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It was the Administration's secrecy on Laos that particularly rankled the critics and stirred disturbing memories of the steady, clandestine buildup of the U.S. presence in South Viet Nam. Washington's doves, however, might be accused of overstating their case. Compared with the U.S. presence in Viet Nam today, the Laos effort is minuscule. Moreover, it can be argued that the continued U.S. effort in Laos is a logical consequence of the Nixon program in Viet Nam; if a gradual, orderly withdrawal from Viet Nam is to proceed, it is obviously important to keep neighboring Laos from collapsing. Besides, some U.S. officials maintain that the U.S. effort in Laos represents precisely what the U.S. should have stuck to in Viet Nam: an American training and logistics operation combined with air support, but without ground troops.