News-Info-Alerts

Re: NLF Update Line

From: POW-MIA InterNetwork

Date: November 19, 2003

"Update Line
POW/MIAs - VIETNAM WAR: According to the Department of Defense, there are still 1,875 Americans missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War, 1,429 in Vietnam, 383 in Laos, 55 in Cambodia and 8 in the territorial waters of the PRC. Over 90% of all Americans missing from the Vietnam War were lost in Vietnam or in areas of Laos and Cambodia under Hanoi's wartime control.

SRV DEFENSE MINISTER VISITS WASHINGTON: Vietnam's Minister of Defense General Pham Van Tra, visited Washington this week for talks with the US Secretaries of State and Defense, Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, the Deputy National Security Adviser, and many other US officials, including Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/MIA Affairs Jerry Jennings who hosted the SRV delegation for an official briefing and brief presentations by The American Legion's National Commander and other veteran leaders from VFW and AMVETS. While at the Defense POW/MIA Office, the Minister met privately with DASD Jennings and League Executive Director Ann Mills Griffiths. POW/MIA accounting efforts, specifically President Bush's criteria urging unilateral Vietnamese actions, were high on the list of subjects discussed. Although the Minister did not make a specific announcement, he pledged full support for increased cooperation. Most importantly, he said he would support an agreement for use of a US Navy salvage ship in accounting efforts, indicating that such a bilateral agreement should be reached between the US Secretary of State and the SRV Foreign Minister. The League has long advocated the need for a US Navy vessel to map and subsequently excavate aircraft crash sites, especially along the coast of northern Vietnam. This positive development must be followed up immediately, and the League intends to work toward that objective.

SRV FOREIGN MINISTER PLEDGES INCREASED COOPERATION: In early October, Vietnamese Foreign Minister Nguyen Dy Nien also visited Washington and Honolulu, HI. In DC he met with Secretary of State Colin Powell. In HI, he met with Commander of US Pacific Command Admiral Tom Fargo, DASD for POW/MIA Affairs Jerry Jennings, BG (P) Que Winfield, USA, new Commander of the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command (JPAC) and the League's Executive Director. While meeting with JPAC and the League, Foreign Minister Nien pledged full cooperation on the Jennings-proposed archival research initiative, suggested expediting interviews to obtain intelligence information from knowledgeable sources due to their advancing age, and offered support for resolving cases along Vietnam's coastline. Vietnam's Ambassador to the US, accompanying the Foreign Minister, raised potential use of a US Navy salvage vessel for this purpose. If implemented, these pledges offer great potential.

US-HOSTED FOUR-PARTY TALKS IN BANGKOK: DASD Jennings hosted what he termed the "First Annual POW/MIA Consultations" in Bangkok October 23-24th. The reported purpose was to promote solutions to problems that continue to exist in the accounting process and generate useful discussions among all participants. Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia each sent delegations to meet with US officials. Jennings was joined by JPAC commander BG (P) Winfield and several working level US officials. The four-party talks, proposed by the League in 1999, were thwarted by former DASD for POW/MIA Affairs Bob Jones, a Clinton Administration appointee, and reintroduced this year by DASD Jennings. Though cited as the "First Annual POW/MIA Consultations," all who follow POW/MIA issues know that the US meets twice yearly with Lao officials for "POW/MIA Consultations" most often in Vientiane and occasionally in Honolulu. Since four party talks may be useful more often than once each year if structured adequately, limiting them to annual consultations is unwarranted.

DASD MET RUSSIAN OFFICIALS IN MOSCOW: DASD Jennings visited Moscow in mid-September for discussions with Russian officials on the bilateral Commission on POW/MIA Affairs. In addition to visiting military archives and promoting release of additional Korean War records, the US is seeking further movement on declassification of Vietnam War archives that may relate to US POW/MIAs. The latter was the principle subject of the League Executive Director's discussions last December with former Prime Minister and KGB Chief Yevgeny Primakov. Russian responsiveness to the US on POW/MIA matters, in particular to DPMO's Moscow-based specialists, is increasing and encouraging.

JPAC NOW OPERATIONAL: As directed by Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz, the Central Identification Laboratory in Hawaii (CILHI) and the Joint Task Force-Full Accounting (JTF-FA) merged on October 1st and became the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command, or JPAC. Admiral Tom Fargo, Commander of the US Pacific Command (PACOM), officiated at the activation ceremony held at the new PACOM headquarters at Camp Smith, HI. DASD Jennings and the League Executive Director represented the Defense Department and the POW/MIA families. This new organization, JPAC, with the worldwide mission formerly pursued by DPMO and CILHI, offers promise for improved accounting efforts, but warrants close scrutiny. The League was reassured on two primary concerns - full integration and use of DIA's Stony Beach Team of specialists and integrity of the CIL identification process - but will be closely monitoring all aspects of JPAC's operations.

FIELD OPERATIONS: Approximately 150 JPAC personnel, including CIL recovery specialists, recently deployed to Laos and Vietnam to conduct recoveries and work with DIA's Stony Beach team to interview sources of POW/MIA-related information. During the Vietnam operations, PACOM Commander ADM Fargo had planned to visit Vietnam, but his visit was recently canceled. A U.S. Navy warship will visit Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, during the 30-day period. A Congressional Delegation, led by Congressman John McHugh (R-NY), reportedly also plans to visit Vietnam during this timeframe.

LEAGUE REGIONAL MEETINGS SCHEDULED: A Region VI Meeting (TX, LA, AR, OK, NM, CO) is tentatively scheduled for February 7th in San Antonio, TX, and a Region IV Meeting (OH, IN, MI, WI, MN) is scheduled for March 20th in Columbus, OH. League members - family and associate - and area veteran leaders will be invited to hear briefings from US Government and League officials about their efforts to account for Americans still missing from the Vietnam War. More information will shortly be available from the League office.

POW/MIA decals for windows are $20 per 100, and POW/MIA lapel pins are $3 each or 2/$5, by sending a check to the League office. For added information on any subject, please log onto the League's web site, www.pow-miafamilies.org, or call the national office at 703-465-7432.

LEAGUE NATIONALLY ELIGIBLE FOR CFC: The League is the only POW/MIA organizaiton eligible for donations through the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) and United Way. Check #1174.

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"