Posted on 10/14/2004 1:55:15 PM PDT by areafiftyone
The Swift Boat Controversy: New Witnesses
October 14, 2004
John Kerry's service in Vietnam has become a campaign issue. The group calling itself Swift Boat Veterans for Truth alleges that Kerry has distorted the truth about what happened during the war and questions whether he deserved the medals he received. Tonight, you'll hear from eyewitnesses who have not spoken before: the Vietnamese who fought against him.
We've had the debates and the race is a virtual dead-heat. This is the part of a campaign when there are daily fires--issues that rise, flare, and then go away, only to be replaced by a new one the next day. But for a while, this campaign was dominated by Vietnam, a war that ended, at least the fighting, thirty years ago. John Kerry made his service in Vietnam a major part of his campaign. The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth fired back. They have alleged that Kerry was not truthful about his actions in Vietnam. Then questions were raised about the group's connections to people linked to the GOP. And so the story just kept spiraling in different directions. But the polls clearly showed that Kerry was hurt by allegations that he was not candid about his actions in Vietnam.
Which brings us to an old expression: the fog of war. People, in general, are not always great eyewitnesses. Memories fade, especially as the years go by. Two people standing next to each other may have very different recollections of something that happened right in front of them. But in the whole Swift Boat controversy, there is one group that hasn't been heard from at length: the Vietnamese. Producer Andrew Morse went to Vietnam, to the coordinates taken from the U.S. military after-action report from Kerry's battle for which he won the Silver Star. And there Andrew found several people who had either witnessed the events of that day, or in some cases, had actually fought against the swift boats. And it is their accounts that you will hear tonight. Do their accounts favor one version or the other? Can these questions be definitively settled? You'll have to judge. One of the surprising stories we were told? One of the Vietnamese men in the area says he was visited by a man claiming to be a swift boat veteran and a cameraman. He says the veteran was disparaging towards Kerry's conduct in the war, and asked him in an interview about the events of that day. We do not know who that man is, or whatever happened to that tape.
Ted will be anchoring tonight, and he will be joined by John O'Neill, a leader of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and the author of Unfit for Command, a book critical of Kerry. I hope you'll join us.
Leroy Sievers and the Nightline Staff,br> Washington D.C.
OK.
Thanks.
I'll set the TV to Nightline.
Either they have found a way to, they think, debunk the Swift Boat Vets, or they are doing this because they have some smear planned for Bush, and they want to say they have been evenhanded.
I agree with you. They are going to have this Vietnamese guy who says that O'Neill's story is fiction. Further, they are going to say that someone tried to pay them off to lie.
Here is the letter the Dems are getting!! IT CAME FROM NIGHTLINE!!!
The Swift Boat Controversy: New Witnesses
October 14, 2004
John Kerry's service in Vietnam has become a campaign issue. The group calling itself Swift Boat Veterans for Truth alleges that Kerry has distorted the truth about what happened during the war and questions whether he deserved the medals he received. Tonight, you'll hear from eyewitnesses who have not spoken before: the Vietnamese who fought against him.
We've had the debates and the race is a virtual dead-heat. This is the part of a campaign when there are daily fires--issues that rise, flare, and then go away, only to be replaced by a new one the next day. But for a while, this campaign was dominated by Vietnam, a war that ended, at least the fighting, thirty years ago. John Kerry made his service in Vietnam a major part of his campaign. The Swift Boat Veterans for Truth fired back. They have alleged that Kerry was not truthful about his actions in Vietnam. Then questions were raised about the group's connections to people linked to the GOP. And so the story just kept spiraling in different directions. But the polls clearly showed that Kerry was hurt by allegations that he was not candid about his actions in Vietnam.
Which brings us to an old expression: the fog of war. People, in general, are not always great eyewitnesses. Memories fade, especially as the years go by. Two people standing next to each other may have very different recollections of something that happened right in front of them. But in the whole Swift Boat controversy, there is one group that hasn't been heard from at length: the Vietnamese. Producer Andrew Morse went to Vietnam, to the coordinates taken from the U.S. military after-action report from Kerry's battle for which he won the Silver Star. And there Andrew found several people who had either witnessed the events of that day, or in some cases, had actually fought against the swift boats. And it is their accounts that you will hear tonight. Do their accounts favor one version or the other? Can these questions be definitively settled? You'll have to judge. One of the surprising stories we were told? One of the Vietnamese men in the area says he was visited by a man claiming to be a swift boat veteran and a cameraman. He says the veteran was disparaging towards Kerry's conduct in the war, and asked him in an interview about the events of that day. We do not know who that man is, or whatever happened to that tape.
