After more than 50 years, the family of United States Air Force Sergeant David S Price finally laid him to rest in August. Price was killed in 1968 at a secret CIA base in Laos during the Vietnam War. His remains were difficult to find and identify due to the cover-up of the CIA site and the secrecy surrounding the US’s involvement in Laos.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of Operation Barrel Roll, a bombing campaign that made Laos the most heavily bombed country per capita in history. US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin visited Laos, becoming the first defence secretary to do so. His visit comes amid growing tensions in the region, particularly with China.
Operation Barrel Roll, kept secret until 1971, was part of the US’s covert war in Laos in the 1960s and 70s. The US conducted military operations in Laos while hiding its involvement from Congress. The bombings in Laos were destructive and caused many casualties, but ultimately did not achieve strategic goals.
Today, Laos still faces the legacy of the US bombing campaign, with millions of unexploded bombs remaining in the country. An estimated 50,000 people have been killed or injured by unexploded ordnance since the war ended in 1975. Efforts to clear the bombs are ongoing, but progress is slow.
The Secret War in Laos also led to the rise of the ruling Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, which has governed Laos with little accountability since defeating US-backed forces in the country’s civil war in 1975. The legacy of the Secret War continues to impact Laos, both in terms of unexploded bombs and political governance.
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