Changes

By 1968, the KK had 14-15,000 fighters, while the KVM had 12,000.  North Vietnam had invaded and occupied large chunks of Cambodia.  Nearly half of the country was faced with North Vietnamese or other Communist occupation.  The Viet Cong was active in the country with about 30,000 troops, and worked with the KVM to launch invasions of Cambodia from North Vietnam.  The North Vietnamese had 60,000 troops on Cambodian soil.  This would be the equivalent in the United States of nearly 4 million armed and organized troops from Mexico and Canada overrunning most of the country.  These figures are from 10 months prior to the start of any US bombing, which began in late 1968 under President Johnson.

By 1968, the KK had 14-15,000 fighters, while the KVM had 12,000.  North Vietnam had invaded and occupied large chunks of Cambodia.  Nearly half of the country was faced with North Vietnamese or other Communist occupation.  The Viet Cong was active in the country with about 30,000 troops, and worked with the KVM to launch invasions of Cambodia from North Vietnam.  The North Vietnamese had 60,000 troops on Cambodian soil.  This would be the equivalent in the United States of nearly 4 million armed and organized troops from Mexico and Canada overrunning most of the country.  These figures are from 10 months prior to the start of any US bombing, which began in late 1968 under President Johnson.

By 1969, the North had accelerated its long-term plan, dubbed "Campaign X," to conquer Cambodia.  By 1970, it had the supply lines, forces, and logistical support necessary to force the collapse of Cambodia.  Sihanouk had long done little to disguise his support for the North Vietnamese Communists, but now he grew afraid.  "Hanoi," he said, "could easily force the collapse of both Cambodia and what is left of Laos if it was not faced with American opposition."  Therefore, he encouraged the Americans to bomb KK, KVM, VC, and North Vietnamese "sanctuaries" in Cambodia so as to send Hanoi a message that it had better back down immediately.  Demographic evidence indicates that the US bombings of Cambodia, especially the Menu bombings, ultimately killed over 40,000 Cambodian combatants and civilians.<ref>Marek Sliwinski, Le Génocide Khmer Rouge: Une Analyse Démographique (L’Harmattan, 1995), pp41-8.</ref>  Some estimates go as high as 60,000 killed.  Many leftists opposed to the war considered the bombing to be a war crime.   

By 1969, the North had accelerated its long-term plan, dubbed "Campaign X," to conquer Cambodia.  By 1970, it had the supply lines, forces, and logistical support necessary to force the collapse of Cambodia.  Sihanouk had long done little to disguise his support for the North Vietnamese Communists, but now he grew afraid.  "Hanoi," he said, "could easily force the collapse of both Cambodia and what is left of Laos if it was not faced with American opposition."  Therefore, he encouraged the Americans to bomb KK, KVM, VC, and North Vietnamese "sanctuaries" in Cambodia so as to send Hanoi a message that it had better back down immediately.  Demographic evidence indicates that the US bombings of Cambodia, especially the Menu bombings, ultimately killed over 40,000 Cambodian combatants and civilians.<ref>Marek Sliwinski, Le Génocide Khmer Rouge: Une Analyse Démographique (L’Harmattan, 1995), pp41-8.</ref>  Some estimates go as high as 60,000 killed.  Many leftists opposed to the war considered the bombing to be a war crime.  The Khmer Rouge claimed that 600-800,000 were killed by the US bombing, and innumerable far-left activists have embraced these figures, although demographically they are inconceivably high. 

In 1970, North Vietnamese troops invaded and attempted to overrun the entire country of Cambodia at the request of the KVM, who had surrounded the capital and hoped one small push would be enough to overthrow the weak Lon Nol regime.  Nixon responded forcefully with an incursion and bombing campaign to force the North Vietnamese out.  Justifying his actions, he stated:  

In 1970, North Vietnamese troops invaded and attempted to overrun the entire country of Cambodia at the request of the KVM, who had surrounded the capital and hoped one small push would be enough to overthrow the weak Lon Nol regime.  Nixon responded forcefully with an incursion and bombing campaign to force the North Vietnamese out.  Justifying his actions, he stated: