Sonds like Hanoi John and Hitlery have similar views on the US military.
Posted on 08/23/2004 5:23:09 AM PDT by mcar
WASHINGTON – John Kerry stands by his claims in 1971 before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that U.S. soldiers in Vietnam regularly, and as a matter of official policy, committed war atrocities against innocent civilians, according to a top campaign official.
John Hurley, national director of Veterans for Kerry, denied on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace, that Kerry had overstated the case against the war when he returned home as a spokesman for the Vietnam Veterans Against the War.
A new ad by the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth targets Kerry's comments in 1971 as giving aid and comfort to the enemy.
"John Kerry testified in 1971 to atrocities being committed in Vietnam," said Hurley. "So also, the Toledo Blade has won a Pulitzer prize this year for the reporting on atrocities in Vietnam. General Tommy Franks has said John Kerry spoke the truth when he testified in 1971. The My Lai massacre was a fact of life back then. What they have done (in this ad) is they've taken a piece of John Kerry's testimony, left out the part that says he was reporting, repeating the testimony that was given in Detroit at the Winter Soldier hearings, and presented it as his. And that's wrong."
Kerry, however, was the national spokesman for the group that conducted the widely discredited investigation. He was also an active participant in the hearings, not just a reporter taking notes. In 1971, Kerry also implicated himself in the commission of war crimes and atrocities.
In fact, Kerry began his testimony to the committee stating that he was representing all those veterans who participated in the hearings.
"I would like to talk, representing all those veterans, and say that several months ago in Detroit, we had an investigation at which over 150 honorably discharged and many very highly decorated veterans 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," he told the committee.
Kerry went on to explain: "They told the stories at times they had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads, taped wires from 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, shot cattle and dogs for fun, poisoned food stocks, and generally ravaged the countryside of South Vietnam in addition to the normal ravage of war, and the normal and very particular ravaging which is done by the applied bombing power of this country."
Kerry added: "The country doesn't know it yet, but it has created a monster, a monster in the form of millions of men who have been taught to deal and to trade in violence, and who are given the chance to die for the biggest nothing in history; men who have returned with a sense of anger and a sense of betrayal which no one has yet grasped."
Yesterday, Hurly agreed with the testimony and said Kerry stands behind it.
"Absolutely," Hurley said. "He's a leader. He came back, and he spoke the truth."
Asked repeatedly by Wallace if Kerry had overstated what happened in his testimony in 1971, Hurley emphatically said no.
"John Kerry says that he regrets the use of the language that may have offended some people," Hurley said. "He is not -- he stands behind the facts of his testimony. He stands behind the facts that atrocities were being committed in Vietnam."
In fact, some of those presenting horror stories at the Jane Fonda-sponsored Winter Soldier Investigation in Detroit had misrepresented themselves as Vietnam War vets – even using the names of other veterans who did not attend the hearings. Several veterans provided sworn affidavits that others spoke in their names.
"I still want to serve my country. I am still willing to pick up arms and defend it -- die for it, if necessary. Now, however, I will not go blindly because my government says that I must go. I will not go unless we can make real our promises of self-determination and justice at home. I will not go unless the threat is a real one and we all
know it to be so. I will not go unless the people of this country decide for themselves that we must all of us
go."
--more John F'ing Kerry
John Kerry won't fight for this country unless my 12-year-old daughter and 78-year-old mother have to fight too.
Kerry's "handle" while he was on the Swift Boats was the "Boston Strangler", according to Unfit for Command.
Yep.
One thing for sure about the Vietnam War
The atocities , that were part of the communist policy and strategy , were far far far in excessive of anything the USA military may have committed
And The MSM NEVER reported on them and completely ignored them while constantly focusing on any charges against the Amwerican troops
The MSM especially the NYT and Wash Post are resposible for abetting untold misery and death caused by the communists since the 30s
That may be the single most damning quote that Kerry has ever uttered. If I were a Veteran, I would spit on him.
