Did Kerry Lie about Attending the Signing of the Gulf-War Ceasefire

O'Reilly Factor ^ | 24 Sept 2004 | Rokke

[Rokke]

I just watched the rerun of O'Reilly's 2001 interview with Kerry discussing the need to invade Iraq. In that interview, Kerry said the following: "I mean, I was in Safwan. I went there when the signing of the armistice took place at the end of the war." I've watched the video of the cease-fire signing at Safwan. It was still in a combat zone. I don't remember seeing anyone but military officers. Can anyone provide additional insight, or has Kerry lied again.

[pushforbush]

This same issue of Kerry's lie about being at this signing is addressed here at Captainsquartersblog.

http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/

[topdog1]

O'Reilly is worse than a Dem... he's a MODERATE. He wants the world to believe he's the only fair, intelligent, non-idealogue in "news".

[foolscap]

Maybe we can check through the Senate voting records. If Kerry was in the Senate that day casting a vote it would have been very hard for him to be in Iraq. Of course since he rarely shows up in the Senate to do his job it would be a long shot.

[crushelits]

It would be 8 hours earlier.
It takes about 7-8 hours to fly to say Frankfurt.
Catch nest plane to Kuwait 1-2 hours.
Flight from Frankfurt to Kuwait 2-3 hours.
12-15 hours to fly to Kuwait.
Arrive in Kuwait airport disembark, go through Customs 30-minutes to one hour. No breakfast maybe, (airplane food is terible even in first class). Rush out of airport on a limo or a jeep to the nearest military heliport to grab the helicopter to attend the Signing of the Gulf-War Ceasefire
Arrive in Safwan and be greeted by General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, have a cople of laughs, get the photographer and be photographed next to Norman Schwarzkopf the US Army High Command and possibly just possibly get photographed alongside Irak's High Command as a souvenir to show his grand children, also have the photograph in the Oval Office sometime in 2005. Have some Crystal champagne that he bought in Dulles airport at the Tax Free Store. Total time 24 hours.

[foolscap]

He will say he was the one taking all the pictures and that is why he is not seen.

[RGSpincich]

So Kerry got there two weeks after the cease-fire had benn signed. The ink was still drying, I guess.

[MaineRepublic]

A socialist who is complaining about paying 90% of his income to taxes?

An Independent is just that. One who may have political beliefs that can be attributed to both parties.

Would a Liberal be fighting the ACLU as vehemently as Bill O'Reilly does day after day? Would a Liberal rail against "secularists" on his show day after day?

[Robert A Cook PE]

Quoting from your link:

Was Kerry In Iraq In 1991 For Cease-Fire Accord?

Frequent CQ contributor Bandit watched the O'Reilly Factor last night on Fox News, which replayed a 2001 interview with Senator John Kerry. Bandit reports that during that interview three years ago, Kerry stated that he went to Iraq on March 3rd during the signing of the cease-fire agreement that ended the first Gulf War:

"I mean, I was in Safwan. I went there when the signing of the armistice took place at the end of the war."

That would have been a pretty remarkable trip, if Bandit reports this correctly; at the moment, Fox News does not have a transcript available. Both Bandit and I recall that Iraq was still considered a war zone, an unlikely (but not necessarily impossible) place to find a US Senator, especially one who would have had no official capacity during the ceremony, and even more especially, one who had voted against the authorization to use force in the first place.

Even more remarkably, John Kerry managed to miss no Senate votes during that week. On February 28th, Kerry voted to table an amendment during a roll-call vote. On March 6th, Kerry again managed to make a roll-call vote, this time voting against tabling an amendment by Senator Tom Harkin. It's not impossible for him to have been to Iraq and back, but it seems less likely.

Bandit discovered a March 4th, 1991 Boston Globe article that narrows the timeframe more. According to the article, John Kerry attended a fundraiser for Cultural Survival, Inc. and the Rainforest Alliance (no link available):

Boston Globe Newspaper March 4, 1991

Saturday it was off to "Brazil Night" at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel ballroom for a sold-out party to benefit the Cambridge-based human rights group, Cultural Survival Inc., in conjunction with the Rainforest Alliance. Simple little black dresses were de rigueur at this party. But the most chic women took the reliable style and gave it a dramatic fashion twist. They wore understated black dresses that bared the shoulder, dipped into daring v's or somehow focused on the natural and impressive art of decolletage. They made headlines with their necklines.

