Thread by @redstreamnet

Do you know which is the most bombed country in the world? The US started carpet bombing Laos on this day in 1964. “Operation Barrel Roll” turned the Southeast Asian country into the most bombed in history. 🧵

Back in the 1960s, the US was waging one of the bloodiest wars in history, ravaging the country of Vietnam. When the communist Pathet Lao guerrillas in neighboring Laos continued to rise in popularity, the US considered the neutral country a target as well.

A series of right-wing military coup attempts in 1964 encouraged the US-backed Laotian Prime Minister Souvanna Phouma to ally with right-wing political factions.

In May 1964, to support the new anti-communist government, the US started patrol flights over southern Laos, known as the Yankee Team, while missions also began in the north.

In December 1964, the US then launched Operation Barrel Roll to support the Laotian government in its fight against the Pathet Lao and to crack down on North Vietnamese forces in Laos, including the vital Ho Chi Minh Trail supply line that traversed Laotian territory.

The indiscriminate bombing killed around 200,000 people, around 10% of the population, wounded 400,000 and forced 750,000 to flee. Despite the devastation, the campaign failed to destroy the communist forces in Laos and North Vietnam.

In 1971, the Laotian government was forced to enter negotiations with the Pathet Lao. A ceasefire agreement was eventually signed in 1973, ending Operation Barrel Roll as US forces withdrew. In December 1975, the Laotian monarchy was abolished, and a communist republic was established.

Even today, decades after the end of Operation Barrel Roll, Laos is still recovering from the horrific effects of the bombing. 37% of agricultural lands are still hazardous due to unexploded bombs, and an average of one person a day is killed by them.