News-Info-Alerts

To: ALL

From: Andi Wolos & Bob Necci

(POW-MIA InterNetwork)

Re: NLF Update

Date: November 25, 2000

Update Line Thank you for calling the National League of Families Update Line. This message is being recorded on Monday, November 20th. According to the Department of Defense, the number of Americans still missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War is 1,992, 1,498 in Vietnam, 421 in Laos, 65 in Cambodia and 8 in the territorial waters of the PRC. Since the vast majority of Americans lost in Laos and Cambodia were in areas under wartime Vietnamese control, we look to Vietnam to provide archival records and witnesses to assist in accounting for them.

President Clinton visited Vietnam November 16-20th. The National League of POW/MIA Families declined the Administration's invitation to participate in President Clinton's trip. The League has participated in numerous official delegations, as well as several League-only trips, to Vietnam beginning in 1982 and continuing through 1999. Our experience shows that concrete results are unlikely in large delegations or where priorities are not clear.

After learning that this would be a massive official delegation, including over 30 private corporations, League Chairman of the Board Jo Anne Shirley stated, "With a delegation of this size and composition, no serious dialogue on the issue would be expected unless in private. Since the Clinton Administration has repeatedly stated that this issue is their highest priority with Vietnam, we provided serious input to the White House on our concerns and urged they be raised privately with Vietnam's leaders."

The League strongly supported Secretary of Defense Cohen's visit last March and requested that President Clinton follow-up the Secretary's serious message by urging Vietnam to increase needed unilateral efforts. We also requested that the President ask Vietnam to agree to use of US Navy ships and technology for underwater excavations of American aircraft shot down along Vietnam's coastline.

The League strongly rejects statements by administration officials that the President's trip would in some way put the Vietnam War behind us. Given their official statements that reflect an expectation of reparations in one form or another, even the Vietnamese did not view it that way. We viewed the President's visit as the last step of the Clinton Administration to normalize economic and political relations with Vietnam in a broad sense.

We also believe that addressing problems realistically will fulfill mutual expectations. We urged that the visit be handled responsibly to enable the incoming administration to concentrate on resolving all aspects of the POW/MIA issue. US-Lao POW/MIA consultations will take place in Vientiane in early December.

A US team of 93 personnel is still conducting field operations in Vietnam. Joint investigations and excavations on 32 cases were scheduled in 23 separate provinces, one of which was visited by President Clinton and two of the children of Capt. Lawrence Evert, USAF, an American still unaccounted for from that incident.

The League's 32nd Annual Meeting will be held June 21-25th, 2001, at Crystal City's DoubleTree Hotel, across the Potomac River from Washington, DC. Family members and concerned supporters are urged to start planning now to attend this important first meeting of a new administration. We again anticipate DOD-sponsored, round-trip travel for this meeting for two family members per missing man.

For added information on any subject, please contact the League's web site at www.pow-miafamilies.org or call the national office at 202-223-6846. If no one is available to take your call, please leave a message and your call will be returned. Again, thank you for calling.

The National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia 1001 Connecticut Avenue Northwest, Suite 919 Washington, D.C. 20036-5504 (TEL) 202-223-6846 Federal Tax ID #23-7071242