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Bush invites election inspectors
The Bush administration rejected Congressional Democrats request for
U.N. inspectors for the American Presidential Election and instead
invited the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE),
the largest regional organization in the world. The 55 participating
nations, will monitor the U.S. election on Nov. 2. Members include
Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Russia, Spain and the
United States.
"OSCE members, including the United States, agreed in 1990 in
Copenhagen to allow fellow members to observe elections in one
another's countries," Assistant Secretary of State Paul V. Kelly, who
handles legislative affairs for the State Department, wrote.
"Consistent with this commitment, the United States has already
invited the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
(ODIHR) to observe the November 2, 2004, presidential elections."
DNC planning smear attack on the
Swifties!
CrushKerry.com reports on the upcoming full-scale assault
planned by the DNC against the Swifties (527 PAC ‘Swift Boat Veterans
for Truth’) for their anti-Kerry ad:
The Democrat National Committee has prepared a full-scale assault
against the Vietnam Veterans for Truth to draw their character and
veracity into question, according to one anonymous source inside the
DNC. The campaign of character assassination is scheduled to coincide
with the release of the book
Unfit for Command which reveals inconvenient facts
for the Kerry campaign.
“We have prepared what we call ‘Brown Books’ that contain damaging
military records, personal credit histories, medical histories,
psychiatric histories, divorce records, you name it,” our source told
us. "We've got the goods on the Veterans who oppose Kerry."
The “Brown Books” are so called because of their distinctive plain
brown covers, which contain no words. Some books have already been
delivered to Kerry-friendly reporters. Others are on their way, our
source told us. When asked if we could have a copy, our source
declined, saying there is a limited number of “Brown Books” and they
have been carefully inventoried to control in whose hands the books
ended up.
Ultimately the “Brown Books” will end up in the hands of pro-Kerry
news agencies and reporters. According to our source, who demanded to
remain anonymous for fear of retribution, The New York Times is
already on the hook to run a negative series on the Vets, as is the
Boston Globe, which is owned by the Times. (Editor’s Note:
The Globe has already been caught attempting to attack the
veracity of George Elliott, Kerry’s commanding officer in Vietnam.)
In addition, the DNC has deployed a six member team from their press
shop whose sole responsibility will be to spin and counter-spin
stories about the members of Vietnam Veterans for Truth with pro-Kerry
media entities, like the Times.
When asked if this was just another example of John Kerry slandering
Vietnam Vets – like he did in 1971 as a member of the Vietnam Veterans
Against the War – our source snapped, “No! This is warfare. The only
way we’re going to get out of this is to force everyone to question
their motives and credibility.”
“If they want to spread rumors and stories about John Kerry, we’ll
spread rumors and stories about them. And some of the things they did
in Vietnam were a lot worse than what they say John Kerry did,” our
source concluded ominously.
Kerry’s unrealistic plan
The
NY Times reports
that Sen. John Kerry is wandering around in a fantasy world and his
advisors are worried:
Some advisers say they worry that Mr. Kerry's focus on freeing the
United States from reliance on oil from the Persian Gulf, the linchpin
of the energy plan he released on Thursday, is unrealistic and
misleading and that hammering away at it would erode Mr. Kerry's
credibility with business, the news media and other countries.
The NY Times also reports on the division that exists among Kerry
advisors on the subject. The strength of the dissent is represented in
the following quote:
"It goes down well in Omaha, so they use it," said one expert from the
oil sector who advises the campaign and who, like other advisers,
spoke on condition of anonymity. "Though there are people who say that
this is irresponsible, asinine so don't use it."
The article offers the following Bush campaign response:
The Bush campaign argues that the Kerry plan will lead to the opposite
of all it trumpets: job losses, not gains; greater dependence on
foreign oil, not less; and a weaker economy. They also said Mr. Kerry
and his running mate, Senator John Edwards, did not vote for energy
legislation supported by the administration that contained similar
ideas to what is in Mr. Kerry's plan. The Republican energy plan,
however, included a provision to allow drilling in the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge, which both men oppose.
