The rhythmic cycle of the previous ebb and flow of the war in Laos was broken in late 1967. Interestingly, it was the RLG's conventional force at Nam Bac in north-eastern Laos, and not the Lao Viet which attempted to break this traditional cycle. However, due to poor leadership and uncoordinated action between the Laotians and the Americans, an offensive action by the RLG soon turned into a defensive operation in which the Lao Viet gained the initiative and eventually exploited it to the point that the RLG forces at Nam