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Award Winning Documentary Shows Allegations Of McCain's Efforts To Block POW Investigations, Reports
eworldonline ^ | January 18, 2008 | Staff

Posted on 01/19/2008 4:38:35 AM PST by america4vr

The award-winning documentary film, "Missing, Presumed Dead: The Search For America's POWs" narrated by Ed Asner backs up allegations that John McCain repeatedly thwarted attempts by U.S. Senate investigators to examine the abandonment of American POWs in Southeast Asia and North Korea.

"Missing Presumed Dead," which won two film festival "Best Documentary" awards, explores McCain's successful attempt to pass a stealth bill in the Senate which effectively keeps his POW records sealed in perpituity and provides insight into why he does not want these records ever to be made public - including the revelation of the many propaganda radio broadcasts he delivered for the North Vietnamese. The film also explains why McCain's refusal of early release from a North Vietnamese POW camp had a less than honorable motive.

The charges against McCain are revealed in the documentary by such political luminaries as former New Hampshire Senator Bob Smith; Jesse Helms' chief of staff, Dr. James Lusier; former Congressman Bob Dornan; U.S. Senate lead investigator, Tracy Usery; and author, Dr. Joseph Douglass, Jr. ("Betrayed").

This documentary goes in depth to answer some of these persistant questions:

Why were these POWs abandoned?

Are some of these POWs still alive in North Korea and Vietnam?

Is John McCain really the president we want guiding our future generations?

According to Jerry Kiley, a group leader of Vietnam Vets against McCain, Kiley says, "John McCain has created this myth that he is a hero, and he is not."

Kiley's group cites as evidence a May, 1973, U.S. News & World Report article by McCain in which McCain said he realized, on his third or fourth day of captivity after his plane was shot down in 1967, that his knee was so swollen the blood might pool in it and kill him,

(Excerpt) Read more at eworldwire.com ...


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: characterassassins; mccain; mccainunfit; mccainvets; mia; pow; pows; vietnamappeasement
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What is this damnable, accursed documentary about? What diabolical forces are at play? What has happened to our grand republic when hatchet jobs like this, character assassinations, politics of destruction rule the election process? Is there nothing for us to do but stand by helplessly when "Bush is Hitler" forces can run amok with impunity?
1 posted on 01/19/2008 4:38:40 AM PST by america4vr
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To: america4vr
Narrated by Ed Asnar is all you need to know. Im no fan of McCain politically but this sounds like typical leftist propaganda.
2 posted on 01/19/2008 4:44:26 AM PST by Archon of the East (Universal Executive Power of the Law of Nature)
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To: america4vr

If McCain is the nominee, millions of conservatives will stay home. Not nice that Asner is doing a job on him, but the Dems think it’s payback time for Swiftboat vets against Kerry.

In the end it won’t matter. McCain is a liberal Republican; actually, a RINO. Not gonna vote for him.


3 posted on 01/19/2008 4:46:08 AM PST by kjo
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To: america4vr
This is really disgusting. Is it true? I dont' know and I don't care !!! The man was injured, beaten, abused and whatever he did to stay alive is fine with me.

This is an Ed Asner cheap shot in an attempt to Swiftboat McCain. The trouble is, McCain really IS a hero .. not a phony like Kerry. I don't know how they think this is going to help them. It is only going to show them for the disgusting anti-american rats that they are.

4 posted on 01/19/2008 4:52:05 AM PST by CometBaby (You can twist perceptions .. reality won't budge!)
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To: america4vr
I don't remember all the facts, but I do remember MeCain signing off on the Missing POW deal. I don't recall his role.

Ed Adsner is an unrepentant Communist Socialist and I'd say the most liberal of the west coast nut jobs. ...and that's saying something.

I will say this for MeCain. At least he isn't telling us every that that he served in Vietnam, spending Christmas at the Hanoi Hilton.

5 posted on 01/19/2008 5:00:55 AM PST by TexasCajun
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To: america4vr

Well, doesn’t this fly into the face of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform law? It would seem this were a campaign tactic, put out by a third party, that is a direct SUPPORT of a particular candidate, something I thought was illegal under the terms of that law. It is apparently perfectly legal to make disparaging comments about an opponent or rival for the same office, so long as the candidate who benefits never has mention of his (or her) own name in conjunction with the scurrilous attack. By logical extension, then, for outside entities to actively SUPPORT the candidacy of anyone, who are not directly a part of the campaign itself, is equally as illegal and immoral, because, in that case, there is no mention whatsoever of any of the competitors in an similarly positive sense.

