Howard wrote:
Pol Pot was the driving force behind the Khmer Rouge and their
genocidal actions in Cambodia in the 70's. His rise to power was
pretty much coincidental with the US leaving Viet Nam.

Moreover, following the ouster of Pol Pot by the Vietnamese
in December 1978, Pol Pot's forces found a safe haven in
Thailand, a U.S. client state, and for the next 15 years or
more were aided and protected there by Thai, Chinese,
British, and U.S. authorities.

The U.S. backed Pol Pot's retention of Cambodia's seat in
the UN after his ouster. This support was designed to hurt
Vietnam, which had occupied Cambodia and installed friendly
Hun Sen government in place of Pol Pot. When Vietnam sought
a settlement in the late 1980s, the U.S. insisted
strenuously that Pol Pot be included in the "peace process"
with "the same rights, freedoms and opportunities" as any
other party. In anticipation of a settlement, in the early
l990s the U.S. and its allies not only protected Pol Pot's
forces from defeat by the Cambodian army, they helped him
rebuild his strength and standing. During this
period, the U.S. (and UN) refused to allow the Pol Pot
regime to be referred to as genocidal. In order to oust the
Vietnam-supported government, the U.S. strove to preserve
Pol Pot and make him a significant force in the political
struggle in Cambodia.

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M2