Meanwhile, Sen. John F. Kerry, an honorary committee member, breezed in and out of the black-tie gala in minutes. The subject of fashion/style seemed an enigma to him. Kerry, wearing a business suit, stayed only long enough to accept a gift: a tin of candy called Rainforest Crunch.

Saturday night would have been March 2nd in Boston. However, since Iraq is several hours ahead of the East Coast, it would already have been Sunday, March 3rd in Safwan. It means that Kerry would have had to jet out in his fashion-enigma outfit, take the long flight to Iraq just to be in the country when the accord was signed, and then jet back pronto to attend the March 6th roll-call vote.

Now that's darned near impossible.

If anyone has further information, preferably with links, to any of these events or Kerry's participation in the Safwan cease-fire signing, send them to me immediately. However, based on Bandit's reliable research, it appears that John Kerry lied again about his wartime experiences. Kerry looks more and more like a world-class fantasist.
Posted by Captain Ed

Actually, I'm amazed Kerry was in the Senate two times in a week!

[MaineRepublic]

The only thing this thread has proven is that Kerry has a very different view about Saddam Hussein and Iraq now than he did when he was interviewed on the O'Reilly Factor in 2001. That is what people should be highlighting. It has already been proven in this thread that he was in Iraq at the end of the war, so trying to make anything of that just makes everyone look like kooks.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Story dated March 17, eh?

And when was the cease fire actually signed?

[crushelits]

Don't you get it?
O'reilly wants Dand Rather's Job Bigtime.

[Rokke]

"The only thing this thread has proven is that Kerry has a very different view about Saddam Hussein and Iraq now than he did when he was interviewed on the O'Reilly Factor in 2001."

Which was, of course, O'Reilly's reason for rebroadcasting the interview.

[Robert A Cook PE]

At least he is consistent.

Ole John Kerry (you did know he served in Vietnam) was quoting his 120 days of Vietnam service (in every paragraph he utters!) even in 1991!

Of course,like his "Christmas in Cambodia" "seared in his memory" recollection, Kerry can't keep his dates straight even as recently as 1991... It appears he was in Iraq well AFTER the cease-fire ceremony he claimed to have witnessed!

[RGSpincich]

March 3, 1991

[Mannaggia l'America]

If he was there, I wonder which side of the table was he sitting/standing?????? Ours or Saddam's????? :-)

[NCC-1701]

"...There is a PBS video that should be able to be ordered that shows the whole thing! Don't know the name of it but I have seen it..."

What about Discovery, History, or A&E? Certainly they have done something covering this event. A review of all available video should help prove that FUBAR is lieing yet ahain.

[sarasota]

#88 is a royal hoot!

[Robert A Cook PE]

He didn't say he was at the peace signing.
he said he was in the town.

Ah, but the two are irrelevant, and inaccurate:

When the cease fire was signed, Gen S. had literally JUST captured the airport after a special advance to secure it for the ceremony.

The cease fire/surrender was at the airport, not the town - which was still in enemy hands!

It appears that Kerry was in the town a few weeks AFTER the actual surrender ceremony.

[Grampa Dave]

O'Liarly would fit in very well at c BS.

Except after the election, we may see Viacom get rid of all of their NOTNEWS programs posing as primetime news.

[The Bandit]

The only thing this thread has proven is that Kerry has a very different view about Saddam Hussein and Iraq now than he did when he was interviewed on the O'Reilly Factor in 2001. That is what people should be highlighting. It has already been proven in this thread that he was in Iraq at the end of the war, so trying to make anything of that just makes everyone look like kooks.

I beg to defer. Kerry is claiming he was there when the signing was taking place which is impossible since that was formally done on March 3. If Kerry was at some signing ending the war it would surely been on all the newscasts and papers.....but it wasn't because eyes was on Norm in a certain tent on March 3 at a certain airstrip! War was over March 17 and all Kerry did on the 17th was take questions and headed off to Kuwait (something that would have been difficult if the war was still ongoing!!)