although ▁the ▁ag ency ▁clearly ▁cond oned ▁what ▁was ▁happening ). " ▁Author ▁Tim ▁We iner ▁comp ares ▁the ▁violent ▁excess es ▁of ▁Phoenix ▁to ▁such ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁early ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁Second ▁Ira q ▁War . ▁ ▁Johnson ▁withdraw s ▁ ▁In ▁America , ▁what ▁became ▁the ▁Vietnam ▁qu ag m ire ▁lost ▁domestic ▁political ▁support , ▁and ▁seriously ▁injured ▁the ▁popular ity ▁of ▁the ▁Johnson ▁administration . ▁In ▁the ▁spring ▁of ▁election ▁year ▁ 1 9 6 8 , ▁following ▁the ▁unexpected ▁January ▁T et ▁off ensive ▁in ▁Vietnam , ▁the ▁war ▁issue ▁reached ▁a ▁crisis . ▁In ▁March ▁Hel ms ▁prepared ▁yet ▁another ▁special ▁C IA ▁report ▁for ▁the ▁President ; ▁he ▁arranged ▁for ▁C IA ▁officer ▁George ▁Car ver ▁to ▁present ▁it ▁in ▁person ▁to ▁Johnson . ▁The ▁dimin utive ▁Car ver ▁was ▁then ▁the ▁C IA ' s ▁Special ▁Ass istant ▁for ▁Vietnam ▁Affairs ▁( S AVA ). ▁ ▁Hel ms ▁writes , ▁" In ▁his ▁typically ▁un var n ished ▁manner , ▁George ▁had ▁presented ▁a ▁ble ak ▁but ▁accurate ▁view ▁of ▁the ▁situation ▁and ▁again ▁demonstrated ▁that ▁the ▁N V N ▁strength ▁in ▁South ▁Vietnam ▁was ▁far ▁stronger ▁than ▁had ▁been ▁previously ▁reported ▁by ▁MAC V ." ▁Car ver ▁" closed ▁by ▁saying ▁in ▁effect ▁that ▁not ▁even ▁the ▁President ▁could ▁not ▁tell ▁the ▁American ▁vot ers ▁on ▁one ▁day ▁that ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁planned ▁to ▁get ▁out ▁of ▁Vietnam , ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁next ▁day ▁tell ▁Ho ▁Chi ▁Min h ▁that ▁we ▁will ▁stick