Was John McCain Brainwashed While Imprisoned In North Vietnam? (he called U.S. vets "criminals")

examiner.com ^ | 2010-01-31 | Dave Gibson

[rabscuttle385]

It is nothing short of incredible that a combat veteran who has claimed to be a conservative Senator has led the fight to reward with amnesty, the millions of Mexican and Central American nationals who have entered this nation illegally. While the betrayal of the American people on behalf of foreign invaders by Sen. John McCain may be puzzling to most, the former POW actually has somewhat of a history of betraying his fellow citizens in favor of a foreign enemy.

The question of McCain's true motives should be examined.

On October 26, 1967, U.S. Navy Lt. John McCain was shot down over North Vietnam by a Soviet-made surface-to-air missile. As a result of ejecting from his plane, McCain suffered two broken arms and a broken leg. He was immediately captured by an angry mob and turned over to NVA soldiers, who broke his shoulder with a rifle butt and stabbed his foot with a bayonet. He was then taken to the infamous 'Hanoi Hilton.'

Once in a cell, he was beaten and interrogated daily. Still being refused medical treatment and in severe pain, McCain agreed to talk in exchange for medical treatment. He was then taken to a nearby hospital. McCain described the events in his 1999 book Faith of My Fathers, in which he said: "Demands for military information were accompanied by threats to terminate any medical treatment if I did not cooperate. Eventually, I gave them my ship's name and squadron number, and confirmed that my target had been the power plant."

The North Vietnamese Army discovered that Lt. McCain was the son of Adm. John McCain Jr., commander of the Pacific Fleet, and his grandfather was Adm. John McCain Sr. who commanded aircraft carriers under Adm. Bill Halsey in the Pacific during World War II. Because of his family's powerful military heritage, the NVA believed that Lt. McCain would one day hold a prominent position in the U.S. government. He then became the target of incredible torture and attempts at re-education, some sessions were reportedly conducted by Soviet officers.

McCain has said that he was regularly visited by senior communist Vietnamese officials. One visitor was famous NVA Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap.

Eventually, McCain signed a letter claiming to be a war criminal and apologizing for the U.S. involvement in Vietnam. He also did many radio and television interviews, some with foreign correspondents which is a severe violation of the military code of conduct.

Despite John McCain's years of painful torture at the hands of the NVA, he has been Hanoi's strongest advocate in the U.S. Senate. For years, he pushed for the normalization of relations with communist Vietnam, even though that country has never fully cooperated on the issue of American POW's.

In 1992, John McCain was serving on the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs. Vietnamese officials began to complain that American POW/MIA activists (mostly family members of the missing men) were causing too many problems and posed a threat to lifting the U.S. trade embargo on Vietnam. Incredibly, Senator and former POW McCain then went on a campaign against the POW/MIA activists and accused them of fraud. McCain once said of the families: "The people who have done these things are not zealots in a good cause. They are criminals and some of the most craven, most cynical, and most despicable human beings to ever run a scam."

Sen. McCain demanded and received a U.S. Justice Department investigation of the two major POW/MIA activist groups. Of course, no fraud, as McCain alleged, was ever found. The families were left angry and mystified as to why McCain had betrayed them. McCain succeeded and the trade embargo against communist Vietnam was lifted, and there has never been a full accounting of North Vietnamese atrocities against American POWs.

In 1992, NVA Col. Bui Tin, who interrogated McCain in the Hanoi Hilton, testified before the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs. He told the Senators (including McCain) that Soviet officers regularly interrogated and tortured American POW's. During a break in the proceedings, Sen. McCain and Col. Tin enjoyed a hug and exchanged the kind of longing looks that a man would usually share with his long-lost father, or perhaps in McCain's case...His comrade?

Just as John McCain has collaborated with the Vietnamese enemy, he has collaborated with the leaders of the Mexican Reconquista movement for some time. Among other outrages, he has spoken at the annual conference of the National Council of La Raza for the last several years.

As one of the keynote speakers at the 2004 conference, he told the zealous crowd: "It is in our national interest to bring the 8 to 12 million undocumented immigrants out of the shadows and allow them an opportunity to become citizens of this great nation."

