"AN ENORMOUS CRIME" THE DEFINITIVE ACCOUNT OF AMERICAN POWS ABANDONED IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

enormouscrime.com ^

[kellynla]

An Enormous Crime is nothing less than shocking. Based on thousands of pages of public and previously classified documents, it makes an utterly convincing case that when the American government withdrew its forces from Vietnam, it knowingly abandoned hundreds of POWs to their fate. The product of twenty-five years of research by former Congressman Bill Hendon and attorney Elizabeth A. Stewart, An Enormous Crime brilliantly exposes the reasons why these American soldiers and airmen were held back by the North Vietnamese at Operation Homecoming in 1973 and what these men have endured since.

Despite hundreds of postwar sightings and intelligence reports telling of Americans being held captive throughout Vietnam and Laos, Washington did nothing. And despite numerous secret military signals and codes sent from the desperate POWs themselves, the Pentagon did not act. Even in 1988, a U.S. spy satellite passing over Sam Neua Province, Laos, spotted the twelve-foot-tall letters “USA” and immediately beneath them a huge, highly classified Vietnam War-era USAF/USN Escape & Evasion code in a rice paddy in a narrow mountain valley. The letters “USA” appeared to have been dug out of the ground, while the code appeared to have been fashioned from rice straw.

Tragically, the brave men who constructed these codes have not yet come home. Nor have any of the other American POWs who the postwar intelligence shows have laid down similar codes, secret messages, and secret authenticators in rice paddies and fields and garden plots and along trails in both Laos and Vietnam.

An Enormous Crime is based on open-source documents and reports, and thousands of declassified intelligence reports and satellite imagery, as well as author interviews and personal experience. It is a singular work, telling a story unlike any other in our modern history: ugly, harrowing, and true.

From the Bay of Pigs, where John and Robert Kennedy struck a deal with Fidel Castro that led to freedom for the Bay of Pigs prisoners, to the Paris Peace Accords, in which the authors argue Kissinger and Nixon sold American soldiers down the river for political gain, to a continued reluctance to revisit the possibility of reclaiming any men who might still survive, we have a story untold for decades. And with An Enormous Crime we have for the first time a comprehensive history of America’s leaders in their worst hour; of life-and-death decision making based on politics, not intelligence; and of men lost to their families and the country they serve, betrayed by their own leaders.

[balch3]

I don’t need to read it to know it’s a lie.

[TommyDale]

"I don’t need to read it to know it’s a lie." Oh, I didn't realize you were all-powerful and all-knowing. Trust me, if you read the documents and heard the interviews, you would have some serious concerns. These people have spent years in research and have tons of documents to back up their claims. But don't believe it, we really don't care whether you believe it or not.

[Osage Orange]

I'm as patriotic as anyone else, but government officials should never lie to us, no matter what label of their party.

These guy's lie to the sheeple all the time..and justify it their minds.

"It's for the good of the country"

"The people cannot understand the truth"

"We cannot have the people lose confidence in their government"

"We can't let the people know their CIC is a rapist"

"I can't go forward with this info, or my F.B.I. file will be made public."

Etc....etc...

[TommyDale]

Exactly.

[balch3]

I question the timing of this. Most of the people they accuse are dead. McCain and Kerry are irrelavant. The only one that matters is Dick Cheney, and that’s who they’re after. Make no mistake, this is just another attack on the Administration.

[TommyDale]

Actually it is an indictment of John Kerry and John McCain more than anyone. They were given the evidence for their hearings, and the investigator was fired for doing his job too well. I understand Kerry’s cousin did get a sweetheart business deal from Vietnam, however.

[balch3]

But I heard they were accusing Cheney of being involved in it when he was Defense Secretary.

[kellynla]

“The only one that matters is Dick Cheney?”

Excuse me! But the ones “who really matter” are the
UNACCOUNTED FOR POW’S & MIA’S and their families!

Dick Cheney didn’t even serve in the military much less go to Nam.

Now it is time for the Bush administration & Congress to step up and DEMAND that Communist Viet Nam come forward with a FULL ACCOUNTING of these men OR normal trade relations will cease.

[TommyDale]

Cheney allowed the evidence suppressed. So did Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Bush Sr, Clinton and GWB. Cheney was Defense Secretary when the hearings were being held, and McCain and Kerry were destroying documents. So yes, the buck did go up the chain to the Secretary of Defense, Dick Cheney. All he needs to do is explain.

[Marysecretary]

It’s a true national disgrace.

[expatguy]

bttt

[Dead Dog]

I doubt he did. Most likely the heritage members of the Alger Hess club toropedoed anyone that could get the info and push it that high. We know the CIA and State dept are off the reservation.

[expatguy]

Sorry, but Im with Silverleaf on this one.

Your "Congressmen" have abandoned you as well. Do you really think that they are concerned about this?

An American Expat in Southeast Asia

[kellynla]

couldn’t care less who you are with...
I don’t even own a white flag and I will continue to make public this issue.

what needs to be done is for EVERYONE to contact their representatives and DEMAND a FULL ACCOUNTING OF THESE POW’S & MIA’S and NOW!