More Clinton comedy
Clinton will appear with Jon Stewart on Comedy Central's “Daily Show”
Monday at 11 p.m. EDT. He continues to promote to his best-selling
memoir, “My Life.” He also continues to comment on global affairs and
the presidential race.
Democrats’ new jobs ad
Democrats will begin airing a new television ad that attacks President
Bush on the economy as new employment numbers showed sluggish job
growth last month.
"Millions of good jobs lost to plant closures and outsourcing. Yet
President Bush protects tax breaks favoring corporations that move
their headquarters overseas," an announcer says in the ad paid for by
the Democratic National Committee.
Where’s the book?
Have you been looking for Senators John Kerry and John Edwards’ new
book, "Our Plan for America; Stronger at Home, Respected in the
World?" It seems to be missing.
Reporters and reviewers were given photocopies of "Kerry/Edwards:
Their Plans and Promises," recently -- sent to a few before the book's
planned release. But it seems that they are now collectors’ items.
That's because the 287-page bound manuscript, culled from the
Kerry/Edwards website and introduced by Boston Globe reporter Michael
Kranish, won't be published after all by PublicAffairs. This, of
course, created some difficulties for Karnish on the Drudge Report.
Instead, publisher Peter Osnos is bringing out an authorized edition
of the Democratic duo's personal campaign manifesto. This authorized
version will be a $12.95 oversize paperback due out by Labor Day.
Osnos said the Kerry/Edwards campaign licensed the company to do the
book - free of charge - and won't benefit from sales.
PublicAffairs assumes all costs and stands to reap potential profits
as it distributes the book more widely than the campaign could have
done on their own.
However, the official
Kerry campaign site states that you can download the
book. It just doesn’t say which book it is.
Swifties fire back with own lawyers’
letter
to TV station managers:
Dear Station Manager:
The purpose of this letter is to present some of the factual support
for the advertisement "Any Questions?" produced and used by Swift Boat
Veterans For Truth ("Swiftvets"), an organization properly registered
under Internal Revenue Code § 527, and which has filed all required
reports. Swiftvets is an organization led by Rear Admiral Roy
Hoffmann, USN (retired), Commander of all Swift boats in Vietnam
during the period of John Kerry's four-month abbreviated tour in Swift
boats between late November 1968 and mid-March 1969. A list of the 254
members may be found on www.swiftvets.com. A large majority of those
who served with John Kerry in Swift boats in Vietnam and whose
location is known have joined the organization. Thus, for example,
sixteen of the twenty-three surviving officers who served in Coastal
Division 11 with Kerry (the place where Kerry spent most of his time)
have joined the organization, together with most of Kerry's Vietnam
commanders and 254 sailors from Coastal Squadron One, ranging from
Vice-Admirals to Seamen.
The purpose of Swiftvets is to present the truth about John Kerry's
post-Vietnam charges of war crimes and John Kerry's own Vietnam
record. Swiftvets is uniquely positioned to do so since it includes
most of the locatable sailors and officers who served with John Kerry
in Vietnam.
John Kerry has made his Vietnam record the central focus of his
presidential candidacy, depicting purported Vietnam events in nearly
$100 million in advertising. Copies of ads such as "Lifetime" and "No
Man Left Behind" may be found on Kerry's website. Kerry's authorized
campaign biography, Tour of Duty: John Kerry and the Vietnam War, by
Douglas Brinkley (New York: HarperCollins, 2004) ("Tour"), centers on
his short Vietnam tour and contains Kerry's account of these events.
Additional accounts by Kerry of his Vietnam experience may be found on
his website.
The Advertisement
A true and correct transcript of the advertisement entitled "Any
Questions?" is attached as Exhibit 1. Affidavits are attached (as
Exhibits 2 through 14) from each participant in the advertisement,
except from John Edwards, the Democratic Vice Presidential nominee,
whose often-repeated invitation to learn about John Kerry by speaking
to the men who served with him begins the advertisement. The filmed
comment of Senator Edwards has been made so many times as to be
general knowledge.