Kerry has now lost almost all of the veteran vote after Sunday. Even those willing to give him a chance and forgive his testimony will bail on him now that he stands by his testimony. It will also effect those who had family memmbers in Vietnam. Great strategy.
o Kerry and Hitler were both "War Heros" with medals.
o Kerry and Hitler were heros in wars that their nation "lost".
o Kerry and Hitler were both "Wounded" in that war.
o Kerry and Hitler are both opportunists.
o Kerry and Hitler are dedicated to overthrow the existing order.
o Kerry and Hitler were both leaders of radical organizations willing to use violence to win.
o Kerry and Hitler used national dissatisfaction with the war they fought in to gain political prominence.
o Kerry and Hitler are both adopted by the super-rich as a vehicule to take political control.
o Kerry and Hitler are both socialists.
I venture to say that 80% of the voters have no idea that Kerry reenacted his "heroism" so he could use the film in later campaigns.
It's a common trait of people who like to feel intellectually superior to others, when they really aren't. They'll glom on to one pronunciation or use of a word, and correct others that don't follow suit. I've had people "correct" me by saying "It's a 'he-ro'" when I ordered a gyro. That ticks me off to no end.
My wife had someone repeatedly say "You mean unencrypt" when she was talking about decrypting a password. Nothing but rank smugness, meant to subtly put her down. A close examination of the root words and prefixes shows that either term can be used. (Sorry about this second rant, but I had to get it off my chest :).)
Good question! We are court marshalling Guardsmen for putting panties on prisoners' heads, for crying out loud. Should Kerry and all these known war criminals not have been arrested and tried for their attrocities?
"They'll glom on to one pronunciation or use of a word, and correct others that don't follow suit. "
Funny that when a Republican does this - potatoe - it makes them a moron.
They're trying to get the Deaniacs back.
Amazing, isn't it? The NYTimes runs 50 gazillion stories on how if you don't refuse an illegal order you are committing a war crime with Abu Girard, but then the Democrats nominate an admitted war criminal for president and they think it's wonderful.
Do you suppose Lynndie England is a democrat? Maybe they will put her up for president in 30 years, and she can run on her Iraqi service. "I personally put bags over the heads of innocent Iraqis, and ran them around on leashes, made porn films"
Sounds like a perfect Democratic candidate, the way they are going.
...Placed panties on the heads of prisoners in a fashion reminiscent of Jenjiss Khan...
"...they've taken a piece of John Kerry's testimony, left out the part that says he was reporting, repeating the testimony that was given in Detroit at the Winter Soldier hearings..."
It has been established that many of the "Vietnam Veterans" that made statements during the Winter Soldier hearings were imposters. None of the statements were submitted in the form of a sworn affidavit. Anyone who used those statements as a basis for congressional testimony was a fool.
Re: the New Soldier, sKerry's book.
There are at least 2 sellers on ebay right now who are making available this book on cd-rom.
For not much money either, one is $9, the other is $15. A number of copies available from each of them.
Did atrocities happen in Vietnam? Absolutely. Most of them were committed by VC/NVA. Kerry chose to ignore that (as well as the so-called MSM).
A buddy of mine supported SOG missions and battlefield cleanup (Graves Registration) as part of a C130 crew. He lost 2 medics who were trying to help wounded VC (who were booby-trapped). He also picked up the remains of his 1st cousin who had enlisted with him. His cousin had been stabbed dozens of times and gutted...he apparently ran out of ammo.
His face was the last person some of our wounded saw as they were being airlifted to Guam. He would have to hose down the back of the C130 to get the blood and other body fluids out. This man has been one of the walking dead since doing that at the age of 18 from 1964-6.
It is hard to put into words the loathing I feel towards John Kerry.
By the way, I was lurking on DU yesterday and they had a whole thread trying to figure out why John Kerry won't just reprint "The New Soldier" as an answer to the swift vote vets.
I wonder if they've figured it out yet. *snicker*
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.