Ted will be anchoring tonight, and he will be joined by John O'Neill, a leader of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and the author of Unfit for Command, a book critical of Kerry. I hope you'll join us.
Leroy Sievers and the Nightline Staff
Washington D.C.
Please delete.
I just reposted the original post....
That's okay I am worried that Ted Koppel might cancel John O'Neill if the Dems get to him.
You know I was just wondering what Ted Koppel thinks? That the American people will believe a couple of alledged Vietcong soldiers or some real American heros.
I guarantee this is a set-up or else it wouldn't get on a MSM program. They think they have found a new avenue from which to attack the Swiftboat veterans.
Will he be allowed to get a word in without being spoken over.
50-50 ABC interviews Mr. "Duong Hoang Sinh"
Hope O'Neill mentions Kerry hasn't released his military records.
Memories fade, especially as the years go by. Two people standing next to each other may have very different recollections of something that happened right in front of them.
Could this be any more obvious of a set up? Train wreck alert. You can bet ABC would not be airing this unless it was great for Kerry. Before its done, the folks they interviewed will have Kerry shooting them and then caring for their wounds and giving chocolate bars to their kids.
This looks to be a hit piece on the swiftees. They are going to get some Veitmnam civilians to say that they ambushed the swiftees and fought tooth and nail, just like kerry maintains. Hell, anything to help Kerry--Because of VVAW is a Hero to the commies in Viet Nam.
Pretty obvious.
Now, if Sinclar is able to get folks to force Kerry to own up to his undisclosed records, or to foce him to duck the issue, He's sunk. The question is, will they be able to?
It was labeled "NYT/AP" so I'm not sure who actually did the story (probably a stringer), but they basically came up empty. None of the VC interviewed could recall being in the Bay Hap incident. But they thought John Kerry "deserved his medals".
Here's the thing: no official news organization goes into Vietnam without the express permission of Hanoi (with whom all news organizations must register) or without the consent of the local CP People's Committee. They would have escorts, official interpreters, etc. They will interview approved people who will say approved things about the war. The "veteran with the camera" was probably not a newshound but just some vet and would not be subject to these rules. ABC is.
Second point: rather than interview VC under Vietnamese government scrutiny (which they would have been with ABC), why not interview one ... or two or five .. of the 1.2 million Vietnamese-American refugees now in America.
Why just the other night I sat with 2 ex-ARVN officers who'd each served 13 years in reeducation camp, and the daughter of a Vietnamese professor who's doing his second 15-year sentence for advocating democracy and free speech.
Can't Nightline see the relevance of interviewing *one* V-A refugee on the topic of John Kerry and his behavior?
Funny.. The swiftvets is going to do a huge ad buy including on Monday Night Football and all of a sudden this story pops up. No connection I am sure.
Whatever happens tonight, and for the rest of this election campaign, if there are any medals available for balls, John O'Neill should get one.
I'll tell you what is really sick is that ABC will put a communist ex-soldier, who is under complete control of the communist party of Vietnam on TV before they will put Navy hero who has been slandered for 35 years and is sacrificing his entire life to get out the truth on a traitor.
Ya know, the Swifties would not do this if they thought it was a setup, I would think they are ready for anything. Just say prayers for O'Neill so that it really hurts Kerry. ABC is just trying to drum up ratings i am sure.
You are absolutely correct.
Nightline will not mention the hoops they jumped through to get permission to film and interview in Ca Mau. They will not tell the audience they've got several CP officials in tow, and a CP interpreter and some local Ca Mau official vetting the VC "veterans" for this piece.
I've lived in VN, I've spent significant time on the Delta, I've known Western reporters who covered VN, and I've read some of the Hanoi regs that regulate foreign news organizations.
This story was tainted by the VN CP before it was captured on videotape.
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