A sort of reverse karma.

And the newspaper editorials cannot even talk about it.

Hate talk is endorsed, the truth be cursed for the obstacle it is.


6 posted on 01/19/2008 5:03:53 AM PST by alloysteel (It is often easier to fight for principles than to live up to them. Adlai Stevenson, 8-27-1952)
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To: america4vr
Dear John,

I salute your military service in VietNam.

.....but.....the majority of your policy positions are damnable and dead wrong, excepting the surge.

The surge,which, many Freepers were calling for in 2004 at the time of Fallujah One, when they killed the blackwater contractors, so we Freeper arm chair generals,were way ahead of you on that.

7 posted on 01/19/2008 5:04:39 AM PST by gitmogrunt (If McCain's your nominee...I'm walkin' .......................................gone.)
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To: Archon of the East

Do y’all think that Bob Dornan is a leftist? I’m not agreeing or disagreeing with this documentary but there are lots of ex-POW’s who feel that McCain is a backstabber. Don’t you all remember when Kerry was running and people were scrutinizing his loyalties (deservedly so) and there was mention of the congressional investigation regarding POW’s still being alive? It bothered many vets that both he and McCain came to the conclusion that it was not the case and to move on.


8 posted on 01/19/2008 5:04:51 AM PST by panthermom (DUNCAN HUNTER 2008)
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To: america4vr

BTTT!!!!!

9 posted on 01/19/2008 5:11:17 AM PST by Calpernia (Hunters Rangers - Raising the Bar of Integrity http://www.barofintegrity.us)
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To: america4vr

May 3, 1992

Memorandum for: Vice Chairman, Senate Select Committee on Prisoners of War and Missing in Action

From: John F. McCreary

Subject: Possible Violations of Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2071, by the Select Committee and Possible Ethical Misconduct by Staff Attorneys.

1. Continuing analysis of relevant laws and further review of the events between 8 April and 16 April 1992 connected with the destruction of the Investigators' Intelligence Briefing Text strongly indicate that the order to destroy all copies of that briefing text on 9 April and the actual destruction of copies of the briefing texts plus the purging of computer files might constitute violations of Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2071, which imposes criminal penalties for unlawful document destruction. Even absent a finding of criminal misconduct, statements, actions, and failures to act by the senior Staff attorneys following the 9 April briefing might constitute serious breaches of ethical standards of conduct for attorneys, in addition to violations of Senate and Select Committee rules. The potential consequences of these possible misdeeds are such that they should be brought to the attention of all members of the Select Committee, plus all Designees and Staff members who were present at the 9 April briefing.

2. The relevant section of Title 18, U.S.C., states in pertinent part: Section 2071. Concealment, removal, or mutilation generally (a) Whoever willfully and unlawfully conceals, removes, mutilates, obliterates, or destroys, or attempts to do so, or, with intent to do so takes and carries away any record, proceeding, map, book, paper, document, or other thing, filed or deposited with any clerk or officer of any court of the United States, or in any public office, or with any judicial or public officer of the United States, shall be fined not more than $2,000 or imprisoned not more than three years, or both. (June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 795)

3. The facts as the undersigned and others present at the briefing recall them are presented in the attached Memorandum for the Record. A summary of those facts - and others that have been established since that Memorandum was written - follows.

a. On 8 April 1992, the Investigators' Intelligence Briefing Text was presented to Senior Staff members and Designees for whom copies were available prior to beginning the briefing. Objections to the text by the Designees prompted the Staff Director to order all persons present to leave their copies of the briefing text in Room SRB078. Subsequent events indicated that two copies had been removed without authorization.

b. On 9 April 1992, at the beginning of the meeting of the Select Committee and prior to the scheduled investigators' briefing, Senator McCain produced a copy of the intelligence briefing text, with whose contents he strongly disagreed. He charged that the briefing text had already been leaked to a POW/MIA activist, but was reassured by the Chairman that such was not the case. He replied that he was certain it would be leaked. Whereupon, the Chairman assured Senator McCain that there would be no leaks because all copies would be gathered and destroyed, and he gave orders to that effect. No senior staff member or attorney present cautioned against a possible violation of Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2071, or of Senate or Select Committee Rules.

c. Following the briefing on 9 April, the Staff Director, Ms. Frances Zwenig, restated to the intelligence investigators the order to destroy the intelligence briefing text and took measures to ensure execution of the destruction order. (See paragraph 3 of the attachment.) During one telephone conversation with the undersigned, she stated that she was "acting under orders."

