News In Brief

Viet leaders checked out Kampuchean rebel threat

Soon after the latest series of Khmer Rouge raids erupted in Kampuchea in January, two of Hanoi's most senior leaders slipped into the country for unpublicized visits - apparently in an attempt to assess the situation - Monitor contributor Paul Quinn-Judge reports.

Le Duc Tho, an influential member of the Vietnamese Politburo, and the leader with direct responsibility for Kampuchean policy, visited the country late in January. Another high-ranking official, Vo Chi Cong, made a visit about the same time.

Mr. Tho and Mr. Cong are both members of Hanoi's party secretariat. It is likely that the Vietnamese were there to see for themselves the extent of the fighting, consult their Khmer allies, and decide whether a military response was necessary.