Someone needs to remind Hastert and the rest of the clowns in D.C., there's a paramount matter of an accounting of American Viet Nam war POW's & MIA's.
Semper Fi,
Kelly
Posted on 05/14/2006 6:16:42 PM PDT by familyop
HANOI (AFX) - The government here and the US have reached an agreement in principle that should enable Vietnam to join the WTO, staterun news media reported at the weekend.
The state-owned Vietnam News Agency (VNA) said Hanoi had 'technically concluded the 12th round of negotiation with the US' on WTO accession Saturday after a week of 'intense discussions'.
But the VNA report also said: 'Several issues remain unsolved'.
The Tuoi Tre daily newspaper quoted Minister of Trade Truong Dinh Tuyen as saying: 'The talks reached agreements in principle.'
He reportedly added: 'The official signing will take place in the near future.'
The newspaper also quoted a Vietnamese official in Washington as saying the signing could take place in early June, when Vietnam will host the meeting of APEC trade ministers in Ho Chi Minh City.
Newly appointed US Trade Representative Susan Schwab is expected to attend the meeting, the newspaper said.
The latest round of talks began Tuesday in Washington. Textiles appeared to be a major sticking point between the two sides, some reports said.
VietnamNet said Hanoi's ambassador in Washington, Nguyen Tam Chien, had confirmed that the talks had concluded, saying: 'There are no more clouds in Washington, the sun is coming out.'
Vietname wants to join the trade body before hosting the APEC summit in November, which US President George W Bush is expected to attend.
After Vietnam signed a deal with Mexico last month, the US was the last country with which it needed to conclude bilateral negotiations in order to join the global trade body.
Before gaining entry to the WTO, however, Vietnam must first be granted permanent normal trade relations by the US Congress, where Vietnam's human rights record could come under scrutiny.
Last month in Hanoi, US House of Representatives speaker Dennis Hastert called on Congress to pass the deal, despite concerns about human rights.
afp/jm
its a new world order
I guess I'm too old and weary of war to see the error in my perceptions....
Thank God I won't live long enough to have to deal with the long term consequences of our current follies...... but I damn those responsible for stealing my grand-children's birthright..
Semper Fi
"Also joining the negotiations, at the very last moment, was Senator Kerry of Massasschusetts..."
FYI
According to the Department of Defense, there are still 1,914 Americans missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War, 1,444 in Vietnam, 404 in Laos, 58 in Cambodia and 8 in the territorial waters of the PRC.
PRESIDENT OUTLINES STEPS FOR VIETNAM ON POW/MIA:
When President Bush submitted to Congress the required certification regarding Vietnam's POW/MIA cooperation, he added specific language that outlined steps Vietnam could and should take to strengthen the accounting effort. These included, "Vietnam's unilateral provision of POW/MIA-related documents and records should be improved, focused initially on archival data pertaining to Americans captured, missing, or killed in areas of Laos and Cambodia under wartime Vietnamese control. Vietnam should also focus greater attention on locating and providing information on discrepancy cases, with priority on those last known alive in captivity or in immediate proximity to capture, and to locating and repatriating the remains of those who died while in Vietnamese control that have not yet been returned." The League deeply appreciates the integrity evident in this first accurate assessment in many years.
"VietnamNet said Hanoi's ambassador in Washington, Nguyen Tam Chien, had confirmed that the talks had concluded, saying: 'There are no more clouds in Washington, the sun is coming out.'"
A thorough review of the VN record on human rights might just put these talks where the sun doesn't shine. And that's as it should be.
As (if) we win the War On Terror, we will also have finally the War In Vietnam as they formally dump communism....
And if we don't win the current war, the world will have turned decidedly for the worst, with America but little left but for the carvings of factional caliphates.
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