d. The undersigned also was instructed to delete all computer files, which Mr. Barry Valentine witnessed on 9 April.

e. In a meeting on 15 April 1992, the Staff's Chief Counsel, J. William Codinha, was advised by intelligence investigators of their concerns about the possibility that they had committed a crime by participating in the destruction of the briefing text. Mr. Codinha minimized the significance of the documents and of their destruction. He admonished the investigators for "making a mountain out of a molehill."

f. When investigators repeated their concern that the order to destroy the documents might lead to criminal charges, Mr. Codinha replied "Who's the injured party." He was told, "The 2,494 families of the unaccounted for US Servicemen, among others." Mr. Codinha then said, "Who's gonna tell them. It's classified." At that point the meeting erupted. The undersigned stated that the measure of merit was the law and what's right, not avoidance of getting caught. To which Mr. Codinha made no reply. At no time during the meeting did Mr. Codinha give any indication that any copies of the intelligence briefing text existed.

g. Investigators, thereupon, repeatedly requested actions by the Committee to clear them of any wrongdoing, such as provision of legal counsel. Mr. Codinha admitted that he was not familiar with the law and promised to look into it. He invited a memorandum from the investigators stating what they wanted. Given Mr. Codinha's statements and reactions to the possibility of criminal liability, the investigators concluded they must request appointment of an independent counsel. A memorandum making such a request and signed by all six intelligence investigators was delivered to Mr. Codinha on 16 April.

h. At 2130 on 16 April, the Chairman of the Senate Select Committee, convened a meeting with the intelligence investigators, who told him personally of their concern that they might have committed a crime by participating in the destruction of the briefing texts at the order of the Staff Director. Senator Kerry stated that he gave the order to destroy the documents, not the Staff Director, and that none of the Senators present at the meeting had objected. He also stated that the issue of document destruction was "moot" because the original briefing text had been deposited with the Office of Senate Security "all along." Both the Staff Director and the Chief Counsel supported this assertion by the Chairman.

i. Senator Kerry's remarks prompted follow-up investigations (See paragraphs 4 through 9 of the attachment) and inquiries that established that a copy of the text was not deposited in the Office of Senate Security until the afternoon of 16 April. The Staff Director has admitted that on the afternoon of 16 April, after receiving a copy of a memorandum from Senator Bob Smith to Senator Kerry in which Senator Smith outlined his concerns about the destruction of documents, she obtained a copy of the intelligence briefing text from the office of Senator McCain and took it to the Office of Senate Security. Office of Senate Security personnel confirmed that the Staff Director gave them an envelope, marked "Eyes Only," to be placed in her personal file. The Staff Director has admitted that the envelope contained the copy of the intelligence briefing text that she obtained from the office of Senator McCain.

3. The facts of the destruction of the intelligence briefing text would seem to fall inside the prescriptions of the Statute, Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2071, so as to justify their referral for investigation to a competent law enforcement authority. The applicability of that Statute was debated in United States v. Poindexter, D.D.C. 1989, 725 F. Supp. 13, in connection with the Iran Contra investigation. The District Court ruled, inter alia, that the National Security Council is a public office within the meaning of the Statute and, thus, that its records and documents fell within the protection of the Statute. In light of that ruling, the Statute would seem to apply to this Senate Select Committee and its Staff. The continued existence of a "bootleg" copy of the intelligence briefing text - i.e., a copy that is not one of those made by the investigators for the purpose of briefing the Select Committee - would seem to be irrelevant to the issues of intent to destroy and willfulness; as well as to the issue of responsibility for the order to destroy all copies of the briefing text, for the attempt to carry out that order, and for the destruction that actually was accomplished in execution of that order.

4. As for the issue of misconduct by Staff attorneys, all member of the Bar swear to uphold the law. That oath may be violated by acts of omission and commission. Even without a violation of the Federal criminal statute, the actions and failures to act by senior Staff attorneys in the sequence of events connected with the destruction of the briefing text might constitute violations

of ethical standards for members of the Bar and of both Senate and Select Committee rules. The statements, actions and failures to act during and after the meeting on 15 April, when the investigators gave notice of their concern about possible criminal liability for document destruction, would seem to reflect disregard for the law and for the rules of the United States Senate.

