Webb put to test with Vietnam case

James H. Webb Jr. rarely mentions on the campaign trail his efforts to clear the name of a black Marine convicted of mass murder in Vietnam.

But the incident tested his sense of leadership, justice and social fairness, and is deeply ingrained in the psyche of the Democratic nominee for one of Virginia's U.S. Senate seats.

"I didn't [represent Samuel Green] so today I could tell you that," says Mr. Webb, 60. "I just did it because I believed it was right."

In 1971, a year after returning from the Vietnam War as a wounded hero, Mr. Webb was languishing at his desk job in Navy Secretary John H. Chafee's office.

The 24-year-old former platoon commander was responsible for responding to inquiries into cases involving Marines convicted of war crimes in Vietnam.

"Less than a week after reporting in, he called his monitor and pleaded for a transfer," Robert Timberg wrote in a 1995 book, "The Nightingale's Song," an examination of the careers of Mr. Webb, John Poindexter, Bud McFarlane, Oliver North and John McCain. "'You got to get me out of here.' he said. The monitor just laughed."

Anytime the Democrats try to make Iraq=Vietnam, tell them this ...

http://freedomstruth.blogspot.com/2006/09/why-iraqvietnam.html

A Yahoo poster says: "Iraq is arabic for VIETNAM." And by gum, after years of resisting this analogy I finally realize he is right.

After bombing North Vietnam with "Operation Linebacker", Nixon had managed to extract a peace treaty from North Vietnam to leave South Vietnam alone, and we were able to say in 1973 that Vietnam would be not dissimilar to Korea - partitioned between a pro-US south and a communist North.

But then came Watergate. Democrats won in 1974, with huge majorities and with a platofrm that made clear they would not back south vietnam if Communist North Vietnam attacked again. within 6 months North Vietnam broked the peace treaty and inveded South Vietnam. Democrats had such control of Congress that they refused even to give South Vietnam military aid to defend themselves. No B-52s came to knock out the 100,000+ strong North Vietnamese tank divisions, and they rolled over the much weaker and smaller South Vietnamese army. In a matter of 30 days, it was over. The US had helicopters on our Saigon embassy extracting a few people who were friendly to our side.

Democrats lost Vietnam when they pulled a cut-n-run in 1974 and 1975.

Now they want to do the same in Iraq.

This is what Iraq=Vietnam means. The same script for Democrat-sponsored defeat that was played before is going to be tried again. Only this time the victor will be Al Qaeda, not the Communists. All that is required for a defeat in Iraq is a victory for Democrats in November.

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