JOHN O'NEILL ON NIGHTLINE TONIGHT (Dems are e-mailing Ted Koppel to stop it!)

Nightline e-mail ^ | 10/14/04

[areafiftyone]

The Swift Boat Controversy: New Witnesses

October 14, 2004

John Kerry's service in Vietnam has become a campaign issue. The group calling itself Swift Boat Veterans for Truth alleges that Kerry has distorted the truth about what happened during the war and questions whether he deserved the medals he received. Tonight, you'll hear from eyewitnesses who have not spoken before: the Vietnamese who fought against him.

We've had the debates and the race is a virtual dead-heat. This is the part of a campaign when there are daily fires--issues that rise, flare, and then go away, only to be replaced by a new one the next day. But for a while, this campaign was dominated by Vietnam, a war that ended, at least the fighting, thirty years ago. John Kerry made his service in Vietnam a major part of his campaign. The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth fired back. They have alleged that Kerry was not truthful about his actions in Vietnam. Then questions were raised about the group's connections to people linked to the GOP. And so the story just kept spiraling in different directions. But the polls clearly showed that Kerry was hurt by allegations that he was not candid about his actions in Vietnam.

Which brings us to an old expression: the fog of war. People, in general, are not always great eyewitnesses. Memories fade, especially as the years go by. Two people standing next to each other may have very different recollections of something that happened right in front of them. But in the whole Swift Boat controversy, there is one group that hasn't been heard from at length: the Vietnamese. Producer Andrew Morse went to Vietnam, to the coordinates taken from the U.S. military after-action report from Kerry's battle for which he won the Silver Star. And there Andrew found several people who had either witnessed the events of that day, or in some cases, had actually fought against the swift boats. And it is their accounts that you will hear tonight. Do their accounts favor one version or the other? Can these questions be definitively settled? You'll have to judge. One of the surprising stories we were told? One of the Vietnamese men in the area says he was visited by a man claiming to be a swift boat veteran and a cameraman. He says the veteran was disparaging towards Kerry's conduct in the war, and asked him in an interview about the events of that day. We do not know who that man is, or whatever happened to that tape.

Ted will be anchoring tonight, and he will be joined by John O'Neill, a leader of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and the author of Unfit for Command, a book critical of Kerry. I hope you'll join us.

Leroy Sievers and the Nightline Staff,br> Washington D.C.

[woodb01]

bump for later read

Check out the new ANTI-DNC portal

http://www.noDNC.com/

[onyx]

Oh my goodness.
What's up with this I wonder?

[Brad's Gramma]

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/ClosingThoughts/story?id=64577


Go forth and send your OWN email! :)

YOU GO JOHN!!!!!

[areafiftyone]

Not much info. Actually the ABC News website is brand new and they have not fixed it yet for today's date. I noticed it is out of date on alot of shows.

[BushisTheMan]

One of the surprising stories we were told? One of the Vietnamese men in the area says he was visited by a man claiming to be a swift boat veteran and a cameraman. He says the veteran was disparaging towards Kerry's conduct in the war, and asked him in an interview about the events of that day

Maybe I'm confused but it sounds like it is ANTI-Swift Vets or why else would John O'Neill be set up by the network?

It sounds like they found the ONE Vietnamese who is willing to say that Vets are trying to make him say bad things about Kerry. Remember that Kerry has a good buddy that works to get American companies into Vietnam today.

[onyx]

Now I am really confused.
Is HERO O'Neill scheduled tonight or not?

[TigersEye]

One of the rare times I wish I had TV. Go John!

[goldstategop]

Poor wittle crybabies. I guess they feel threatened by the truth. Two months have passed and they still haven't put the Swifties out of business!

[mystery-ak]

Who will be there for Kerry. I hope it's not that Mueller guy, he's disgusting.

[RoseofTexas]

Hmmmm...I bet you they'll have a nasty rebuttal right after John!

[mabelkitty]

Thank you for this, area.

