Exit Strategy

Picture
Since the JFK assassination, there has been much discussion and controversy about whether JFK had an exit strategy out of Vietnam or not. There is evidence that he would have began to withdraw troops, because even up to his death he refused to send in combat troops. There are also records proving that JFK had a timetable for the war, which planned to gradually withdraw troops from Vietnam over a 2 year period. However, JFK obviously didn't live to finish these goals, so Johnson had to take over. Since these plans were not known when Johnson was elected, he essentially just carried out Kennedy's policies. So overall, Johnson didn't have a long-term plan to withdraw troops. It was actually McNamara in 1962 who finally ordered the plan for withdrawal on behalf of Kennedy.