Thus in terms of selfdetermination a freezing of the pattern of territory at present under control of the contending Vietnamese parties would be artificial and conducive to equally artificial political consequences. Such a ceasefire would register the enormous impact of American fire power on major areas of South Vietnam. It would not only reflect Saigons garrisoning of territories won for it over the past years by American combat forces. it would also keep locked Into Saigons control several million refugees that our bombing and artillery fire have driven out of substantial areas. which were previously administered by the NLF. Moreover. as any close reading of points 5. 6 and 7 of President Nixons proposal makes clear. his ceasefire is intimately tied in with the requirement for a withdrawal of North Vietnamese forces. This Hanoi is not likely to accept prior to an acceptable political settlement in the South.
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refugees