As described in the attached affidavits, Al French (Exhibit 2), Bob
Elder (Exhibit 3), Jack Chenoweth (Exhibit 7), Larry Thurlow (Exhibit
10), and Bob Hildreth (Exhibit 14) were all officers in charge of
Swift boats in Vietnam in Coastal Division 11 with John Kerry. Coastal
Division 11 was a small naval unit with about one hundred sailors and
fifteen or sixteen boats which operated in groups of two to six boats.
Each of these boat officers operated directly with John Kerry on
numerous occasions. Van Odell (Exhibit 6) is a retired Navy enlisted
man who also served in Coastal Division 11 on the Chenoweth boat, a
few yards from John Kerry during Kerry's March 13, 1969 Bronze Star
action.
Captain George Elliott, USN (retired), (Exhibit 4) was John Kerry's
direct commander in Coastal Division 11, while Captain Adrian
Lonsdale, USCG (retired), (Exhibit 9) was Kerry's administrative
commander. Rear Admiral Roy Hoffmann, USN (retired), (Exhibit 8)
commanded all Swift boats (including Kerry's) in Vietnam. Each of
these commanders interacted on numerous occasions with Kerry and, for
example, are discussed for many pages in Kerry's own authorized book,
Tour.
Dr. Louis Letson (Exhibit 5) was the doctor in Cam Rahn Bay who
treated Kerry's first Purple Heart "wound," while Commander Grant
Hibbard (Exhibit 11) was John Kerry's commander at Coastal Division 14
where Kerry claimed to have suffered the wound. Finally, Joe Ponder
(Exhibit 13) and Shelton White (Exhibit 12) are veterans of Coastal
Division 11 who were badly wounded near the Song Bo De River where
Kerry served most of his short tour.
The Kerry campaign has utilized a revolving group of eight veterans
from Coastal Division 11 (none of whom served with Kerry as much as
two months). In stark contrast to this small stable of supporters, the
veterans on "Any Questions?" have intimate knowledge of John Kerry or
(in the case of Ponder and White) of the falsehood and injury of his
false war crimes charges. Although many more of the over 250 signers
of the Swiftvets' letter served directly with John Kerry, it would be
hard to locate people with more detailed and first-hand knowledge of
John Kerry's short Vietnam stay than those in the advertisement. They
are well-suited to respond with first-hand knowledge to Edward's
invitation. Their sworn affidavits are attached (in order of
appearance in the advertisement) as Exhibits 2 through 14.
Kerry's obtaining of three Purple Hearts permitted him to leave
Vietnam some 243 days short of the normal one-year tour. See Exhibit
20, Thrice Wounded Reassignment. Whether or not he fraudulently
obtained these awards (the Purple Heart being among the most sacred of
all awards) is critical to his true Vietnam story.
A. March 13, 1969: "No Man Left Behind" Incident
Attached as Exhibit 15 is Kerry's account of "no man left behind"
where, in Tour of Duty, Kerry repeats his now-familiar story of
returning, wounded by an underwater mine, to recover a Special Forces
soldier, Jim Rassman, in a hail of fire pulling Rassman from the water
with his bleeding arm. Tour, at 313-17. The story of Kerry's return to
save Rassman, under fire and wounded from the mine, has been told in
many millions of dollars of Kerry advertising. See Kerry website; see
also, e.g., Kerry's full-page advertisement in The New York Times,
which is attached as Exhibit 16.
Kerry's after-action report for that day is featured on his website.
See Exhibit 17. KJW identifies the report as Kerry's. Likewise, Kerry
reported his shrapnel wounds to the Navy in an injury report:
"LTJG Kerry suffered shrapnel wounds in his left buttocks and
contusions on his right forearm when a mine detonated close aboard
PCF-94."
Exhibit 18. Exhibit 17 likewise identifies Kerry's "injuries" as
contusion right forearm (minor) (i.e., a small bruise) and a shrapnel
wound left buttocks.