[expatguy]

No need to get snotty with me FRiend, Im just saying that you might as well be pissing in the wind on this one if you are expecting the gubmint to do anything on this.

A different approach might have more success. Think about it.

Have a nice day.

[kellynla]

well you may think I’m “pissing in the wind” as you so eloquently put it; but I’m doing a hellofalot more than you are to try and get these men and/or their remains returned to their families.

[expatguy]

Thats a mighty big assumption on your part.

[kellynla]

POW/MIA Update: April 13, 2007

AMERICAN ANNOUNCED AS ACCOUNTED FOR THIS WEEK: There are now 1,786 US personnel listed as missing and unaccounted for by the Department of Defense. The identification of the remains of one American previously KIA/BNR from the Vietnam War was released on April 11th. LT Michael R. Newell, USN, from Ellenville, NY, was reported killed in action on December 14, 1966, in an F8E on a mission over North Vietnam. His remains were repatriated August 15, 2005, identified November 27, 2006, and his name was released April 11th. The accounting for LT Newell brings to 797 the number of US personnel accounted for since the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. Over 90% of the 1,787 still listed as missing were lost in Vietnam or in areas of Laos and Cambodia under Vietnam’s wartime control.

U.S. NAVY SHIP NOT PARTICIPATING IN UNDERWATER OPERATIONS: After more than a decade of consistent League efforts, reinforced by former Commanders of the US Pacific Command, Vietnam’s leaders approved using US Navy vessels just before the President’s visit last November. The detailed process required for approval is reportedly still being worked, but was not completed in time for the underwater survey/investigation now ongoing. This US Navy asset was not required for the current operations or even most shallow-water recoveries, but commitment from both governments to support the process was a significant and welcome policy change by Vietnam’s leadership. The League was pleased that ADM Gary Roughead, Commander of the US Pacific Fleet, raised the issue during his January visit to Vietnam as part of the improving military-to-military relationship, as did Ambassador Charles Ray, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for POW/MIA Affairs. Comment: Despite high level emphasis and agreement, including during Deputy Prime Minister/Foreign Minister Khiem’s recent visit to Washington and talks with Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England, Vietnam’s bureaucracy was reportedly unable to move quickly enough to implement the high level agreement, at least on the POW/MIA accounting agenda. Perhaps by the time Vietnam’s President Triet visits Washington in early summer bureaucratic hurdles will have been removed.

MEMBERS OF HOUSE ARMED SERVICES COMMITTEE VISIT VIETNAM: A delegation of US House Members, led by Representative Solomon Ortiz (D-TX), Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s Subcommittee on Readiness, visited Vietnam April 5-7th. Reportedly, the delegation discussed matters relating to bilateral relations, the “search for Americans Missing in Action (MIA), economy and trade.” The delegation also met with the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command’s Detachment II in Hanoi and counterpart officials in the External Relations Committee of Vietnam’s National Assembly. During the meetings, the Vietnamese were positive concerning recent development of bilateral relations with the US, including improved military to military relations. This was the first delegation to Vietnam from the new Democratic-led 110th Congress, and its House Armed Services Committee.

UPDATE ON OPERATIONS: The 98th period of Joint Field Activities (JFA) in Laos, the second 30-day JFA this year, took place March 6th to April 8th. Two members from the League-organized POW/MIA family delegation visited incident sites in Northeastern Laos on March 23rd. Semi-annual POW/MIA consultations were conducted in between the two JFAs; the Lao reportedly responded with flexibility to US requests, urging expanded efforts to build on successes and a review of the past several years’ cooperation.

On March 21st, two family members visited one area of the 88th JFA in Vietnam that began March 8th and is scheduled to conclude about April 21st. Such operations in Vietnam are on a much larger scale and for a longer period of time (45 days) than in Laos or Cambodia. The underwater survey/investigation team, comprised of US members from JPAC and the Navy’s Mobile Diving Salvage Unit #1 (MDSU#1) began work this week along the coast of North Vietnam and plan to conclude in early May, though as noted above, without participation by the USN ship.

There is widespread disappointment – DPMO, JPAC and the League – in responses to the US Government-funded archival research programs, especially with Vietnam. This program has been ongoing for several years, but archival records known to exist have not yet been provided, thus the continued calls for unilateral actions by Hanoi, including by President Bush last November. It is hoped bilateral talks with each of the Indochina governments that will occur over the summer will focus on renewing viable multilateral archival cooperation, among other presumed initiatives.

http://www.pow-miafamilies.org/update.html

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

TANKS for the ping,,,Some day the whole truth will be known
to all the people in the US,,,gunna be hell to pay...

[SandRat]

Lord, I bring before you now our soldiers who have been captured, and ask that You would uphold them with Your right hand.Be their rock in the midst of uncertainty and their light in the midst of darkness. Guard their hearts from fear and strengthen them according to Your Word. Cause them Lord, to lie down and sleep in peace for You alone are their safety.

Surround them Lord with Your favor as a shield. Soften the hearts of those who watch over them and cause them to show compassion and mercy. Keep the hearts of our soldiers filled with hope, and guard them from despair.Be near to them Lord, for Your nearness is their good, and bring them back safely to their families. In Jesus mighty name, Amen.

Psalm 27:5-6 "For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock. Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord."