The rest of the column is worth reading too.
ping
The link doesn't work for me.
Was Tim Russert on Meet the Press in 1971???
I'm no smart lawyer like JF'nKerry, but
"that I took part in shootings in free-fire zones. I conducted harassment and interdiction fire. I used 50-caliber 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"
to my former military knowledge of rules of engagement, only village burning of noncombatant civilians would be
against "rules of war". possibly using .50s on people, but
if that's all you got on your boat....
Except, he wan't interviewed by Russert... he was interviewed by a reporter from the Evening Star.
Actually, Crosby Noyes from the Evening Star.
“Senator Kerry, as Commander In Chief of the armed forces would you still support the prosecution of US Army Pfc. Lynndie England for acts of abuse when you yourself admit to far more serious war crimes? Furthermore what effect do you think this would have on overall morale in the services?”
Let's tear his "confession" down - line by line. You will be greatly disappointed.
I committed the same kind of atrocities as thousands of other soldiers have committed in that ......
1 ... I took part in shootings in free-fire zones.
Not a crime nor against any known rule of warefare to remove civilians from harms way and only leave the enemy to contend with.
2 ... I conducted harassment and interdiction fire.
see #1 above, harrassment means just that, you know about were the enemy should be so you drop artillery or bombs here and there at irregular time periods to "un-motivate" the enemy so they leave or give up - very humane!
Interdiction fire - when you're pretty sure where the enemy is and where they are headed - so you fire artillery or bombs to stop them. Gee! Really? So?
3 ... I used 50-caliber machine guns which we were granted and ordered to use, which were our only weapon against people.
he had a 45-cal pistol, rifles were available (they even fire automatically if you wanted to waste bullets) Yes there were .50 cal guns that were designed on the boats to fire on other craft and fortified shore positions - yes people were there, otherwise why bother shooting?
I believe the Geneva accords said you were only supposed to kill neatly
4 ... I took part in search-and-destroy missions, in the burning of villages.
Also see #1 when an area was cleared of civilians and they had been relocated to a safe area - at times the abandoned villages were destroyed to keep they enemy from using them as shelter or cover. NOT illegal even when they were burned as a result of fighting the NVA or VC
Sorry john - you confessed to nothing above except for shooting a wounded man in the back - nobody said you did (nor would they have) but you. That ould be called MURDEr - against the Geneva Convention
And Kerry was only there four months. This wasn't burn out --sounds like irrational exuberance,
Kerry's reckless behavior convinced his colleagues that he had to go -- becoming the only Swift Boat veteran to serve only four months.
I wonder how many Swiftboat guys did serve during the war. If Kerry was, in fact, the only one to only serve 4 months, that would be a good talking point.
Imagine this headline: JF'n only of 2,000 or XXXX Swiftboats not to complete tour. That might have an impact.
I'm beginning to think that JF'n is Teflon Man II.