The regulations for the Purple Heart are attached as Exhibit 19 and,
of course, exclude accidental injury and self-inflicted wounds (except
non-negligent wounds in the heat of battle). Although Kerry's "minor"
bruise could never entitle him to a Purple Heart, Kerry's reported
shrapnel wound to his "buttocks" (although minor according to the
treating physician) from an enemy mine would have entitled him to such
an award (had he not been lying about its origin). Receiving the third
Purple Heart, within three days Kerry had requested reassignment from
Vietnam on the basis of three Purple Hearts -- some 243 days early.
See Exhibit 20.
(i) The Purple Heart Lie
Kerry's third Purple Heart was his ticket home. It also was much of
the basis of his Bronze Star, repeating "his bleeding arm" and
shrapnel wound from the mine story. The problem is that his operating
report was a total lie since Kerry's shrapnel wound "in the buttocks"
came not from a mine at all as he falsely reported, but at his own
hand. Larry Thurlow, an officer on shore with Kerry that day, recounts
that Kerry's shrapnel wound came not from any mine, but from a
self-inflicted wound when Kerry (with no enemy to be seen) threw a
concussion grenade into a rice pile and stayed too close. See Exhibit
10, ¶ 3. This "brown rice" incident with rice/shrapnel lodged in Kerry
from his own grenade is also recounted by James Rassman, a Kerry
supporter and "the no man left behind" on page 105 of John F. Kerry:
The Complete Biography By The Boston Globe Reporters Who Know Him
Best, by Michael Kranish, Brian C. Mooney, and Nina J. Easton (New
York: Public Affairs, 2004) (the "Kranish book"). See Exhibit 21.
Most surprisingly, John Kerry himself (while falsely reporting to the
Navy and public that he suffered a shrapnel wound from a mine
explosion so as to get a third Purple Heart and go home) reflected in
his own journal that his buttocks' wound came, not from any mine but,
rather, from a grenade tossed into a rice cache by himself or friendly
troops (in the absence of any enemy fire). "I got a piece of small
grenade in my ass from one of the rice bin explosions." Exhibit 15,
Tour, at 313; see also Exhibit 15, Tour, at 317. "Kerry . . . also had
the bits of shrapnel and rice extracted from his backside." See also
the sworn statement of participants that there was no hostile fire
(Exhibits 6, 7, and 10). It also should be noted that the rice
extracted from Kerry's backside could hardly be the result of an
underwater mine, as Kerry claimed in his operating report.
The conclusion is inescapable: that Kerry lied by reporting to the
Navy that he had been wounded by shrapnel in his backside from an
enemy mine when in reality he negligently wounded himself and then
lied about the wound in order to secure a third Purple Heart and a
quick trip home.
(ii) The Bronze Star Lie
As recounted in the attached affidavits of three on-scene participants
(and verified by many others present) Kerry's operating report, Bronze
Star story, and subsequent "no man left behind" story are a total hoax
on the Navy and the nation. As recounted in the affidavits of Van
Odell (Exhibit 6), Jack Chenoweth (Exhibit 7), and Larry Thurlow
(Exhibit 10) (and verified by every other officer present and many
others), a mine went off under PCF 3 -- some yards from Kerry's boat.
The force of the explosion disabled PCF 3 and knocked several sailors,
dazed, into the water. All boats, except one, closed to rescue the
sailors and defend the disabled boat. That boat -- Kerry's boat --
fled the scene. After a short period, it was evident to all on the
scene that there was no additional hostile fire. Thurlow began the
daring rescue of disabled PCF 3, while Chenoweth began to pluck dazed
survivors of PCF 3 from the water. Midway through the process, after
it was apparent that there was no hostile fire, Kerry finally
returned, picking up Rassman who was only a few yards from Chenoweth's
boat which was also going to pick Rassman up. Each of the affiants
(and many other Swiftees on the scene that day) are certain that Kerry
has wholly lied about the incident. Consider this: How could the
disabled PCF abandon the scene of the mine? Why did Kerry have to
"return" to the scene?
Kerry's account of this action, which was used to secure the Bronze
Star and a third Purple Heart, is an extraordinary example of fraud.
