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Herschensohn: Congress Sets Up Afghan Failure
NewsMax ^ | Friday, August 6, 2010 05:13 PM | John Rossomando

Posted on 08/06/2010 6:37:22 PM PDT by onyx

Congress is setting up American forces for failure in Afghanistan, just like it did during the Vietnam War, foreign policy expert Bruce Herschensohn tells Newsmax.TV.

The present Congress is mirroring the actions of the 94th Congress, which sabotaged victory, says Herschensohn, author of the new book, “An American Amnesia: How The U.S. Congress Forced the Surrenders of South Vietnam and Cambodia.”

U.S. forces had won militarily in Vietnam by the time President Richard Nixon announced a cease-fire with North Vietnam in January 1973 under the Paris Peace Accords, says Herschensohn, who served in the Nixon and Reagan administrations and now teaches at Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy in Malibu, Calif.

But “Congress was not pleased with our win, our victory,” Herschensohn says. “Neither were a lot of college professors. Neither were a lot of the demonstrators. A lot of people weren’t happy with it . . . because they had an investment in our failure, and the last thing they wanted us to do was to win.”

Congressional opponents of the Vietnam War had staked their reputations on ensuring defeat, and they also did not want Nixon to get credit for a U.S. victory, he says.

Consequently, Congress spent the two years following the cease-fire refusing to appropriate the funds South Vietnam needed to defend itself, which led to the fall of Saigon in April 1975, Herschensohn says.

Herschensohn believes this Congress has the same “investment in failure.”

“It is almost as if the 111th Congress wants to duplicate what the 94th Congress did,” says Herschensohn, who lost a U.S. Senate campaign in 1992 in California to Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer, who is now in a tight race for re-election with Republican Carly Fiorina. “They want a withdrawal date – many of them do.” He worries

continued here

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


TOPICS: Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: afghanistan; herschensohn; obama; waronterror
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Bruce Herschensohn should be sitting in Boxer's US Senate seat, but for her lying, filthy, last minute smear campaign.
1 posted on 08/06/2010 6:37:24 PM PDT by onyx
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To: onyx
As a Nam Vet, reading this (which I and most other vets already knew) is painful in that for decades now we have lived with the question of why did we sacrifice so much (including losing some 58,000 of our brothers and sisters) in vain?

In spite of our commitment to our ally (So. Vietnam) as outlined in the Paris Peace Accords, the "Party of Defeat" (the Demo-Rats) cut off funding which if they had not (as well as if we had lent them our support as we had promised if the North moved to overthrow the South) I am convinced the South could have held the North off.

When RINO President Ford REFUSED to honor his oath of office and caved to the RATS without putting up a fight, that is when I quit being a Republican and have never admitted to being one since.

There is a a lot of blame to go around as there is blood on the hands of those who allowed this travesty to transpire.

As an Intel Agent, I had several close Vietnamese friends who I worked with as well as many acquaintances who to this day, I don't know what happened to them, but I fear the worst.

Yes, I can see much the same fate awaits not only Afghanistan, but Iraq and those who supported or worked with US Forces can look forward to the same treatment (fate?) by whomever ends up controlling those countries after we "Bug Out!"

And then, the hundreds of thousands of our Patriots who served in both theaters will be asking themselves for a long time to come what we still do: Was it worth it and was it all in vain???

2 posted on 08/06/2010 6:59:37 PM PDT by Conservative Vermont Vet ((One of ONLY 37 Conservatives in the People's Republic of Vermont. Socialists and Progressives All))
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To: Conservative Vermont Vet
I am of your same generation and I share your grief as much as I can as a woman. I thank you for your service and I supported you and all the guys against the filthy hippies and protesting peace-niks just because you all were our guys and I thought the war was valid. I mean, who knew, what with democrats in charge?

I later married my current husband only to learn about his experiences in Laos which I can't post about here. It will have to suffice that he was an officer assigned to intel also and Kennedy cut off all his funding, leaving him stranded to make his way to the embassy in Tokyo.

Like you, he is also very concerned about this war and I think the two of you are on the same page with your concerns. God bless you, and God bless our brave troops. I pray nightly for them and for the best outcome ASAP.

3 posted on 08/06/2010 7:24:05 PM PDT by onyx (Sarah/Michele 2012)
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To: AdmSmith; Arthur Wildfire! March; Berosus; bigheadfred; blueyon; Convert from ECUSA; dervish; ...
brutal afghan winter
Google

4 posted on 08/06/2010 7:30:43 PM PDT by SunkenCiv ("Fools learn from experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others." -- Otto von Bismarck)
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To: SunkenCiv

I was surprised a month or so ago when FNC announced on our local AM radio that the largest and most diverse mineral find ever was in.. Afghanistan.

Lots of lithium.

Haven’t heard a peep about it since.


5 posted on 08/06/2010 7:36:22 PM PDT by txhurl
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To: txhurl
The discovery of valuable minerals and other ore is being kept quiet by the Soros cabal, until such time as he and China can maneuver into position.

JMHO . . .

6 posted on 08/06/2010 7:39:46 PM PDT by airborne (Why is it we won't allow the Bible in school, but we will in prison? Think about it.)
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To: txhurl

According to one of our fellow FReepers, that mineral discovery was made before WWII, and the info has been resussitated (whoops, I murdered the spelling on that) in order to build popular support for US investment in a place that has always been fighting a low-grade war with itself. :’) There have been at least a few topics this year about it.


