Kerry's Cambodia question

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Craig-TX

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From the New York Daily News:

Kerry's Cambodia question
He says he served there, critics say not so.
The answer's crucial

John Edwards is supposed to be a great lawyer but at the recent Democratic convention he made a rookie mistake: He raised a question without knowing the answer. "If you have any questions about what John Kerry's made of, just spend three minutes with the men who served with him," he said.

Edwards meant Kerry's "band of brothers" - the small entourage of vets who served under him in Vietnam and now strongly support him for President.

Evidently, Edwards did not know at the time that almost every officer who commanded Kerry or served alongside him opposes his candidacy. Worse, they have formed a group, Swiftboat Veterans for Truth, that claims more than 250 members.

Their case against Kerry is set forth in a new book, "Unfit for Command," co-written by longtime Kerry critic John O'Neill, and in a TV ad from the group.

Kerry's critics in arms allege that he didn't deserve one of his Purple Hearts and his Bronze Star. They make these claims on the basis of firsthand knowledge. But combat is notoriously confusing, and soldiers in the heat of battle make poor witnesses. Kerry deserves the benefit of the doubt. If the Navy says he won his medals fair and square, that's good enough for me.

What Kerry did (or didn't do) in Cambodia is a different matter.

On March 27, 1986, Kerry told his fellow senators: "I remember Christmas of 1968, sitting on a gunboat in Cambodia. I remember what it was like to be shot at by the Vietnamese and the Khmer Rouge and Cambodians, and the President of the United States telling the American people that I was not there, the troops were not in Cambodia.

"I have that memory, which is seared - seared - in me."

Here's the problem: Kerry's commanding officers and some of his crew members reportedly deny that he was in Cambodia on Christmas 1968. They say he was stationed near the town of Sa Dec, 55 miles from the Cambodian border.

Kerry's people are trying hard to discredit his discreditors. They call "Unfit for Command" co-author O'Neill a Republican hack with a decades-long grudge against Kerry. They say Texas moneymen close to Karl Rove are behind the TV spots and are warning TV stations, in writing, not to air them. They maintain that the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth are motivated by jealousy of Kerry or anger at his post-Vietnam anti-war activities. They want to dismiss all questions about Kerry's war record as sleazy slander.

Sorry, but that's not going to wash. The issue is not whether the charges against Kerry are politically motivated (they obviously are) or who is paying for them. There's just one relevant question: Are the allegations true? Specifically, is it true he lied about being in Cambodia.

Unlike the debate over Kerry's medals, this is a matter that can be checked and verified. If it turns out Kerry was there, the Swiftboat Veterans for Truth are liars and their charges are, in the words of Kerry's friend John McCain, "dishonest and dishonorable." But if he wasn't there, the Kerry campaign is saddled with a problem it can't solve by calling Republicans names, threatening TV stations or even bringing up President Bush's less than stellar war record.

Kerry has staked his candidacy on Vietnam. His running mate has publicly invited the country to judge Kerry by listening to his comrades in arms. A lot of them, to Edwards' obvious chagrin, are saying that John Kerry is unfit for command.

If it turns out he made up the story of Christmas in Cambodia, they could very well be right.

Originally published on August 11, 2004

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ideas_o ... 9814c.html
 
I agree Craig, this is a matter that can be checked and verified. Hopefully it will be, and the truth will come out. But in my opinion, if Bush's peeps had any proof he was lying about his whereabouts on Christmas Day 1986, they would be all over it and it would be blasted all over the television and papers about how Kerry lied! I think that with Bush's camp letting this thing die, they must of found the answer they were looking for, and it wasnt to their liking.
As for the Swift Boat Veterans, they do sound like a bunch of whiners who are jealous because Kerry went on to bigger and better things and none of them amounted to a hill of beans. Regardless of the extent of Kerry's injuries recieved in the war, if the country offered anyone a purple heart, I believe they would accept it!
 
eric":1xj6rt4d said:
I agree Craig, this is a matter that can be checked and verified. Hopefully it will be, and the truth will come out. But in my opinion, if Bush's peeps had any proof he was lying about his whereabouts on Christmas Day 1986, they would be all over it and it would be blasted all over the television and papers about how Kerry lied! I think that with Bush's camp letting this thing die, they must of found the answer they were looking for, and it wasnt to their liking.
As for the Swift Boat Veterans, they do sound like a bunch of whiners who are jealous because Kerry went on to bigger and better things and none of them amounted to a hill of beans. Regardless of the extent of Kerry's injuries recieved in the war, if the country offered anyone a purple heart, I believe they would accept it!

Supposedly both campaigns have agreed to not bring up the vietnam thing, that's why it's up to private citizens to bring it up. This group originally started complaining about kerry long before now, it just didn't get the publicity. When someone puts themselves in for a medal, I'm always skeptical.

dun
 
That would be best for both parties, staying away from the Vietnam War era...neither one of these guys have alot to be proud of there! I dont think either one should be bashng the other over that war.

I didnt realize that you could put yourself in for a medal. I thought your commanders had to do that.

