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Neutrality was the central element of Cambodian foreign policy during the 1950s and 1960s.
By the mid-1960s, parts of Cambodia's eastern provinces were serving as bases for North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong ( NVA / VC ) forces operating against South Vietnam, and the port of Sihanoukville was being used to supply them.
As NVA / VC activity grew, the United States and South Vietnam became concerned, and in 1969, the United States began a 14 month long series of bombing raids targeted at NVA / VC elements, contributing to destabilization.
The United States claims that the bombing campaign took place no further than ten, and later twenty miles ( 32 km ) inside the Cambodian border, areas where the Cambodian population had been evicted by the NVA.
Prince Sihanouk, fearing that the conflict between communist North Vietnam and South Vietnam might spill over to Cambodia, publicly opposed the idea of a bombing campaign by the United States along the Vietnam-Cambodia border and inside Cambodian territory.
However Peter Rodman claimed, " Prince Sihanouk complained bitterly to us about these North Vietnamese bases in his country and invited us to attack them ".
In December 1967 Washington Post journalist Stanley Karnow was told by Sihanouk that if the US wanted to bomb the Vietnamese communist sanctuaries, he would not object, unless Cambodians were killed.
The same message was conveyed to US President Johnson's emissary Chester Bowles in January 1968.
So the US had no real motivation to overthrow Sihanouk.
However Prince Sihanouk wanted Cambodia to stay out of the North Vietnam-South Vietnam conflict and was very critical of the United States government and its allies ( the South Vietnamese government ).
Prince Sihanouk, facing internal struggles of his own, due to the rise of the Khmer Rouge, did not want Cambodia to be involved in the conflict.
Sihanouk wanted the United States and its allies ( South Vietnam ) to keep the war away from the Cambodian border.
Sihanouk did not allow the United States to use Cambodian air space and airports for military purposes.
This upset the United States greatly and contributed to there view that of Prince Sihanouk as a North Vietnamese sympathizer and a thorn on the United States. However, declassified documents indicate that, as late as March 1970, the Nixon administration was hoping to garner " friendly relations " with Sihanouk.

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