[Peace-discuss] ex-Pow on Kerry

[Jeff Machota]

Doug,

Who is the supposed ex-POW who wrote this? This piece was not signed.

This line of attack is one of the main right wing gripes against Kerry,
even more than his anti-war activies. The people who believe that POWs are
still being held in Vietnam are ignoring the facts and easily fall into
fabricated conspiracy theories.

Bruce Franklin's excellent book "Mythmaking in America" is a primary
resource in debunking the myths.

Jeff Machota

On Fri, 26 Mar 2004 Dlind49 at aol.com wrote:

> There is a reason we don't have a Benedict Arnold forgive and forget day.
> Betrayal is not an honorable path or way. John Kerry betrayed the trust placed on
> him as Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs. John Kerry
> shut down the POW/MIA Committee:
> · when Committee investigators reported they had not yet obtained all POW/MIA
> records from DOD, CIA and the State Department
> · when he could have extended the investigation on unreturned POW/MIAs for
> another year
> · when information revealed that POWs were left alive in communist hands in
> 1973
> · when the were 60 POWs held by communist Laotians that had never been
> negotiated for and live sighting reports indicating their survival.
>
> Statements from the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs "1993 REPORT"
>
> P. 9 While the Committee has some evidence suggesting the possibility a POW
> may have survived to the present . . . there is, at this time, no compelling
> evidence that proves that any American remains alive in captivity in Southeast
> Asia.
>
> P. 124 There is evidence that a small number of specific individuals did
> survive their incidents, and that some number of other individuals, not clearly
> identified, also survived.
>
> P. 451 Stmt of John Kerry: Although the Committee, unlike previous
> investigations, uncovered evidence that a small number of American's may have survived
> in captivity after Operation Homecoming, there is, in my view, no reason to
> believe that any American's remain alive today.  Yes, the possibility exists that
> a prisoner or prisoners could be held deep within a jungle or behind a locked
> door under conditions of greatest security.  But there is no evidence of
> that, and it is hard to conceive of a reason for it.  (Collier/Forbes)
>
> P. 456 Statement of Sen. Bob Smith: Based on our review of all available
> intelligence information, the Committee unanimously agreed that there is evidence
> that indicates the possibility of survival (of American POWs) after Operation
> Homecoming.  As of today, we also agree that there is evidence that some POWs
> may have survived to the present . . . and some information still remains to
> be investigated.  However, at this time, there is no compelling evidence that
> proves American's are still alive.
>
> P. 468 Statement of Sen. John McCain: There is some-evidence though no proof
> to suggest only the possibility that a few Americans may have been kept behind
> after the end of America's military involvement in Vietnam ... there are some
> remaining differences over the quality of evidence that supports the
> possibility of survival.
>
> John Kerry is the Benedict Arnold of the POW/MIA issue. Who will he betray
> next?
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Peace-discuss mailing list
> Peace-discuss at lists.cu.groogroo.com
> http://lists.cu.groogroo.com/cgi-bin/listinfo/peace-discuss
>
>