and support. Then in 1972, Nixon.
             ordered the Navy to mine the Haiphong harbor and he increased the bombing of.
             Hanoi to choke off lines of supplies for the Communist forces in the South. He.
             took these actions because when the North Vietnamese offensive threatened the.
             Saigon government, it endangered the results of Nixon's trip to China and his trip.
             to the Soviet Union. A cease-fire was brought about on January 28, 1973, which.
             sent all of the US troops home, and Nixon was able to release about 600 US.
             prisoners. .
             Nixon wanted to create better relations with China. He reduced the trade.
             embargo against them. Then China invited him for a visit there in February 1972,.
             and was received by Chairman Mao Tse-tung. The meeting of the two countries,.
             reduced tensions and acknowledged an alteration in world politics, and risks of.