[cripplecreek]

John Kerry can't afford this. The swift vets brought about a 10 point lead for George Bush when they first appeared on the scene. Combine the reemergence of the vets on the national scene with the showing of the movie about the former POWs and you get big trouble for John Kerry.

[Spok]

Koppel will attack O'Neill like Chris Matthews did-the liberal media will shred Koppel if he doesn't keep faith with the agenda.

[maica]

Prayers for strength for John O'Neill. It looks like Nightline has found another angle from which to attack him. I don't buy the idea that dems are trying to stop this.

[areafiftyone]

This is the Niteline e-mail going out, but the website for ABC is still on yesterday. As you can see it's dated for October 13th. No update. I got the e-mail.

[Shermy]

"And there Andrew found several people who had either witnessed the events of that day, or in some cases, had actually fought against the swift boats. And it is their accounts that you will hear tonight. Do their accounts favor one version or the other?"

Hit job. NYTimes, or was it the WashPost, already had a story visting VC veterans in the "area" trying to frame them as witnesses to the "mine incident" event. It was less than certain what event they were talking about. This ABC piece is a follow-up.

In short, the Swifties said a mine exploded, but there was no shore gunfire. A couple of Americans later said they thought there was shore fire (as Rassmussen said). This "disputed point" was used to dismiss all the Swifties' claims.

The point was esoteric anyway, and had to do with the Bronze Medal for pulling Rassman out of the water. Basically arguing the valor citations is a loser, IMO. Kerry camp found the weakest link and hung on - still.

[woofie]

I forget ...were the Vietnamese the good guys or the bad guys?

[areafiftyone]

I wish I could find a real link but apparently the ABC News website (which they just re-did) is not up to date. I liked the older one better. It still has yesterday's date on it.

[Tacis]

Ted would not be allowed by ABC to do anything that came down strongly against Viet Cong John, so what's the dems' problem? Don't they know which side the ultra-left wing media is on?

It is too bad, too. There is a Pulitzer Prize in it for anyone who does a decent job of telling the truth about Kerry and his whole record. The SwiftBoat Vets do a disservice to the record because they play Kerry's 3 Card Monte game by forcing everyone to look at just 4.5 months of his total 12 years in the USNR. It is Kerry's post-Nam record where the MAJOR lies are buried! The dems' complaints here are, I fear, just another sleazy diversion. Rememeber the tape where Willie was supposed to lie and get mad but never got mad. No one ever talked about him lying only that he didn't get mad. Pure dem dibersion!

[onyx]

OK.
Thanks.
I'll set the TV to Nightline.

[lady lawyer]

Either they have found a way to, they think, debunk the Swift Boat Vets, or they are doing this because they have some smear planned for Bush, and they want to say they have been evenhanded.

[infogeekmom]

I agree with you. They are going to have this Vietnamese guy who says that O'Neill's story is fiction. Further, they are going to say that someone tried to pay them off to lie.

[mabelkitty]

Here is the letter the Dems are getting!! IT CAME FROM NIGHTLINE!!!


The Swift Boat Controversy: New Witnesses

October 14, 2004

John Kerry's service in Vietnam has become a campaign issue. The group calling itself Swift Boat Veterans for Truth alleges that Kerry has distorted the truth about what happened during the war and questions whether he deserved the medals he received. Tonight, you'll hear from eyewitnesses who have not spoken before: the Vietnamese who fought against him.


We've had the debates and the race is a virtual dead-heat. This is the part of a campaign when there are daily fires--issues that rise, flare, and then go away, only to be replaced by a new one the next day. But for a while, this campaign was dominated by Vietnam, a war that ended, at least the fighting, thirty years ago. John Kerry made his service in Vietnam a major part of his campaign. The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth fired back. They have alleged that Kerry was not truthful about his actions in Vietnam. Then questions were raised about the group's connections to people linked to the GOP. And so the story just kept spiraling in different directions. But the polls clearly showed that Kerry was hurt by allegations that he was not candid about his actions in Vietnam.

