Kerry Friend Beau Dietl 'Shocked' by Assassination Plot

NewsMax.com ^ | March 20, 2004 | Carl Limbacher

[Carl/NewsMax]

Legendary former New York City homicide detective Beau Dietl said Saturday that he was "shocked" by reports that Sen. John Kerry participated in a 1971 Kansas City meeting of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War where a plot to assassinate seven U.S. Senators was considered.

"I was shocked listening to the story," Dietl told WABC Radio's Monica Crowley, who had just broadcast an update by the reporter who broke the news last week, The New York Sun's Thomas Lipscomb.

"I like John very, very much as a person," said Dietl, who's a personal friend of the Massachusetts Democrat. "But if this has any validity to it, it could be earth shattering."

Dietl said Kerry may have committed a crime if he took part in any discussions about the assassination plot.

"When you talk about killing somebody that's conspiracy to commit murder," he told Crowley. "At the point you talk about it you're guilty of a crime."

Dietl said it made no difference whether or not the plot was carried out, telling Crowley, "By just talking about it, it's the crime of conspiracy."

The former lawman, who now operates his own security firm "Beau Dietl & Associates," urged his old friend to come clean about the 1971 episode, warning, "Once they start to cover things up, that's when the crimes are going to start to begin again."

Dietl went out of his way to assure Crowley that, despite his comments, he has a warm relationship with the likely Democratic nominee, explaining, "John Kerry is a friend of mine. He was at my birthday party. I was at Mara Lago with him last year and he's a good person."

[Hon]

"I can't wait to see how Douglas Brinkley explains not having THIS in his book either; what is this now, about five things he missed?"

For the record, Brinkley claims never to have heard about this discussion or the Phoenix Plan at all. He says he based his claim that Kerry wrote a letter of resignation on November 10, 1971 (two days before the KC meeting) on a footnote in Hunt's book, The Turning. I have Hunt's book. This is an absurd mistake. Hunt's footnote doesn't mention a day. It mentions a section of the archive--as 10.

Again, what a suspiciously convenient error.

[Hon]

Good point!

[Sabertooth]

Was anyone charged for the shooting?

I thought so, but what I posted at #92 is as much as I've been able to find tonight.

[Howlin]

He had guilty knowledge of a conspiracy as far as I can see.

Think about this: by his own admission (now that he's copping to the KC meeting) he's been in the presence of "officially sanctioned murderers (Vietnam) and conspiracy to murder members of the United States Congress -- and he NEVER advised anybody of either.

[Texasforever]

Kerry is something we have never seen in presidential politics. Clinton was just a dirty joke, Kerry is truly dangerous to this nation.

[Howlin]

The Clintons were out for themselves; Kerry is out to destroy this country.

[devolve]

[onyx]

Well now, isn't that fun.

[txrangerette]

Stennis was a Democrat, Saber...

[txrangerette]

Oops, just read your next post...

[Just mythoughts]

"For the record, Brinkley claims never to have heard about this discussion or the Phoenix Plan at all. He says he based his claim that Kerry wrote a letter of resignation on November 10, 1971 (two days before the KC meeting) on a footnote in Hunt's book, The Turning. I have Hunt's book. This is an absurd mistake. Hunt's footnote doesn't mention a day. It mentions a section of the archive--as 10."


Brinkely's book was never about history, it was about making JFKerry a "hero" create a fantasy foundation from which JFKerry would run for president.

Brinkely has egg on his face, and probably knows it.

[eeriegeno]

What's amazing is that some of the people who have challenged Kerry's account of this event have prefaced their comments with things like, "I support John Kerry. He's a friend of mine." It's not the Bush team that's inflicting the damage. So why would Democrats be doing this unless a more powerful Democrat behind the scenes was pulling some strings? Someone with access to damaging information on a lot of people, including Kerry and his "friends".

My thoughts exactly. Also add -- Why has this subject not been raised in the mainstream media? It sure as hell is a bigger story than GW possibly missing a couple of training days in the NG.....

[cajungirl]

Howlin, I have a different view. I thinnk Kerry is dumb and craven and wants to be president because he just wants too,,he is the ultimate narcissist. He would sell his soul to the devil to be famous and to be in the Oval Office. I don't think he has any definite principles and is a tool for others. Clinton on the other hand was far more personally dangerous because his wife is an ideogogue. Kerry is just stupid if you ask me, weak, craves the spotlight, needs to feel better than others. He is an empty suit and will be used and used and used. In that way he is dangerous. But not enough of a person to hold any deeply felt convictions. He just poses!

[MeekOneGOP]

Thanks ! Jean Keri, Mr. French ...

[MeekOneGOP]

The French Connection ...

[WL-law]

Well, even though Kerry's a liar, Dietl is DEAD WRONG on the law here. If we assume Kerry lied and was there, but voted against and spoke against the talk of assassination and quit the group, then he is NOT guilty of participating in any conspiracy.

Should he have reported the incident? Yes. Does that make him guilty? No.

[WL-law]

Although, on it's face, this whole thing seems that it might have political legs, but in my State, it takes a bit more for one to satisfy the Criminal Conspiracy Statute. Two or more people need to communicate (plan) about the commission of a crime and then one or more needs to take a "substantial step" toward the commission of the conspired crime.

For fun, lets say that Kerry was present during such a planing meeting and he failed to immediately report this to Law Enforcement..... and then ANY one of the subjects took ANY "substantial step in toward the commission of the crime", but was unable to complete the act....Kerry is still toast as he remains part of the original conspiracy.

Weakness of the argument here is that if you vote AGAINST the act, you are not "planning" it. That's overreaching and any such prosecution would clearly fail.

[hope]

I disagree, the broom stick fits quite nicely.

[Shepster]

Sybeck1,

If I am not mistaken Beau Dietl is a Bush supporter.

[potlatch]

Ping to #39