Does Bush have a plan for this war he has going on overseas? Maybe thats my biggest problem with him, he just seems to fly off the handle without thinking things through! If he laid out some sort of a plan, maybe I could live with the rest of his inadequacies, but I just dont see an end to this thing anytime soon if he gets 4 more yrs. Did we have a plan going in, and then it failed, or what happened? Did Bush think the terrorists were gonna roll over for us and surrender very quickly? And when we met resistance, is he now unsure what to do next? I have been thinking about it lately, and I feel that's my biggest problem with Bush, does he actually have a plan for ending this thing anytime soon???
 
eric":33rhgws6 said:
That would be best for both parties, staying away from the Vietnam War era...neither one of these guys have alot to be proud of there! I dont think either one should be bashng the other over that war.

I didnt realize that you could put yourself in for a medal. I thought your commanders had to do that.

Does Bush have a plan for this war he has going on overseas? Maybe thats my biggest problem with him, he just seems to fly off the handle without thinking things through! If he laid out some sort of a plan, maybe I could live with the rest of his inadequacies, but I just dont see an end to this thing anytime soon if he gets 4 more yrs. Did we have a plan going in, and then it failed, or what happened? Did Bush think the terrorists were gonna roll over for us and surrender very quickly? And when we met resistance, is he now unsure what to do next? I have been thinking about it lately, and I feel that's my biggest problem with Bush, does he actually have a plan for ending this thing anytime soon???

One of the members of the swift boat organization that is against him is his ex-commanding officer. He didn't put him in for a medal although that's the traditional way of doing things. I guess when you're an officer you can do things different then the enlisted pukes.
I'm not privy to the pres. plans. I'm sure that he didn't go into this thing half cocked, but it probably didn't come off as planned. It needs to be remembered that the intelligence that he was working from was that which was gathered by the organizations that sw had allowed to go down the toilet during his 8 years. Hum intelligence can't be put in place in a matter of a couple of years, it takes a long time to get people into the positions that they need to be in so that they can really know whats going on.
I'll gaurentee that if kerry gets in, the intelligence community will just get more screwed up and the next guy will have to fight the same kinds of crapoola that Bush has.

dun
 
eric":3kdv8lr7 said:
That would be best for both parties, staying away from the Vietnam War era...neither one of these guys have alot to be proud of there! I dont think either one should be bashng the other over that war.

I didnt realize that you could put yourself in for a medal. I thought your commanders had to do that.

Does Bush have a plan for this war he has going on overseas? Maybe thats my biggest problem with him, he just seems to fly off the handle without thinking things through! If he laid out some sort of a plan, maybe I could live with the rest of his inadequacies, but I just dont see an end to this thing anytime soon if he gets 4 more yrs. Did we have a plan going in, and then it failed, or what happened? Did Bush think the terrorists were gonna roll over for us and surrender very quickly? And when we met resistance, is he now unsure what to do next? I have been thinking about it lately, and I feel that's my biggest problem with Bush, does he actually have a plan for ending this thing anytime soon???

Shortly after 9-11 Bush wisely and honestly addressed the American people. He explained that this is a different type of enemy than those we faced in the 20th century and that this war would be highly visible at times, invisible at other times. He took pains to warn the country that this war would last for many years.

Since the unprovoked and unjustified attack we have succeeded in taking the fight to them. Our casualties have been incredibly low. We have met with some tremendous successes. We still face serous challenges. It is true that some aspects have not gone as smoothly as we planned and hoped. It's a war. Somebody once said that "War is a series of catastrophes which result in victory." So true. So far this war has been a remarkable success, far surpassing anyone's expectations.

God has blessed us. He will continue as long as we honor Him and don't loose our nerve. We still have a long, long way to go.

Craig-TX
 
Shortly after 9-11 Bush wisely and honestly addressed the American people. He explained that this is a different type of enemy than those we faced in the 20th century and that this war would be highly visible at times, invisible at other times. He took pains to warn the country that this war would last for many years.

Since the unprovoked and unjustified attack we have succeeded in taking the fight to them. Our casualties have been incredibly low. We have met with some tremendous successes. We still face serous challenges. It is true that some aspects have not gone as smoothly as we planned and hoped. It's a war. Somebody once said that "War is a series of catastrophes which result in victory." So true. So far this war has been a remarkable success, far surpassing anyone's expectations.

God has blessed us. He will continue as long as we honor Him and don't loose our nerve. We still have a long, long way to go.

Craig-TX

AMEN very well said Craig!!
 
eric":27w7me1v said:
....maybe I could live with the rest of his inadequacies....

What do you think they are, Eric? Be specific and back it up with something factual, please.


eric":27w7me1v said:
Did Bush think the terrorists were gonna roll over for us and surrender very quickly? And when we met resistance, is he now unsure what to do next?

Like Craig said, the President warned you that this wouldn't be quick and easy. Were you not listening? Or do you want to blame the President because you were wrong in your expectations? He warned us! Some of you guys have got short memories.
 
Heard someone speak on Johny boy's comments, Facts come out that prove the closest he may have come to Cambodia was somewhere near the border, only stelthy foot troops were sent over the border not equipment, they could not afford risking the international controversy
 

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