Documents on FBI's surveillance of Kerry stolen (New Nicosia spin - GOP Coverup for Nixon?)

CNN ^ | March 28th, 2004

[Sabertooth]

A decorated veteran, John Kerry became a spokesman for Vietnam Veterans Against the War.

Gerald Nicosia, who spent more than a decade collecting the information, told CNN in a telephone interview that three of 14 boxes of documents plus a number of loose folders -- hundreds of pages -- were stolen Thursday afternoon.

[Sabertooth]

The documents center on FBI surveillance of Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW), which Kerry represented as national spokesman. In April 1971, the decorated veteran testified in televised hearings before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and led a large protest of veterans in the capital.

Nicosia estimated that 20 percent of his documents are missing.

"It's heartbreaking, after 11 years trying to get them," he said.

I'll just bet.

"I hadn't gotten a chance to review them all. I am sure there were some things about John Kerry that weren't known," Nicosia said. "These files would also cast a bad light on the ... Republican Party. This surveillance happened under the Nixon White House and Nixon FBI."

Get ready, this will be the spin.

"Just like Watergate."

[Unam Sanctam]

Why do they hand out original documents under the Freedom of Information Act? I would think they would hand out copies.

[Diogenesis]

Her Royal Highness:"Break in and get those FBI files on Kerry.
Nobody but nobody is to have FBI files except us. Then use our stolen FBI files to blame someone else.""

[OXENinFLA]

Whoooaaaa hold on a sec.

THESE WERE THE ONE AND ONLY PAPERS?


FOIA gave Nicosia the originals?

And didn't Kerry's people just vist Nicosia to get copies of these files?

[Sabertooth]

"I hadn't gotten a chance to review them all. I am sure there were some things about John Kerry that weren't known," Nicosia said. "These files would also cast a bad light on the ... Republican Party. This surveillance happened under the Nixon White House and Nixon FBI."

Let's see, who has more to fear from the FBI files on John Kerry's activities with the Vietnam Veterans Against the war (VVAW), Kerry or the Republicans?