After the massive illegal alien protests in 2006, McCain made the following statement: "If such demonstrations continue, I think we will have a bill for the President to sign soon. The more debate, the more demonstrations, the more likely we will prevail."

Under Sen. McCain's immigration bill, even members of Mexican drug gangs would have received amnesty by simply signing a statement in which they renounce their gang affiliation. The so-called 'background checks' that illegal aliens would have been given were only of the 24-hour variety, which reveal very little, if anything and would then be given a six-month worker card. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents would have traveled around the country handing-out amnesty applications to suspected illegal aliens, and all immigration enforcement would have ended.

McCain's plan would spell the end of United States sovereignty. So why would the son and grandson of fiercely proud American warriors, and he himself a combat veteran who suffered tremendous torture at the hands of the criminal North Vietnamese so readily come to the aid of that enemy and attack the families of the men with whom he served? Why would this same man so incredibly betray his own country by granting amnesty to those who sneak into this country´s back door, when so many are waiting to enter America through the front door?

The answers to the aforementioned questions lie deep with Sen. McCain's psyche, which should now be subject to examination. I am not suggesting that McCain set out to betray his country when he began his career at the U.S. Naval Academy in 1954, nor as he flew 23 missions over North Vietnam. However, it would appear that under extreme torture and indoctrination at the hands of his communist captors, he may have been turned...Turned against his own country and sent back to dismantle that country. It is a possibility that needs to be investigated.

When someone with the background of Sen. John McCain is ready to sell-out his fellow POW's and turn the United States into a Third World nation...No other explanation could truly suffice.

[onyx]

You'd think he wrote for the NYT for all the attention and red font his stupid, vicious rant was given!

[SWAMPSNIPER]

There were Americans abandoned after the war, and the government went after anyone trying to expose the truth. I’ve met some of the men with personal knowledge about this travesty, they were not lieing and they were not crazy.

[exit82]

Onyx, how is the following not the truth? From the article at hand:

Eventually, McCain signed a letter claiming to be a war criminal and apologizing for the U.S. involvement in Vietnam. He also did many radio and television interviews, some with foreign correspondents which is a severe violation of the military code of conduct. Despite John McCain's years of painful torture at the hands of the NVA, he has been Hanoi's strongest advocate in the U.S. Senate. For years, he pushed for the normalization of relations with communist Vietnam, even though that country has never fully cooperated on the issue of American POW's. In 1992, John McCain was serving on the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs. Vietnamese officials began to complain that American POW/MIA activists (mostly family members of the missing men) were causing too many problems and posed a threat to lifting the U.S. trade embargo on Vietnam. Incredibly, Senator and former POW McCain then went on a campaign against the POW/MIA activists and accused them of fraud. McCain once said of the families: "The people who have done these things are not zealots in a good cause. They are criminals and some of the most craven, most cynical, and most despicable human beings to ever run a scam." Sen. McCain demanded and received a U.S. Justice Department investigation of the two major POW/MIA activist groups. Of course, no fraud, as McCain alleged, was ever found. The families were left angry and mystified as to why McCain had betrayed them. McCain succeeded and the trade embargo against communist Vietnam was lifted, and there has never been a full accounting of North Vietnamese atrocities against American POWs. In 1992, NVA Col. Bui Tin, who interrogated McCain in the Hanoi Hilton, testified before the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs. He told the Senators (including McCain) that Soviet officers regularly interrogated and tortured American POW's. During a break in the proceedings, Sen. McCain and Col. Tin enjoyed a hug and exchanged the kind of longing looks that a man would usually share with his long-lost father, or perhaps in McCain's case...His comrade?

Like I said in my previous comment, I won't judge the man on what he did as a POW. I certainly will judge what he did later. And what he did later is not normal, nor does it pass the smell test. Good men like Admiral Stockdale can vouch for the years in captivity, but they can't explain the acxtions of McCain since then.

McCain has a record of being pro-Vietnam. When a country and an ideology bash your brains in for six plus years, you don't go taking them to a dance, do you?

Calling POW/MIA families despicable and criminals? Accusing them of fraud and none ever proven?

McCain has a LOT to answer for.

[TigersEye]

Sen. McCain demanded and received a U.S. Justice Department investigation of the two major POW/MIA activist groups.

