Kerry Denies Quotes Accusing U.S. Soliders of War Crimes

Newsmax.com ^ | 2/21/04 | newsmax.com

[thesummerwind]

In a stark about-face, Democratic presidential front-runner John Kerry is now denying that he ever accused U.S. soldiers of committing war crimes in Vietnam, despite amply documented comments - some televised, others delivered while under oath - where he did exactly that.

Asked on Thursday whether he had accused his fellow soldiers of committing war crimes in Vietnam during his April 1971 testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Kerry told CNN's Judy Woodruff:

"No, I was accusing American leaders of abandoning the troops. And if you read what I said, it is very clearly an indictment of leadership. I said to the Senate, where is the leadership of our country? And it's the leaders who are responsible, not the soldiers. I never said that."

However, a transcript of Kerry's April 22, 1971 testimony contains accusations that his brother-soldiers committed all manner of atrocities; charges he based on interviews of returning Vietnam vets earlier that year at the Winter Soldier Investigation, an event Kerry organized with anti-American actress Jane Fonda.

Kerry told the Senate that Winter Soldier witnesses "testified to war crimes committed in Southeast Asia, not isolated incidents but crimes committed on a day-to-day basis with the full awareness of officers at all levels of command."

Speaking under oath, Kerry continued:

"They told stories at times they had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires with portable telephones to human genitals and turned up the power, cut off limbs, blown up bodies, randomly shot at civilians, razed villages in fashion reminiscent of Genghis Khan."

A few days before his Senate testimony, Kerry gave the following account on NBC's "Meet the Press":

"There are all kinds of atrocities, and I would have to say that, yes, yes, I committed the same kind of atrocities as thousands of other soldiers have committed in that I took part in shootings in free fire zones. I conducted harassment and interdiction fire. I used 50 calibre machine guns, which we were granted and ordered to use, which were our only weapon against people. I took part in search and destroy missions, in the burning of villages."

The future presidential candidate added:

"All of this is contrary to the laws of warfare, all of this is contrary to the Geneva Conventions and all of this is ordered as a matter of written established policy by the government of the United States from the top down."

Appearing on "The Dick Cavett Show" in July 1971, Kerry admitted that he'd never actually seen some of the atrocities he testified about, but still maintained that U.S. soldiers fighting in Vietnam routinely violated the Nuremberg Principles.

"I personally didn't see personal atrocities in the sense I saw somebody cut a head off or something like that," he told Cavett. "However, I did take part in free-fire zones, I did take part in harassment and interdiction fire, I did take part in search-and-destroy missions in which the houses of noncombatants were burned to the ground."

Kerry continued:

"And all of these acts, I find out later on, are contrary to the Hague and Geneva conventions and to the laws of warfare. So in that sense, anybody who took part in those, if you carry out the application of the Nuremberg Principles, is in fact guilty."

CNN's Woodruff declined to confront Kerry with his previous comments accusing his brother soldiers of committing war crimes in Vietnam.

[cyncooper]

You stated Kerry had the "blue states" in the bag, implying you meant ALL of the blue states in the bag for the dem, most likely Kerry.

I pointed out not so, and yes, I think several are in play.

[Kozy]

Time to link Kerry to Fonda so I come up with John Fonda or Jane Kerry if you want.

The election is really about voting for a man who is pro-American, Bush or a man who is anti-American, John Fonda.

That's is plain and simple. Vote for America or against it. Either you are with us or you are a terriorist.

[SAMWolf]

Kerry is a lying POS and the Press lets him get away with it

[jmstein7]

New PRO-Bush ad with YOUR FReeper Suggestions Incorporated! CLICK HERE

[thesummerwind]

1- the well-documented bias of the media... and I make the point repeatedly that it is not just the news media, but also the entertainment media who are two sides of the same coin. Indeed, the entertainment arm may be more harmful, for they instruct much of the public on what's hot, what's not, what should be ignored, and what is worthy of ridicule. Remember Newt? >>>>

you are so right. Your whole post was right on.

[Ciexyz]

Appearing on "The Dick Cavett Show" in July 1971, Kerry admitted that he'd never actually seen some of the atrocities he'd testified about....

Hearsay testimony. So how could he raise his right hand and swear to tell the truth about it?

[thesummerwind]

This is an underestimated body of men and their families!

Vets Not Fonda Kerry

Everybody ought to put one of these on their cars and trucks and work vehicles very soon.

[angkor]

Vote for America or against it.

The topic I'm discussing is Newsmax and its reporting, not Kerry or Fonda or voting.

Are you saying "Newsmax, love it or leave it"?

[MississippiMan]

It doesn't matter what he said, because the mainstream media won't cover it. Watch. And the GOP won't push it because those same mainstream media will harp incessantly about how the voters hate negative campaigning, and the GOP will swallow it. Watch.

MM

[SW6906]

I read somewhere that Kerry should have been disciplined for leaving his boat like he did when he recieved his medal for shooting a dead enemy soldier. The point was made that if you left the boat, you became a liability should things "get lively" after that. Rescuing you would put the whole crew in danger. Any truth to this? It seems to make sense........

[thesummerwind]

Chris Matthews is an a**hole. Enough said on that dweeb liar. Matthews is either ignorant of the facts or he's a liar. It's LIAR!!!

[SW6906]

Oh yeah: Thanks for your service!

[7.62 x 51mm]

I hope you're right, but I have an uneasy feeling that the media will again sit on it, and it won't develop any legs.

[thesummerwind]

well said!

[metoooo]

"There are all kinds of atrocities, and I would have to say that, yes, yes, I committed the same kind of atrocities as thousands of other soldiers have committed in that I took part in shootings in free fire zones. I conducted harassment and interdiction fire. I used 50 calibre machine guns, which we were granted and ordered to use, which were our only weapon against people. I took part in search and destroy missions, in the burning of villages."

and what proof is there that this is actually what he said???where is the paper trail???is there a meet the press transcript...

[dc-zoo]

The interview was on thursday. Judy Woodruff replayed some of the interview on "Inside Politics" friday.

[sd-joe]

Can you tell me what exactly a "free-fire zone" is

A free fire zone is just an area where there are no American or allied forces to worry about. It removes the concern of "blue on blue" engagement.

[mwl1]

Your analysis is exactly right. The whole National Guard/AWOL is nothing but bluff and bravado by the RATS, aided and abetted by their media handmaidens, to pressure conservatives not to go after Kerry's anti-war, anti-American agenda.

Too bad for them; we ain't gonna play, and when people find out who John Kerry really is, he will be repudiated with disgust.

RATS are crazy to nominate this guy; let them.

Additionally, it is insane for them to nominate a sitting senator from the minority party; we are going to use Senate rules to destroy him this summer and fall.

[thesummerwind]

It doesn't matter what he said, because the mainstream media won't cover it. Watch. And the GOP won't push it because those same mainstream media will harp incessantly about how the voters hate negative campaigning, and the GOP will swallow it. Watch.

God ..... that's depressing. Hope you're wrong, but we've seen it before.

What everyone seems to be missing here, IMO is the possiblility that this Woodruff interview was Clinton inspired! Bury Kerry, roll out The Beast.

[Salvation]

What You Don't Know about John Kerry