John F. McCreary

10 posted on 01/19/2008 5:17:34 AM PST by Calpernia (Hunters Rangers - Raising the Bar of Integrity http://www.barofintegrity.us)
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To: TexasCajun

McCain was very much involved in burying the POW issue. As was Kerry. I love how Asner never said a peep about that.


11 posted on 01/19/2008 5:19:03 AM PST by chopperman
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To: CometBaby

>>>The man was injured, beaten, abused and whatever he did to stay alive is fine with me.

What about what he did after he came home?

If those live sighting reports weren’t shredded, the embargo would never have held.

Beer for blood?

(1990) John McCain said on the floor of the Senate: “Mr. President, I am anxious to construct a new relationship with our old adversary (Vietnam)”. He, who was in a Vietnamese prison camps for five and a half years, was pushing hard for normalized relations with Hanoi long before anyone else was.

Between when Clinton said that he would not normalize relations with Vietnam until there was a full accounting of POWs/MIAs and the time he lifted the Trade Embargo only two Americans had been accounted for in Vietnam.

Lifting the embargo opened the door for the multi-billion dollar corporation, Lippo Group with American business partners, such as Stephens Investment of Little Rock, AR to conduct business in Vietnam. Mr A. Vernon Weaver, at that time the Vice-President for Operations in the Pacific Rim of Stephens Investment and a member of the Board of Visitors at the U.S. Naval Academy was instrumental in arranging an upgrade of the position of Commandant of the U.S. Naval Academy from two stars to four stars.

Former U.S. Navy officers, Senators John Kerry and John McCain supported this reorganization.

http://www.usvetdsp.com/billbell.htm

An indication of just how deep and subtle Red Chinese roots run in U.S. business and government affairs deals with McCain and Kerry. Both McCain and Kerry fought long and hard to provide the political cover Clinton needed when he made the controversial decision to normalize relations with Vietnam. McCain’s wife, Cindy, is the daughter of James Hensley, who is the second largest Anheuser-Busch distributor in the United States. McCain is an officer in Hensley & Co. and Cindy is a vice president. The McCain family owns several million dollars in Anheuser-Busch stock.

As a part of an aggressive campaign to enhance its international standing in the beer market, Anheuser-Busch has had signned contracts and invested hundreds of millions building brewery operations in China and Vietnam. I can’t link any of those contracts involve Lippo. Some docs retrieved from the net revealed that Riady’s Lippo is the holder of a license for Sea World in Indonesia and that Anheuser-Busch owns all the Sea World themeparks in the United States as well as some overseas.

Is there a connection between Anheuser-Busch and Lippo?
http://www.usvetdsp.com/billbell.htm

SeaWorld/Lippo Connection:

Old URL: http://www.lippo.co.id/Main.htm

Internet Cache: http://web.archive.org/web/19980530014836/http://www.lippo.co.id/Main.htm

Net cache shows Lippo holds/held the license on Sea World in Indonesia.

“Today I am lifting the trade embargo against Vietnam because I am absolutely convinced it offers us the best way to resolve the fate of those who remain missing and about whom we are not sure.” Two things happened between November 1992 and February 1994 which bear on this issue. One was that Senators John Kerry and John McCain lobbied the president to drop the embargo. The second thing was that in September 1993 the head of the Lippo Group, Mochtar Riady, led a trade mission of Asian bankers on a trip to Vietnam to (in his words) “size up business opportunities there.” Lippo helps, among other things, to finance trade deals. It therefore stood to benefit enormously from expanded trade between Vietnam and the United States;

Old URL: http://www.empower.org/html/policy/misc/roadmap3.htm

See Internet Cache:

http://web.archive.org/web/20000816001233/http://www.empower.org/html/policy/misc/roadmap3.htm


12 posted on 01/19/2008 5:19:30 AM PST by Calpernia (Hunters Rangers - Raising the Bar of Integrity http://www.barofintegrity.us)
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To: chopperman
I remember MeCain always being the point-man on missing POWs and I was really surprised that he signed off on the deal, claiming “I’m Satisfied Now, All Accounted For”
13 posted on 01/19/2008 5:27:13 AM PST by TexasCajun
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Hundreds of American POWs from the Korean War were abandoned in North Korea after hostilities ended in 1953. When it became apparent that repatriating these men would not be feasible, the U.S. government declared them, “missing, presumed dead.” These missing servicemen were forgotten until POW/MIA activists forced the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations to form a POW/MIA subcommittee, chaired by Sen. John Kerry, to investigate recent reports that POWs are still alive in Vietnam and North Korea and that the Pentagon has kept this secret from the public. MISSING, PRESUMED DEAD, unveils the mystery of why these POWs were abandoned, the likelihood some are still alive in North Korea and Southeast Asia, and why our government doesn’t want them back.

