Bob Kerrey admits Vietnam Massacre

BBC News ^ | 4/26/2001 | BBC News

[stocksthatgoup]

Former United States Senator Bob Kerry, a possible contender for the White House in 2004, has admitted that his commando unit massacred civilians when he was a Navy officer in Vietnam, The New York Times has reported. Mr Kerry was awarded a Bronze Star for the 25 February 1969 action in the village of Thanh Phong in the Mekong Delta.

Basically you're talking about a man who killed innocent civilians

Bob Kerry The two-time Democratic senator from Nebraska says his unit of seven Navy Seals - elite commando troops - killed at least 13 women and children during indiscriminate night-time firing.

One of the men under his command at the time disputes Mr Kerry's version of events, claiming that the unit rounded up the civilians and killed them to hasten their escape.

Mr Kerry refused to contradict the man, saying their memories differed.

In-depth investigation

Mr Kerry,who stepped down from the US Senate in January and is now president of the New School University in New York, admitted his role in the massacre over the course of more than two years of interviews with The New York Times.

Mr Kerry said he has been haunted by Vietnam memories

A possible presidential candidate, Mr Kerry said it would be "very interesting to see the reactions to the story. I mean, because basically you're talking about a man who killed innocent civilians."

It is not clear what effect the revelations would have on any decision that Mr Kerry might make to run for office in the future.

In Mr Kerry's version of events, his group approached Thanh Phong near midnight on 25 February, 1969.

They encountered a hut on their approach, and men under his command entered it and killed the people inside.

Mr Kerry denied participating in the killings, but took responsibility for them as commanding officer.

Indiscriminate firing

When his group reached the village, they were fired upon in the darkness and shot back, firing some 1,200 rounds.

When they investigated after they stopped shooting, he said, they found they had killed a number of women and children. There were no adult men among the dead.

Gerhard Klann, a more experienced soldier who was under Mr Kerry's command at the time, remembers events differently.

He said Mr Kerry helped him kill an old man and woman and three children at the first hut, and that the unit then rounded up and shot the women and children of Thanh Phong to prevent them raising the alarm.

The Army Field Manual explicitly forbids killing prisoners "on grounds of self-preservation", but many people who served in Vietnam said the unwritten rules of the conflict made it clear that such actions were acceptable.

A Vietnamese woman who says she was an eyewitness supported Mr Klann's story.

[stocksthatgoup]

And this guy is on the 9/11 commmission?

[Asclepius]

He said Mr Kerry helped him kill an old man and woman and three children at the first hut, and that the unit then rounded up and shot the women and children of Thanh Phong to prevent them raising the alarm.

What a perfect running mate for Kerry. His wretched biography supports Kerry's claims circa '71 that our soldiers routinely committed war crimes.

[rhombus]

So let me get this right... Kerry and Kerrey opposed the Viet Nam war because they themselves committed atrocities?

[counterpunch]

Former United States Senator Bob Kerry, a possible contender for the White House in 2004

Is the BBC confusing Bob Kerrey with John Kerry, or are they confusing 2004 with 1992?

Or are they implying that Bob Kerrey is trying to use the 9/11 commission as a launching pad for the VP slot on Kerry's ticket?

These admissions from Kerrey are old, and they are the same atrocities that John Kerry told Tim Russert on Meet the Press in 2001 that "yes, I committed the same kind of atrocities".

[counterpunch]

I had to go and check this for myself, and yes, the text of the article is exactly as you pasted it... the BBC misspelled "Kerrey" as "Kerry" throughout the entire article.

Just the sort of accuracy and fact checking we are used to from the BBC!

[sgtbono2002]

The Kerry,Kerrey ticket sounds like a winner all right, both committed atrocities in Viet Nam and now they both stand up for murdering the unborn .

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

What a perfect running mate for Kerry. His wretched biography supports Kerry's claims circa '71 that our soldiers routinely committed war crimes.

Kerry had better name Kerrey for VP. I believe he has the Medal of Honor? It's gonna take more than a Silver Star to try to outshine the commander-in-chief.

[genefromjersey]

BBC - that paragon of truth and accuracy - seems still under the spell of Baghdad Bob.

[nuconvert]

I'm confused.........Kerrey? Kerry?
Where are we?

[wingman1]

Our generation has still not gained sight that all wars were/are ATROCITIES.

The Vietnam War exhibited powerful images that were captured by the news media and sent into homes throughout the world. However, the images we saw do not differ from occurances in other wars. Ignorance of history is responsible for these types of stories gaining prominence.

[jamaksin]

And, of course, we are yet to see the public release of KetchUp-Kerry's full military record ... in country so little time and so many ribbons ...

Gosh, does the establishment media "smell" a story here ... not!!!

[samtheman]

He's either lying about Americans committing war crimes, or he committed war crimes.

Either way, he's clearly unqualified to sit in judgement of Americans on anything... let alone on the solemn matter of running a finger-pointing blame-game circus like the 9/11 commission.

[risk]

Krauthammer said on Inside Washington today that Kerry was one of the only politicians in Washington calling for hunting down al Qaeda and destryong them in 1998. So he's got his good sides and his bad sides. I disagree with many of his tactics, but the 9/11 commission is a necessary step in dealing with the aftermath of a major attack on our mainland -- the first in 194 years -- in our democratic republic. We are an open society, and it's only right that we go after the details surrounding this horrific event. The commission has been overly politicized, but that was inevitable.

Just imagine the reactions of Americans if the 9/11 commission hadn't been allowed, or hadn't been prosecuted by someone who took an aggressive approach? It would be far worse for GW then.

[risk]

Kerry said al Qaeda had declared war on us, so we should declare war on them. Right on! Too bad nobody was listening. Too bad Kerry wasn't strong enough to make himself heard.

[wheelright]

Very confusing indeed unless you consider that the story was published on April 26, 2001 when Bob Kerrey was indeed considered a possible presidential candidate. It threw me for a loop too, until I viewed the original story. As far as the spelling well...?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Bob Kerrey is an egotistical ass and more than a little racist. Any points he had were taken off the board this week.

[iconoclast]

Trying to heap disgrace upon Bob Kerrey?

You have no shame!

[steplock]

"...his commando unit..." ???

revisionism from the communists who back kerry and the dnc!

[mtbopfuyn]

This has been on the internet for years, but of course the media hasn't picked up on it. Let's see if those on this side of the pond will bring it up.