Pro-Kerry Historian: Kerry Lies About Anti-war Activities
			Posted by areafiftyone On 03/18/2004 6:35:35 AM PST with 5 comments Newsmax ^ | 3/18/04 A Vietnam War historian and supporter of Democrat presidential candidate John Kerry has told CNSNews.com that Kerry is lying about key events related to his anti-war activities in 1971. Kerry said he hasn't spoken to former anti-war associate Al Hubbard since the two men appeared side by side on national television in April 1971, but according to author Gerald Nicosia, that assertion is wrong. So is Kerry's insistence that he did not attend a November 1971 meeting of Vietnam Veterans Against the War, at which group members discussed the possibility of assassinating U.S. senators who were still supporting the war...
Kerry Lying About Anti-War Past, Supporter Alleges
			Posted by kattracks On 03/18/2004 2:58:03 AM PST with 114 comments CNSNEWS.com ^ | 3/18/04 | Marc Morano (CNSNews.com) - A Vietnam War historian and supporter of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry has told CNSNews.com that Kerry is lying about key events related to his anti-war activities in 1971. Kerry said he hasn't spoken to former anti-war associate Al Hubbard since the two men appeared side by side on national television in April 1971, but according to author Gerald Nicosia, that assertion is wrong. So is Kerry's insistence that he did not attend a November 1971 meeting of Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW), at which group members discussed the possibility of assassinating U.S. senators who were still...
KERRY RETREATS FROM HIS DENIAL ON VIETNAM MEET - Evidence Puts Him At Kansas Parley
			Posted by kennedy On 03/19/2004 9:07:07 AM PST with 422 comments New York Sun ^ | Mar 19, 2004 | JOSH GERSTEIN MILL VALLEY, Calif. — Senator Kerry of Massachusetts yesterday retreated from his earlier steadfast denials that he attended a meeting of Vietnam Veterans Against the War at which a plan to assassinate U.S. Senators was debated. The reversal came as new evidence, including reports from FBI informants, emerged that contradicted Mr. Kerry’s previous statements about the gathering, which was held in Kansas City, Mo. in November 1971. “John Kerry had no personal recollection of this meeting 33 years ago,” a Kerry campaign spokesman, David Wade, said in a statement e-mailed last night from Idaho, where Mr. Kerry is on vacation....
Kerry hedges on 1971 KC meeting [for assassination plot]
			Posted by nwrep On 03/19/2004 8:38:34 PM PST with 72 comments Knight Ridder ^ | March 19, 2004 | SCOTT CANON KANSAS CITY - (KRT) - Confronted with 32-year-old FBI records, Sen. John Kerry's campaign all but conceded he attended a 1971 Kansas City meeting where a fellow anti-war veteran called for political assassinations. Those active in Vietnam Veterans Against the War at the time stress that the suggestion for such a violent approach was angrily rejected. They say their memories do not include Kerry taking part in the radical discussion. A statement Thursday by Kerry's camp said the Massachusetts Democrat did not recall the meeting, although FBI surveillance material and the group's archives clearly show that Kerry resigned from his...
CNN: Documents reveal FBI surveillance of Kerry in early 1970s
			Posted by Oldeconomybuyer On 03/23/2004 5:18:04 AM PST with 52 comments CNN ^ | 3-23-04 | From Phil Hirschkorn NEW YORK (CNN) -- John Kerry's combat experience in Vietnam is central to his bid to become the next commander-in-chief, but Kerry's outspoken opposition to that war drew the personal attention of the president of the United States and FBI agents 33 years ago, documents reviewed by CNN reveal. After Kerry became the national spokesman of Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) in 1971, he came under continued surveillance by the FBI, which filed thousands of pages of reports on the VVAW and Kerry himself. It was Kerry, the articulate Yale graduate and Navy lieutenant with three Purple Hearts for...
The VVAW Assassination Discussion - "A lot of people were convinced that this was the way to do it."
			Posted by Hon On 03/24/2004 7:43:30 PM PST with 58 comments March 25, 2004 | Compiled Sometime during a national meeting of the Vietnam Veterans Against The War (VVAW) held November 12-14, 1971 there was an intense "discussion" and vote on a plan offered by Scott Camil to assassinate top Congressional leaders who had voted to continue funding the war in Vietnam. There has been much discussion here and some in the media of this topic. The details are getting confused, and few people have seen any of the original source material. I first came upon the subject in early February when I was looking for information about Kerry in "Winter Soldiers," by Richard Staciewicz. The...
FBI Papers on Kerry Stolen from Author
			Posted by rogueleader On 03/28/2004 12:00:14 AM PST with 7 comments KCBS-740 AM ^ | Mar 27, 2004 | Sue McGuire (KCBS)--A North Bay man who had uncovered evidence the FBI (news - web sites) tailed presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites) for months in 1971 says some of the files were stolen this week. Author Gerald Nicosia told police Friday that three of fourteen boxes of once secret FBI files he obtained through the Freedom of Information Act were taken from his Corte Madera home some time Thursday. He says investigators do not have much hope in finding the missing files. "They said it would be almost impossible to try to track fingerprints because we did have CNN...
FBI Papers on Kerry Stolen from Marin County Author
			Posted by NYC Republican On 03/27/2004 6:44:41 PM PST with 16 comments KPIX/KCBS/Yahoo News ^ | 3/26/04 | Sue McGuire North Bay man who had uncovered evidence the FBI (news - web sites) tailed presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites) for months in 1971 says some of the files were stolen this week. Author Gerald Nicosia told police Friday that three of fourteen boxes of once secret FBI files he obtained through the Freedom of Information Act were taken from his Corte Madera home some time Thursday. He says investigators do not have much hope in finding the missing files. "They said it would be almost impossible to try to track fingerprints because we did have CNN people...
Author Reports Theft of Some of Kerry's FBI Files (New Info - New Spin)
			Posted by Sabertooth On 03/27/2004 8:47:20 AM PST with 73 comments L.A. Times ^ | March 27th, 2004 | John Gilonna Nicosia said he suspected that the thieves were specifically in pursuit of the files because a camera and other expensive items in the home were left untouched. He added that he did not know exactly what material was taken because it was not cataloged or marked. Three of 14 boxes of files that had been stacked in his kitchen are missing. He said he was moving the remaining documents to a secure location Friday afternoon. Nicosia has not yet looked at all the files. Last week he allowed The Times to photocopy 50 pages concerning the FBI's monitoring of Kerry...

[Sabertooth]

FYI

(Let me know if you want on or off my Kerry/VVAW pinglist.)

[Hardastarboard]

This is an amazing back spin on the whole thing. They blame the Republicans, tar Richard Nixon, and slip a line in the article "branding" Kerry a conservative to defuse the liberal tag. Whoever wrote this will get a nice bonus from the DNC, guaranteed.

[Unam Sanctam]

I don't know if they were the originals, but why would it be such a big deal if they weren't? Surely if they were copies, one could simply get more copies of the "stolen" documents.

[Grampa Dave]

My wife and I wondered when the Ghost and so called sins of Nixon would be dragged out by the rats.

