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March 18, 1969militarywar powersCambodiamilitaryexecutive

Nixon approves secret bombing of Cambodia

President Richard Nixon authorizes Operation Menu, a secret bombing campaign targeting communist sanctuaries along the Cambodia-Vietnam border. Over 14 months, approximately 3,600 secret B-52 bombing runs drop 540,000 tons of ordnance on Cambodia. The operation is not revealed to Congress until 1973. An estimated 50,000 to 150,000 Cambodian civilians are killed.