FEATURING:

Rep. Bob Dornan, Sen. Bob Smith, Sen. John Kerry, Sen. John McCain, Joseph Douglass, Jr., James Lucier, Bob Dumas, Helie Lee, and more

THE GOAL OF THIS FILM IS TO BRING OUR POWS HOME

When a majority of Americans demand the return of our POWs only then will our government be moved to action. We need your help to expose this film to the American public. As our distributor (7th Art Releasing) works to bring this film to TV and cable outlets, we can all work together to expose this story through local screenings at theaters, schools, libraries, veteran and civic organizations and home screening events.

Purchase a copy of the DVD and for an additional $10 we will send a DVD to the Congressman, Senator, public official or journalist of your choosing.

ABANDONED POWS: PART II

When we recoup the cost of this film project we will begin the next documentary focusing on our abandoned POWs from the Vietnam War and Cold War.

FILM REVIEWS

“With this documentary film we finally have the tool we’ve been waiting for to make the POW/MIA issue a top national priority.”

-Kevin Shannon Bearly, The Welch Report

“Personal and Global. Tragic and Hopeful. Time does not erase the need for truth or quite the call for justice. If a single US prisoner is still alive, and being held captive on foreign soil, the quest to free them requires our attention. After watching Missing Presumed Dead one can not say they didn’t know.”

-Mark Graham, Co-Founder IGC.org and APC.org

“I have seen this film and it is the evidence you need to see. Order a copy and ask what can we do now? We need to stop leaving live American prisoners of war behind and forgetting them. Accountability should start at the top and come down. A leader leads and stands up for the truth no matter how painful. You do not turn your back on our POW/MIAs and act like you can do nothing.”

-Danny “Greasy” Belcher, Exec. Dir., Task Force Omega of KY

“Bill Dumas has done a fabulous job in getting this out, notwithstanding the low-budget financing. The bottom line for this project is simple. He put the story together. It tells the story very well and the message is the same for the thousands abandoned after WWII, Vietnam, and the Cold War. Many of those who contributed to the problem still hang their hat in Congress or at very high levels in the government. It is now up to us to promote this work, get it on public access television, get copies to people in the media and newspapers and schools, hold meetings to show the documentary and engage the audience in Q&A. Lets not let this one die as all the books on the subject have done. Help spread the word and get a copy — it is a great job!

-Dr. Joseph Douglass, Jr., Author, “Betrayed”

“I cannot tell you how moving, informative and inspirational (this film) was to me…I love this country and I cannot believe how any President’s first course of action would not be to demand these soldiers be returned home.”

-Michael O’Rourke, San Diego, CA


14 posted on 01/19/2008 5:29:11 AM PST by Calpernia (Hunters Rangers - Raising the Bar of Integrity http://www.barofintegrity.us)
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Comment #15 Removed by Moderator

To: Archon of the East
Agreed. I wouldn't ever wantt to vote for McCain, but I know that Asner is lower than pond scum. If he's agin sum'pin, I'm fer it.
16 posted on 01/19/2008 5:33:53 AM PST by WorkingClassFilth
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To: america4vr

Not every war hero is qualified to be President. Examine the issues. He’s a liberal.


17 posted on 01/19/2008 5:35:29 AM PST by Brilliant
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To: Calpernia
The a tangled web of Clinton corruption seems to have ensnared Little Johnny.

I never knew MeCain father inlaw was a bigtime Bedweiser distributor with MeCain & wife Cindy on the board?

Beer for Blood, indeed.

18 posted on 01/19/2008 5:36:00 AM PST by TexasCajun
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To: gitmogrunt

Dittoes, dittoes and more dittoes!

C’mon South Carolina Republicans!!!!! Do the RIGHT THING! Send McNasty and the Huckster packing! And give Fred a Chance!


19 posted on 01/19/2008 5:39:08 AM PST by ReleaseTheHounds ("You ask, 'What is our aim?' I can answer in one word: VICTORY - victory - at all costs...")
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To: america4vr

Ed Asner and John McCain BOTH suck.


20 posted on 01/19/2008 5:47:15 AM PST by AmericanInTokyo (Christian Discernment and The Lord Tell Me that President Huckabee Will Be A Disaster For Our Nation)
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