7 posted on 08/06/2010 7:51:01 PM PDT by SunkenCiv ("Fools learn from experience. I prefer to learn from the experience of others." -- Otto von Bismarck)
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To: onyx

Bruce Herschensohn is one of the few people I ever voted FOR, rather than the lesser of two evils. The loathsome Barbara Boxer has been even worse for this country than I feared.


8 posted on 08/06/2010 7:51:17 PM PDT by allblues
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To: allblues

Me too. I was heart broken to see him lose to that filthy hag. Talk about a man of integrity. Like you, I was proud to vote for him.


9 posted on 08/06/2010 7:54:45 PM PDT by onyx (Sarah/Michele 2012)
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To: onyx

Me too. He should be Senator. Boxer won dirty.


10 posted on 08/06/2010 9:13:45 PM PDT by Mr. Peabody
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To: onyx

Bruce is one of the nicest men I’ve ever met. A great one.


11 posted on 08/06/2010 11:01:23 PM PDT by Luke21
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To: Conservative Vermont Vet

Was it in vain?

I am a Gold Star sister, and a Christian. Some day (when there is no night) I will be dining with my brother, King David and his generals, George Washington and his soldiers, and my son, who has enlisted. What we do here on earth is not in vain. I think of this life as boot camp compared to what life with God will be. :)

It is complicated, but will be sorted out.


12 posted on 08/07/2010 4:58:23 AM PDT by huldah1776
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To: onyx

While reading the article comparing the public response to WW2 and Vietnam (and today), I was wondering about the liberal government’s agenda to pay for it all through taxes. WW2 was fought after the crash, and there wasn’t a lot money, so the public was asked to participate in direct funding of the war. What a difference this makes! Also, keeping the public misinformed, there is NO reporting on the friki Leak, and none on the wars, is part of a greater agenda based on lies and deception.


13 posted on 08/07/2010 5:16:10 AM PDT by huldah1776
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To: Conservative Vermont Vet
I don't know what happened to them, but I fear the worst.

Yeah, we do.

nd those who supported or worked with US Forces can look forward to the same treatment

Yes, they can. - and the consequences of this failure will be far more tragic for America itself.

Thank you for your post & for your service.

14 posted on 08/07/2010 6:32:54 AM PDT by bill1952 (Choice is an illusion created between those with power - and those without)
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To: onyx

I remember it like it was yesterday.


15 posted on 08/07/2010 8:22:12 AM PDT by stephenjohnbanker (.Go troops! " Vote out RINOS. They screw you EVERY time" Jim Robinson)
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To: All; Conservative Vermont Vet

.

After Sen. TED KENNEDY misled a post-WATERGATE Democrat U.S. Congress into cutting off all U.S. funding for the then Free South Vietnamese to fight for their own FREEDOM with ..horridly came:

Pictures of a vietnamese Re-Education Camp

http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/focus/1308949/posts

NEVER ever AGAIN..!!!

.


16 posted on 08/07/2010 10:25:04 AM PDT by ALOHA RONNIE ("ALOHA RONNIE" Guyer/Veteran-"WE WERE SOLDIERS" Battle of IA DRANG-1965 http://www.lzxray.com)
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To: All; huldah1776; Joy Angela

.

Once a soldier...

They are still soldiers

http://www.ArmchairGeneral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=66978

.

For the one thing The LOVE Itself needs more of in this world is more...

...LOVE.

And that only comes when people are...

...FREE..!!!

http://www.Freerepublic.com/~aloharonnie/

.


17 posted on 08/07/2010 2:46:21 PM PDT by ALOHA RONNIE ("ALOHA RONNIE" Guyer/Veteran-"WE WERE SOLDIERS" Battle of IA DRANG-1965 http://www.lzxray.com)
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To: All; Landru; Kathy in Alaska; RonDog; angkor; Joy Angela; onyx; conservogirl

.

BRUCE HERSCHENSOHN visits Little Saigon to promote the CLARITY of...

http://www.viendongdaily.com/Contents.aspx?item=0&contentid=7857

http://www.vietbao.com/?ppid=45&pid=115&nid=158364

...as a most appreciative guest of Vietnam War Refugee and 1st Vietnamese American State Legislator in U.S. History...

Tea Party Express endorses Tran for Sanchez seat

http://totalbuzz.ocregister.com/2010/07/30/tea-party-endorses-tran-for-sanchez-seat/38559/

.


18 posted on 08/07/2010 4:00:12 PM PDT by ALOHA RONNIE ("ALOHA RONNIE" Guyer/Veteran-"WE WERE SOLDIERS" Battle of IA DRANG-1965 http://www.lzxray.com)
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To: All; Conservative Vermont Vet; onyx; allblues; Mr. Peabody; Luke21; huldah1776; ExTexasRedhead; ...

.

NEVER FORGET

.

CLARITY =

Help support VAN TRAN’s defeat of California Cogresswoman LORETTA SANCHEZ

http://www.Freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2588587/posts

.

NEVER FORGET

.


19 posted on 09/25/2010 5:52:00 PM PDT by ALOHA RONNIE ("ALOHA RONNIE" Guyer/Veteran-"WE WERE SOLDIERS" Battle of IA DRANG-1965 http://www.lzxray.com)
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To: All; huldah1776; airborne

.

http://www.Freerepublic.com/~aloharonnie

.


20 posted on 09/25/2010 5:56:13 PM PDT by ALOHA RONNIE ("ALOHA RONNIE" Guyer/Veteran-"WE WERE SOLDIERS" Battle of IA DRANG-1965 http://www.lzxray.com)
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