We will see rerun after rerun of any movie that dealt with Watergate and of course the movie Nixon which has been around again for about two weeks.

Phi Kap Mom and I have discussed this trot out the Ghosts and so called sins of Nixon for at least 3 years.

Everytime the rats get into trouble, they roll their icon of hate out to detract from the latest news of their vile reality.

[sweetliberty]

How convenient.

[Sabertooth]

I don't know if they were the originals, but why would it be such a big deal if they weren't? Surely if they were copies, one could simply get more copies of the "stolen" documents.

Two points from the article...

1. Nicosia estimated that 20 percent of his documents are missing. "It's heartbreaking, after 11 years trying to get them," he said.

2. "I hadn't gotten a chance to review them all. I am sure there were some things about John Kerry that weren't known," Nicosia said

1. It took eleven years to get these docs the first time around. Even if a new request is expedited, the 2004 election will be a wrap before Nicosia sees any of it.

2. Nicosia hasn't read all of the original docs. How will he know if eveything's been replaced if he doesn't know for sure what's missing?

[White Eagle]

If he got all this stuff through FOIA, why would anybody steal it? After all, if you can get it once, you can get it twice.

Does this mean that John Kerry's military record will soon be available for public review?

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

"I hadn't gotten a chance to review them all. I am sure there were some things about John Kerry that weren't known," Nicosia said. "These files would also cast a bad light on the ... Republican Party. This surveillance happened under the Nixon White House and Nixon FBI."

In actual fact the FBI was doing its job. The ethnically confused "war hero" was hanging out with known communists. He had traveled to Pris to meet with Ho's representatives. The FBI was merely watching someone acting in a traitorous manner. Let's not forget that plans had been made to assassinate senators.

[VadeRetro]

I notice CNN isn't linking Kerry with any assassination discussions. Did Nicosia fail to mention it?

[cyncooper]

And some freepers correctly surmised that would be the spin.

How lame can you get? Though I know there will be a contingent that will buy it.

So Nicosia has told the story thus: He goes from seeing doors ajar on Thursday and doesn't really think much of it. Then Friday as he's "coincidentally" moving the boxes to a "secure location", THEN he notices "boxes missing", plus he tells another reporter (maybe all, who knows with their styles if they report all they hear) that some of the remaining 11 boxes also were rifled through.

He goes on to think maybe a thrill seeker wanting a piece of history like the Berlin Wall (for pete's sake) may have been the culprit, and Nicosia doesn't seem the least alarmed that someone's been skulking around his house while he was out. Oh, and he says oh, darn, these are lost forever.

Then it comes: And this could hurt *Republicans*. Yeah, right. Your mistake was not have your mythological Republicans steal all 14 boxes as they just happened to know which boxes to take? I don't think so and I don't think a rational person will think so either.

[cyncooper]

Oh, and I forgot to add: It's time to spread the word far and wide about Kerry's long ago campaign being involved in a Watergate style break-in.

[Sabertooth]

I notice CNN isn't linking Kerry with any assassination discussions. Did Nicosia fail to mention it?

I don't believe that Nicosia has manetioned the KC plot in any of the stories on the burglary that I've read. It's interesting that the stolen material is the stuff he hasn't read yet. Who would know what to take?

He's been showing a selected 50 pages of cocuments to selected members of the media for the last ten days, including John Gilona of the L.A. Times.

Presumably, since he's read about the surveillance placing Kerry in Kansas City on November 12-15, 1971, he still has those docs.

[Sabertooth]

manetioned = mentioned
cocuments = documents.

Yeesh, getting more coffee.

[VadeRetro]

Presumably, since he's read about the surveillance placing Kerry in Kansas City on November 12-15, 1971, he still has those docs.

Someone should have copies, at any rate. So what was stolen and how is anyone supposed to know what to make of it?

[cyncooper]

First campaign ends in defeat

Excerpt:

To win the primary, the newcomer overcame the election eve arrest of his brother, Cameron, and campaign field director Thomas J. Vallely, both then 22, in the basement of a Lowell building that housed the headquarters of Kerry and another Democratic contender, state Representative Anthony R. DiFruscia of Lawrence. It was almost 2 a.m. - 30 hours before the polls opened - when the two were arrested on charges of breaking and entering with intent to commit larceny.

That day's Sun blared a memorable, double-deck headline: "Kerry brother arrested in Lowell `Watergate."' DiFruscia, getting some extra ink in the campaign's waning hours, had drawn the parallel to the break-in at Democratic headquarters in Washington three months earlier.

~snip~