News-Info-Alerts

Re: NLF Update Line

From: POW-MIA InterNetwork

Date: February 03, 2003

"Update Line
STILL MISSING: According to the Department of Defense, there are now 1,889 Americans still missing from the Vietnam War, 1,444 in Vietnam, 381 in Laos, 56 in Cambodia and 8 in the territorial waters of the PRC. The names of eleven Americans recently accounted for have not yet been released, but the remains of nine were recovered during several US-Lao joint operations, the latest in February of last year, and officially identified on December 11th. One, a civilian, was recovered in April of 1988 and the remains of a US Army Warrant Officer were recovered in 1995. The names will be announced when received from the Defense Department.

DASD IN CAMBODIA: Jerry Jennings, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/MIA Affairs and Director of the DPMO, just concluded a quick visit to Cambodia where he met with senior officials in Phnom Penh. A DoD-hosted Personnel Accounting Conference, held from January 21-24th, brought together officials from all USG organizations involved in the issue to gain consensus on policy and approach to achieve accounting objectives. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz and Director of DIA VADM Lowell Jacoby were guest speakers; both stated full support for priority US efforts to account for missing US personnel.

LEAGUE DELEGATION TO SOUTHEAST ASIA: League Chairman of the Board Jo Anne Shirley, former Reagan Administration Director for Asian Affairs, now League Adviser, Richard Childress and Executive Director Ann Mills Griffiths will travel to Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia for talks with officials in each country to try to expedite accounting efforts. The delegation will visit the new U.S. base camp in southern Laos and the incident site where two American journalists were last known alive in captivity in Cambodia.

JOINT FIELD OPERATIONS: Large-scale field operations in Laos and Cambodia began January 16th and are continuing until February 18th. Cambodian officials are conducting interviews of sources with useful information to augment efforts of the DIA Stony Beach specialist, now assigned full-time in Phnom Penh. Vietnamese officials are reportedly conducting unilateral investigations over the last several weeks and month-long joint field operations will commence on February 18th.

LEAGUE OFFICIAL MEETS WITH RUSSIAN LEADERS: In December, League Executive Director Ann Mills Griffiths met in Moscow with senior officials of the US-Russia Commission on POW/MIA Affairs and former Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov. The focus was to gain greater access by US specialists to archival records and sources of information. Minister Primakov, now head of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stated his view that Vietnam War records should be declassified and made available for research. On January 27th, Russian news reports stated that the State Duma's Defense Committee, chaired by the Vietnam War Working Group Chairman, has asked the Chief of the General Staff to allow most documents dealing with the Vietnam War to be declassified. The League welcomes this positive development and looks for implementation.

NOTES: Start planning now to attend the League's 34th Annual Meeting, June 26-26-29th, again in Arlington, VA. POW/MIA car window decals are $20 per 100 and lapel pins are $3 each or 2/$5, by sending a check to the League office. For added information on any subject, please contact the League's web site at www.pow-miafamilies.org or call the national office at 703-465-7432.

The National League of Families of
American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia
1005 North Glebe Road
Suite 170
Arlington, Virginia 22201
(TEL) 703-465-7432
Federal Tax ID #23-7071242"