Veteran Backs Off Attack on Kerry's War Record

[nanna]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040806/us_nm/campaign_kerry_vietnam_dc

(under fair use ...)






BOSTON (Reuters) - John Kerry's commanding officer in Vietnam has backed away from attacks on the Democratic presidential candidate, saying he made a mistake in accusing the U.S. senator of having lied about his wartime record.

George Elliott, who was one of Kerry's superiors in Vietnam when he was awarded medals for heroic actions, had signed an affidavit suggesting Kerry did not deserve the Silver Star.

In the document, Elliott said, "I was never informed that he had simply shot a wounded, fleeing Viet Cong in the back."

But in Friday's Boston Globe, Elliott said: "It was a terrible mistake probably for me to sign the affidavit with those words. I'm the one in trouble here."


Elliott told the newspaper he thinks Kerry did deserve the medal.


"I still don't think he (Kerry) shot the guy in the back," Elliott is quoted as saying in the Globe.


Kerry used his nominating convention in Boston in July to paint himself as a decorated war hero capable of leading the nation in troubled times and a man better qualified to be commander-in-chief than President Bush.


But Elliott and other members of a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, oppose Kerry.


This week they launched a television advertisement accusing the Democrat of having lied about his service in Vietnam and hurting other veterans by criticizing the war after returning home. Next week the group will publish a book, "Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry."


Elliott was not immediately available for comment.


Kerry, arguing his combat experience in Vietnam qualifies him as a strong leader on national security issues, has surrounded himself with other veterans who have said the candidate did heroic deeds to save his own crew mates.


The new attacks on Kerry sparked an angry response from Republican Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record), also a Vietnam veteran, who called the attack dishonorable and dishonest and urged the Bush administration to also denounce the ad.


The administration distanced itself from the advertisement on Thursday but did not condemn it.


"We have not and we will not question Sen. Kerry's service in Vietnam," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.


nanna

 

[homepark]

Swift Vets are saying Elliot is saying he was quoted out of context and stands by his affidavit. Not sure what is going on there. Perhaps the Kerry/Kennedy machine is pushing on him.

 

[Dennis Olson]

<b>"I'm the one in trouble here." </b>

Damn straight he's in trouble! I bet the Kerry mafia paid a little visit to his house one evening....

 

[homepark]

Here's a link to the press release

http://humaneventsonline.com.edgesuite.net/unfit_aff.html


Added: Oh, and Kranish is on the Dems payroll. Hmmmm, conflict of interest?

 

[pixmo]

<table width="100%" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3" bordercolor="#000000" height="43"><tr><td bgcolor="D08153"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4"><b><font size="4" color="#FFFFFF">Wartime Comrade Questions Kerry's Vietnam Record
</font></b></font></td></tr><tr><td bgcolor="#f5f5dc" height="2"><div align="left"><font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="4"><b><font size="2">Fair use policy applies
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=5901447

BOSTON (Reuters) - One of presidential candidate John Kerry's Vietnam war comrades, who had appeared to back off his criticism of Kerry's war record, recanted on Friday and said, yes, in fact he did question whether the U.S. senator deserved his medals. </B>

Last week at his nominating convention, Kerry painted himself as a decorated war hero capable of leading the nation in troubled times and a man better qualified to be commander-in-chief than President Bush.

That portrayal of his time as commander of a Navy Swift Boat sparked a heated exchange this week between those who support him and those who question that image.

This week a group calling itself the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth launched a television spot accusing the Democratic candidate of betraying his country by speaking out against the war when he returned home.

On Friday, a member of that group who was one of Kerry's supervisors in Vietnam, George Elliott, appeared to back off an earlier affidavit in which he suggested Kerry did not deserve the Silver Star. In the affidavit, he said, "I was never informed that he had simply shot a wounded, fleeing Viet Cong in the back."

In Friday's Boston Globe, Elliott was quoted as saying: "It was a terrible mistake probably for me to sign the affidavit with those words. I'm the one in trouble here."

Elliott told the Globe Kerry did deserve the medal.

PLAYING GOLF

Inundated with calls to verify the statement, Elliott grew media shy and said through his wife he would not talk. Earlier in the day, Mrs. Elliott said her husband was playing golf and would call back when he returned in the afternoon.

Elliott later issued another affidavit -- witnessed and notarized -- this time saying he was misquoted by the Globe and reaffirming his belief that Kerry has "not been honest about what happened in Vietnam."

Elliott also wrote: "Had I known the facts, I would not have recommended Kerry for the Silver Star for simply pursuing and dispatching a single wounded, fleeing Viet Cong."

Martin Baron, editor of The Boston Globe, said in a statement: "Regarding George Elliott's statements on John Kerry's military service, which ran in the Globe this morning, the Globe stands by the article. The quotes attributed to Mr. Elliott were on the record and absolutely accurate."
Next week the group will step up its campaign against the candidate with a book, "Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry."

Veterans supporting Kerry called the ad a "smear campaign" and two whose lives were saved by Kerry hit back.

"What these people have said is not true and a lot of it is grossly inaccurate," said James Rassmann, who has appeared at many campaign appearances with the candidate.

"These gentlemen appear to be making this up as they go along and they are not keeping their stories straight," he said.

Fred Short, who also served with Kerry, said the ad shows "The Bush campaign has nothing to talk about, so they resort to these dirty tricks."

Meanwhile Republican Sen. John McCain, another Vietnam veteran, called the attack dishonorable and dishonest.

The Bush administration distanced itself from the advertisement on Thursday but did not condemn it. "We have not and we will not question Sen. Kerry's service in Vietnam," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan.

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[Mike 9 or 10]

As Homepark stated early in this thread Mr. Elliot is standing by his original statement and has issued a signed affidavit. He says the Boston Globe story was inaccurate.