Looking Ferocious: The Ford Administration's Management of the Mayaguez Affair

摘要

President Ford considered the May 12-15, 1975 Mayaguez affair his most significant foreign policy decision and one of the highlights of his presidency He asserted in his memoirs that the administration's decisive and responsible management of the incident had achieved all its objectives three days after the seizure of the U.S. -registered commercial container ship by a Khmer Rouge gunboat some 60 miles off the Cambodian coast, the vessel and all 40 crewmembers were steaming safely towards their next port More importantly, Ford was convinced, the administration's swift and aggressive military response to the seizure had both bolstered the international prestige of the United States and had given the sagging self-confidence of the American people a needed boost Though Ford didn't mention it himself, others noted that his standing as president improved in the immediate aftermath of the rescue, as a 12-point surge in his approval rating underscored public approbation of the President's handling of the affair.