Talk about one sentence speaking volumes.

[onyx]

I’ve read that and I just read it again. I’m not trying to be obstinate, but I side with McCain on the issue. I’ve read about the MIA/POW’s extensively and for decades. I had a personal involvement.

[TigersEye]

I’m not trying to be obstinate, but I side with McCain on the issue.

I can't.

[exit82]

Thanks for all of the links you provided.

The Schanberg article from 2000 is especially damning to McCain.

I wish he had fought as hard to be President in 2008 as he did to keep secret the information about the men left behind in Vietnam as POWs.

[rabscuttle385]

It is a long article and well worth the read.

I agree.

[SoCalPol]

Interesting how some make McCain the enemy of America
when the real enemy, Al-Qaida, Ahmadinejad, Ben Laden,
etc, who have attacked and killed thousands of Americas. Attacked European and other countries and killed
thousands.

They have promised to attack again as they have declared war on America.

Some on FR could care less as their cult leader Ron Paul believes America deserved to be attacked and has stated, Iran and North Korea are not a threat.

In their sick minds, McCain is the enemy.

[xone]

McCain is a sh#tty representative of the people and a lousy presidential candidate. I think he was an average rep of the POWs from the Hanoi Hilton. I won’t vote for him again, but Manchurian Candidate?, with the current POS in the White House. Can’t do it.

[TigersEye]

Progressives are the enemy. You go out of your way to defend them.

[rabscuttle385]

Interesting how some make McCain the enemy of America when the real enemy, Al-Qaida, Ahmadinejad, Ben Laden, etc, who have attacked and killed thousands of Americas...Some on FR could care less as their cult leader Ron Paul...

It is quite interesting how many of your replies are naught but attempts to shut down discussion by trying to draw attention away from the topic at hand.

But hey, while we're on the topic that you have selected--Islamist terrorists--it is interesting that you accuse folks who think that "McCain is the enemy" of having "sick minds" while some of us can readily produce evidence from sources of repute of McCain's assistance to Kosovar and Albanian terrorists during the Clinton intervention in Kosovo...terrorists that committed unspeakable atrocities against Serbian and other civilians, under the U.S./U.N/NATO aegis, and who have been linked to al-Qaeda, the same group that later perpetrated terrorist acts against the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2437888/posts?page=324#324

"He (McCain) did everything that we asked of him, including arming the KLA", said Albanian lobbyist Joe DioGuardi.

John McCain armed Kosovo Islamic terrorists

John McCain armed the KLA, Politika

Group tied to al-Qaida backs McCain for prez

KLA members suspected of 1998 war crime

Kosovo Albanian drug-boss admits friendship with al Qaeda leader

NATO Transported KLA Terrorists by Helicopter During Kosovo War

Kosovo Extremists Suspected in Attacks on Macedonian Police Stations

UN Discovers Human Remains in Kosovo Cave ("Non-Albanians" mass grave after NATO's takeover)

[SoCalPol]

Yeah, that is why I worked for Reagan when we first ran for Gov. here.

I have faced down in the streets groups of Code Pinkos,
over a hundred Hamas supporters, 50,000 Mexicans and more.

My ancestors have been in America over 386 years.
They have fought in every war. Some came home in boxes.
I have relatives in Afghanistan fighting the enemy now.

More than I can say for some on this thread who have
parents who came here to this country as newbies and have a lot to say when they know crap.

[TigersEye]

You can’t say anything for anyone on this thread but you’re arrogant enough to try. You are defending a Progressive.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

I may not agree with his politics, but damned if I’ll second guess him on what he did while a POW. No way.

My feelings exactly. Thanks for saying it.

[SoCalPol]

and the PaulBots on this thread are defending an anti war,
loon who receives his support from 9/11 Truthers, StormFront
NeoNazies to NeoLeft anti war scum.

[SoCalPol]

[TigersEye]

You contribute nothing of substance. Insults, false accusations, character assassination, guilt by association. That’s all you’ve got. Not much of a testament of respect for Ronald Reagan to be such an empty vessel.

[TigersEye]

I forgot to mention that you just flat out lie. No one has mentioned Ron Paul other than you.

[SoCalPol]

You just described the PaulBots and their threads