Posted on 09/15/2008 3:45:02 AM PDT by Schnucki
John McCain has won an unusual endorsement for his presidential campaign - from the man who was his jailer in wartime Vietnam.
John McCain was shot down and badly wounded while bombing a Hanoi power station on his 23rd mission over North Vietnam in 1967. He was a prisoner for over five years.
Because Mr McCain's father was commander of all American forces in the Pacific theatre, the Vietnamese called him "the prince".
Tran Trong Duyet, the commandant of Hao Lo prison in Hanoi from 1968-73, recalls Mr McCain "as a typical child of a traditional military family. He was conservative and faithful to his country's policy of the Vietnam war".
"In a talk between men we shared many things about girls and love and so on," said Mr Duyet, who claims Mr McCain helped teach him English.
"I think John McCain is a very smart man."
In his run for the presidency, Mr McCain's years as a PoW are constantly invoked for the courage he showed under repeated torture, never giving the Vietnamese anything they could use in their propaganda.
Mr McCain's much touted expertise in foreign policy is said to have its origin in Hao Lo prison, as well as his opposition to the torture of terrorism suspects.
Mr Duyut, still a dedicated Communist Party member, says he is upset by the accounts of torture in Vietnam given by Mr McCain and his fellow prisoners.
"It never happened," he said. "If the soldiers did not follow my orders about the 1949 Geneva Convention they would be strictly punished."
"But I also sympathise with him why he has to say this. I guess he says so to get support of people who support the war."
"I can say that Vietnamese are the best people all over the world for
(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...
Oh, yes. Your analysis has to be correct.
John McCain’s status as a POW should never be considered as the key issue which qualifies him for POTUS.
You are certainly correct that POW status is not sufficient by itself to qualify someone to be President. I worded that poorly. Thanks, for the reminder.
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