"In an interview on NBC's "Meet The Press" last Sunday, Kerry was asked about statements he made about Vietnam War atrocities during an interview with the same program in 1971, when he was a leader in the antiwar movement:"
"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-caliber machine guns which 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," Kerry said in 1971.
Excerpt from CNN http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/04/25/hughes.kerry.vietnam/
11 posted on 08/22/2004 11:38:13 AM PDT by tobyhill (The war on terrorism is not for the weak!)
The spokesman for Vietnam Veterans for Kerry said on Fox News Sunday (Aug 22, 2004) that Kerry stands by his statements to the Fulbright Committee.
On Meet the Press back in March or April, when shown tape of his 1971 testimony, and asked by Russert about it, he gave a strange little chortle and said, "Well Tim, what I'd like to know is, where'd all that thick brown hair go?" Chortle Chortle...you are now entering the Twilight Zone.....
He then said he might have been a little over the top (or the edge?) but re-affirmed that he stands behind his statements of the time and will not disavow them or apologize.