Kerry describes "boats rcd heavy A/W and S/A from both banks. Fire
continued for about 5000 meters." Exhibit 17. In other words, the
boats went through a double gauntlet at about 50 yards distance that
was 3.2 miles long (comparable to Seminary Ridge at Gettysburg on two
sides), and yet none of the other boats within feet of Kerry's boat
heard a shot or suffered an injury after the PCF 3 mine explosion,
except for John Kerry's buttocks rice wound of earlier origin.
Clearly, Van Odell is right when he says, "John Kerry lied to get his
Bronze Star . . . I know. I was there. I saw what happened." As Jack
Chenoweth swore, "his account of what happened and what actually
happened are the difference between night and day." Most poignantly,
Larry Thurlow, whose brave actions saved the PCF 3 boat that day after
Kerry fled, has the right to say, "When the chips were down, you could
not count on John Kerry."
B. December 2, 1968 Purple Heart
On February 28, 1969, John Kerry received his first Purple Heart for
an incident three months earlier, on or about December 2, 1968.
Kerry's account of the incident is contained in Tour of Duty, pages
147 and 148 (Exhibit 23). Kerry claims to have been with two crewmen,
Zaldonis and Runyon. See Exhibit 23. Neither Kerry, Zaldonis, nor
Runyon claim to have seen any hostile fire. See Exhibit 24 (Kranish
book, pp. 72-73). A Purple Heart cannot be given for a self-inflicted
wound under the attached regulations.
Unmentioned in Kerry's Tour Of Duty version are the actual surrounding
facts. Kerry, Lieutenant William Schachte, USN, and an enlisted man
were on the whaler. Seeing movement from an unknown source, the
sailors opened fire on the movement. There was no hostile fire. When
Kerry's rifle jammed, he picked up an M-79 grenade launcher and fired
a grenade at a nearby object. This sprayed the boat with shrapnel from
Kerry's own grenade, a tiny piece of which embedded in Kerry's arm.
Kerry managed to keep the tiny fragment embedded until he saw Dr.
Louis Letson. Dr. Letson's affidavit is attached as Exhibit 5. When
Letson inquired why Kerry was there, Kerry said that he had been
wounded by hostile fire. The accompanying crewmen indicated that Kerry
was the new "JFK" and that he had actually wounded himself with an
M-79. Letson removed the tiny fragment with tweezers and placed a band
aid over the tiny scratch. The tiny fragment removed by Letson
appeared to be an M-79 fragment, as described by the personnel
accompanying Kerry.
The next morning Kerry showed up at Division Commander Grant Hibbard's
office. Hibbard had already spoken to Schachte and conducted an
investigation. Hibbard's affidavit is attached as Exhibit 11.
Hibbard's investigation revealed that Kerry's "rose thorn" scratch had
been self-inflicted in the absence of hostile fire. Hibbard,
therefore, booted Kerry out of his office and denied the Purple Heart.
Some three months later, cf. Exhibit 22, after all personnel actually
familiar with the events of December 2, 1969 had left Vietnam, Kerry
somehow managed to obtain a Purple Heart for the December 2, 1968
event from an officer with no connection to Coastal Division 14 or
knowledge of the December 2, 1968 event or of Commander Hibbard's
prior turn down of the Purple Heart request. All normal documentation
supporting a Purple Heart is missing. There is absolutely no casualty
report (i.e., spot report) or hostile fire report or after-action
report in the Navy's files to support this "Purple Heart" because
there was no casualty, hostile fire, or action on which to report. The
sole document relied upon by Kerry is a record showing the band aid
and tweezers treatment by Dr. Letson recorded by deceased corpsman,
Jess Carreon.
There are no witnesses who claim to have seen hostile fire --
necessary for a Purple Heart (even a rose thorn Purple Heart) -- that
day. At least three witnesses, Dr. Letson (who spoke to the
participants and removed the M-79 fragment), Lt. Bill Schachte (on the
boat), and Cmdr. Grant Hibbard (whose investigation revealed Kerry's
application for a Purple Heart to be fraudulent), are able to testify
directly or based upon contemporaneous investigation that Kerry's
first Purple Heart was a fraud. Thus, Lewis Letson's statement that "I
know John Kerry is lying about a first Purple Heart" is conclusively
established by the evidence. Like the third Purple Heart, Kerry's
first Purple Heart was essential to his quick trip home.
