Rosemary Conway In Laos

Leader in Trouble: 'Hmong Unite Like Never Before' - NAM

In a shocking news conference, it was revealed by federal authorities that during a six-month undercover sting operation dubbed, “Operation Tarnished Eagle”, an agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) posed as an arms dealer who was prepared to deliver $9.8 million worth of weapons including hundreds of automatic rifles, antitank missiles, rockets, mines, C-4 explosive and smoke grenades. Before any money exchanged hands, however, over 200 federal agents and local law enforcement officers executed early morning search warrants and took nine defendants into custody. The warrants were executed throughout California in Chico, Fresno, Los Angeles, Sacramento, Stockton and Woodland. As a result of the raids, investigators say, a tenth man, Nhia Kao Vang of Rancho Cordova was arrested later in the day. A retired Lieutenant Colonel in the National Guard and a 1968 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Harrison Jack used his connections to reach out to a defense contractor whom he was acquainted with. According to the criminal complaint, the contractor became concerned after Jack had inquired about purchasing 500 machine guns. The contractor then notified authorities, which triggered the investigation. Subsequently, the undercover agent contacted Jack pretending to be a friend of the contractor. It was revealed early on that Jack was working with General Vang Pao and that the weapons would be delivered to Laos or Thailand. In his only meeting with General Vang Pao, the undercover agent secretly tapes a conversation in which the General reveals plans to arm insurgents within Laos who would “initiate hostile military action in the very near future against military forces of the government of Laos. At that meeting, the undercover agent displays an assortment of weapons to the General and 12 others who were present at the meeting, including the General’s wife, Youa True Vang. According to the complaint, hidden video cameras show the General admiring the weapons, especially the AK-47 machine gun. He later indicates to the undercover agent that he likes what he saw and that he was “sold on the whole thing.” Because much of the conversations occurring at this meeting was spoken in Hmong, an interpreter from another federal agency listened to the recordings and translated much of what had been said. According to the undercover agent’s report, the next five months were spent negotiating with Jack and Lo Cha Thao. Besides secretly taping their conversations when they met with the agent, both Jack and Thao had their telephones tapped as well. At one point, Thao reveals to Jack that he had been consulting with a friend from the Midwest who warned him about the possibilities that they may be dealing with an undercover agent. Though not named in the criminal complaint, investigators now believe that the person Thao may have been in contact with was former Wisconsin State Senator Gary George, who Thao worked as an aide when he lived in Wisconsin. With a sense of urgency of their own, federal agents decided they had enough evidence to indict the alleged conspirators before any real damage had been done. Authorities say all of the defendants are charged with conspiracy to violate the U.S. Neutrality Act, conspiracy to kill and kidnap foreign nationals and damage foreign government buildings, and also with weapons charges.Lo Cha Thao defense attorney Mark Reichel said the undercover officer working the case and other alleged conspirators gave the impression they were connected to high levels of U.S. government . Take that into consideration with the Hmong in the history of collaboration with the CIA, said Reichel, the defendants believed they had an informal blessing of the government. "In fact, they thought it was the CIA was helping them. And why would not they?” Despite nearly a thousand protestors appealing for the release of the General outside the courthouse in Sacramento and despite arguments from his lawyers that any extended stay in jail would jeopardize his ailing health, U.S. Magistrate Judge Edmund Brennan ruled after a 30-minute hearing that the General is “too dangerous and too great a flight risk to be freed under any circumstances.” “Thousands of people came here on the day of his detention hearing,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Bob Twiss asserted as the General, dressed in a bright orange jumpsuit, sat hunched over his table while listening through an interpretor . “If General Vang Pao were to pick up a cell phone, is there any doubt they wouldn’t execute his order? To me, it (the rally) was an indication of his ability to effectuate action indirectly.” I was very shocked to learn that Vang Pao attempted a coup on a country that historically is not there. The historical ties of Hmong are really in China and they have not had onwership claims to any country in for centuries. I am also offended at Hmong people who claim to be Laotian yet don't practice the language, culture or religon. The Hmong in America have mis-represented themselves to the American culture by claiming to be Laotians when in truth, they are hill people who have never been associated with any country they have lived in. I constantly have to correct many American's that I am not Hmong when I tell them I am from Laos. I also educate them that Laos is primarily Laotian. I don't condone the Lao Army or goverment practicing genocide as Laos is a country with many different ethnic groups in addition to the Hmong. The recent attempt of Vang Pao to overthrow the Lao goverment only angers Laotians particularly when they have made no attempt to learn or adapt to the Lao culture.

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