Which brings us to an old expression: the fog of war. People, in general, are not always great eyewitnesses. Memories fade, especially as the years go by. Two people standing next to each other may have very different recollections of something that happened right in front of them. But in the whole Swift Boat controversy, there is one group that hasn't been heard from at length: the Vietnamese. Producer Andrew Morse went to Vietnam, to the coordinates taken from the U.S. military after-action report from Kerry's battle for which he won the Silver Star. And there Andrew found several people who had either witnessed the events of that day, or in some cases, had actually fought against the swift boats. And it is their accounts that you will hear tonight. Do their accounts favor one version or the other? Can these questions be definitively settled? You'll have to judge. One of the surprising stories we were told? One of the Vietnamese men in the area says he was visited by a man claiming to be a swift boat veteran and a cameraman. He says the veteran was disparaging towards Kerry's conduct in the war, and asked him in an interview about the events of that day. We do not know who that man is, or whatever happened to that tape.

Ted will be anchoring tonight, and he will be joined by John O'Neill, a leader of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and the author of Unfit for Command, a book critical of Kerry. I hope you'll join us.

Leroy Sievers and the Nightline Staff
Washington D.C.

[mabelkitty]

Please delete.
I just reposted the original post....

[areafiftyone]

That's okay I am worried that Ted Koppel might cancel John O'Neill if the Dems get to him.

[federal]

I forget ...were the Vietnamese the good guys or the bad guys?

You know I was just wondering what Ted Koppel thinks? That the American people will believe a couple of alledged Vietcong soldiers or some real American heros.

I guarantee this is a set-up or else it wouldn't get on a MSM program. They think they have found a new avenue from which to attack the Swiftboat veterans.

[OldFriend]

Will he be allowed to get a word in without being spoken over.

[Shermy]

Ex - Viet Cong Soldier Recalls Swift Boats

50-50 ABC interviews Mr. "Duong Hoang Sinh"

Hope O'Neill mentions Kerry hasn't released his military records.

[Petronski]

This is it right here:

Memories fade, especially as the years go by. Two people standing next to each other may have very different recollections of something that happened right in front of them.

[RtWngr]

Could this be any more obvious of a set up? Train wreck alert. You can bet ABC would not be airing this unless it was great for Kerry. Before its done, the folks they interviewed will have Kerry shooting them and then caring for their wounds and giving chocolate bars to their kids.

[Truth Table]

This looks to be a hit piece on the swiftees. They are going to get some Veitmnam civilians to say that they ambushed the swiftees and fought tooth and nail, just like kerry maintains. Hell, anything to help Kerry--Because of VVAW is a Hero to the commies in Viet Nam.

Pretty obvious.

Now, if Sinclar is able to get folks to force Kerry to own up to his undisclosed records, or to foce him to duck the issue, He's sunk. The question is, will they be able to?

[angkor]

Hit job. NYTimes, or was it the WashPost, already had a story visting VC veterans

It was labeled "NYT/AP" so I'm not sure who actually did the story (probably a stringer), but they basically came up empty. None of the VC interviewed could recall being in the Bay Hap incident. But they thought John Kerry "deserved his medals".

Here's the thing: no official news organization goes into Vietnam without the express permission of Hanoi (with whom all news organizations must register) or without the consent of the local CP People's Committee. They would have escorts, official interpreters, etc. They will interview approved people who will say approved things about the war. The "veteran with the camera" was probably not a newshound but just some vet and would not be subject to these rules. ABC is.

Second point: rather than interview VC under Vietnamese government scrutiny (which they would have been with ABC), why not interview one ... or two or five .. of the 1.2 million Vietnamese-American refugees now in America.

Why just the other night I sat with 2 ex-ARVN officers who'd each served 13 years in reeducation camp, and the daughter of a Vietnamese professor who's doing his second 15-year sentence for advocating democracy and free speech.

