The Phoenix Program

About this book

"Between 1967 and 1973, the United States undertook the most ambitious and fareaching operation of the Vietnam War. Coordinated by the CIA, staffed by American and Republic of Vietnam soldiers and police officers, and implemented by notorious 'counterterror' and 'hunter-killer' teams, Phoenix was the final solution to the problem posed by those Vietnamese civilians who supported the armed Vietcong insurgents. In the end, hundreds of thousands of Vietcong sympathizers were apprehended by Phoenix teams and sent to secret police interrogation centers throughout South Vietnam; an estimated forty thousand Vietnamese were killed; and countless atrocities (including the My Lai massacre) were perpetrated in the name of 'neutralizing' the Vietcong 'infrastructure'. Although epic in scope and significance, Phoenix never before has been analyzed in detail -- not even during congressional hearings held in early 1970s -- nor have the facts ever before been recorded for public consideration. The Phoenix Program is nothing less than a meticulous historical narrative of Phoenix, from its roots in earlier programs through its tragic conclusions. Based on extensive research over four years, Douglas Valentine's work includes interviews with over one hundred participants in Phoenix: former and present CIA officers, heads of station, deputy directors and directors, as well as officers and soldiers from every branch of the U.S. military"--Dust jacket.