C. Christmas In Cambodia
If there is a consistent[1] repeated story by John Kerry about his
Vietnam experience, it is his story about how he and his boat spent
Christmas Eve and Christmas of 1968 illegally present in Cambodia and,
listening to President Nixon's contrary assurances, developed "a deep
mistrust of U.S. government pronouncements." See Exhibit 24, Kranish
book, p. 84. The point of his story was that his government and his
commanders were lying about Kerry's presence in Cambodia on Christmas
Eve and Christmas Day. During a critical debate on the floor of the
United States Senate on March 27, 1986, Senator John Kerry said:
Mr. President, I remember Christmas of 1968 sitting on a gunboat in
Cambodia. I remember what it was like to be shot at by Vietnamese and
Khmer Rouge and Cambodians, and have 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 . . . .
Exhibit 25, Congressional Record - Senate of March 27, 1986, page
3594.
By way of further example, Kerry wrote an article for the Boston
Herald on October 14, 1979:
"I remember spending Christmas Eve of 1968 five miles across the
Cambodian border being shot at by our South Vietnamese allies who were
drunk and celebrating Christmas. The absurdity of almost killed by our
own allies in a country in which President Nixon claimed there were no
American troops was very real."
See Exhibit 26.
The Christmas in Cambodia story of John Kerry was repeated as recently
as July 7, 2004 by Michael Kranish, a principal biographer of Kerry
from The Boston Globe. On the Hannity & Colmes television show,
Kranish indicated that Kerry's Christmas in Cambodia was a critical
turning point in Kerry's life.
The story is a total preposterous fabrication by Kerry. Exhibit 8 is
an affidavit by the Commander of the Swift boats in Vietnam, Admiral
Roy Hoffmann, stating that Kerry's claim to be in Cambodia for
Christmas Eve and Christmas of 1968 is a total lie. If necessary,
similar affidavits are available from the entire chain of command. In
reality, Kerry was at Sa Dec -- easily locatable on any map more than
fifty miles from Cambodia. Kerry himself inadvertently admits that he
was in Sa Dec for Christmas Eve and Christmas and not in Cambodia, as
he had stated for so many years on the Senate Floor, in the
newspapers, and elsewhere. Exhibit 27, Tour, pp. 213-219. Sa Dec is
hardly "close" to the Cambodian border. In reality, far from being
ordered secretly to Cambodia, Kerry spent a pleasant night at Sa Dec
with "visions of sugar plums" dancing in his head. Exhibit 27, p. 219.
At Sa Dec where the Swift boat patrol area ended, there were many
miles of other boats (PBR's) leading to the Cambodian border. There
were also gunboats on the border to prevent any crossing. If Kerry
tried to get through, he would have been arrested. Obviously, Kerry
has hardly been honest about his service in Vietnam.
D. War Crimes
Returning to the United States, Kerry made speeches charging that U.S.
forces in Vietnam were "like the army of Genghis Khan," that "crimes
were committed on a day-to-day basis with the full awareness of all
levels of command," and that our officers in Coastal Division were
like Lieutenant Calley. Kerry met on least two occasions with the
North Vietnamese in Paris and is, in fact, honored as a hero in the
war museum in Ho Chi Minh City. See pictures on WinterSoldier.com and
SwiftVets.com. Joe Ponder is a widely quoted disabled vet from Coastal
Division 11 who saw no war crimes but knows that Kerry dishonored our
unit. Exhibit 13. Shelton White, a badly wounded Coastal Division 11
veteran, likewise saw no war crimes and remembers Kerry's betrayal.
Exhibit 12.
Conclusion
As set forth at length, there is not only a reasonable factual basis
for the statements in the ad; they are virtually conclusively
established by the documentation.
Thank you for your kind consideration. Please do not hesitate to call
me if you have any questions. Very truly yours,
Original signed by John E. O'Neill
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