Can't Nightline see the relevance of interviewing *one* V-A refugee on the topic of John Kerry and his behavior?

[Pikamax]

Funny.. The swiftvets is going to do a huge ad buy including on Monday Night Football and all of a sudden this story pops up. No connection I am sure.

[RtWngr]

Whatever happens tonight, and for the rest of this election campaign, if there are any medals available for balls, John O'Neill should get one.

[federal]

Funny.. The swiftvets is going to do a huge ad buy including on Monday Night Football and all of a sudden this story pops up. No connection I am sure.

I'll tell you what is really sick is that ABC will put a communist ex-soldier, who is under complete control of the communist party of Vietnam on TV before they will put Navy hero who has been slandered for 35 years and is sacrificing his entire life to get out the truth on a traitor.

[snarkytart]

LOL
If Night line thinks they are going to discredit the SBVFT before their Monday Night Football ad airs then ABC news and Ted Koppel are smoking' something.

Nobody watches Night Line anymore. However, a lot of people will be seeing that ad on Monday evening.

[LegalEagle61]

Ya know, the Swifties would not do this if they thought it was a setup, I would think they are ready for anything. Just say prayers for O'Neill so that it really hurts Kerry. ABC is just trying to drum up ratings i am sure.

[angkor]

ABC will put a communist ex-soldier, who is under complete control of the communist party of Vietnam on TV

You are absolutely correct.

Nightline will not mention the hoops they jumped through to get permission to film and interview in Ca Mau. They will not tell the audience they've got several CP officials in tow, and a CP interpreter and some local Ca Mau official vetting the VC "veterans" for this piece.

I've lived in VN, I've spent significant time on the Delta, I've known Western reporters who covered VN, and I've read some of the Hanoi regs that regulate foreign news organizations.

This story was tainted by the VN CP before it was captured on videotape.

[EdReform]

BTTT

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

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[Danno]

Could this be any more obvious of a set up? Train wreck alert. You can bet ABC would not be airing this unless it was great for Kerry. Before its done, the folks they interviewed will have Kerry shooting them and then caring for their wounds and giving chocolate bars to their kids.

LOL...you gave me a good laugh...I will not be watching Nightline...yes, it will be a hit piece...

Hear tell that Streisand and her husband will be making a movie about Kerry. It will be very flattering. Kerry will be seen in the movie making various heroic returns into the front lines, visiting soldiers and delivering morale, battling along side of them hand-to-hand combat. It will show Kerry delivering spock-like grips to the shoulder, peacefully and non-violently incapacitating the Viet Cong and then visiting their families and weeping at their plight.

It will show Kerry educating dumb US soldiers and helping them see the light and signle-handedly getting all concerned to lay down their arms and party together...

Final scene in the movie has a soldier coming up to John and slapping him on the back and presciently telling John that he "ought to run for President someday...".

fade to black...

[Rebelbase]

Question: Is this John O'Neil the same one that Bush referenced in the debate last night as having introduced him to Laura at a backyard BBQ?

[coffee260]

what time does it come on?

[funeralcom]

Nightline wouldn't be having this show about Swift Vets if they didn't have something to counter the truth about Kerry... This is all a set up, watch and see............

[ProudVet77]

Let me get this straight.
Kerry is going to get clobbered by our guys.
Kerry is going to get support from the VC.
And this Kerry is running for what?
We live in a very sick world.

[BushisTheMan]

No

[BushisTheMan]

My only prayer is that John O'Neill will say who they intend to bring on and get the truth out before they show this video.

Can you imagine? Finding the ONE guy in all of SouthEast Asia who likes Kerry. They must have searched for months.

Also, the Vietnamese community here in the United States is going to raise up in protest over this. Wait and see.

[vaudine]

If Ted Koppel and his producers are in it, you can bet they found Vietnamese who support Kerry. They are in this to take down the Swift Boaters for Truth.

I hope not, but so far the main media have run true to type. I would not doubt they greased a few palms to get the answers they want.

vaudine