Bits N Pieces
the Newsletter of the National Alliance of FamiliesÊÊ June 9, 2007
Congratulations to Rolling Thunder Ð This year marked the 20th Anniversary of Rolling ThundersÕ Annual "Ride for Freedom," in Washington, D.C.
FBI Shares Ideas with POW/MIA Search Unit Ð From the June 10th Pacific Edition of Stars and Stripes "The military unit tasked with locating "unaccounted-for" U.S. service members met with the FBI in Hawaii to improve the way it conducts business."
"The Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command meeting was the first time another government agency had come to share methods, Intelligence Directorate director Bob Richeson said in a news release. "[The] deputy commanding officer requested that we take a look at our investigative process," Richeson said. "There are some parallels in the way [the FBI] conduct their investigations." The meeting was held May 30. Richeson said the FBI was helpful in areas of case prioritization, evaluating witness credibility and case documentation."
Evaluating Witness credibility and Case Documentation Ð Hopefully, the FBI was able to impress upon the folks at JPAC that not all witnesses lie. They donÕt all tell the truth, but they all do not lie.
Now that the FBI has visited JPAC, we would suggest they also visit DIA and DPMO. Both could use a lesson evaluating witness credibility and case documentation. Specifically, the folks at DPMO need to learn the difference between the reporting of a governmentsÕ statement of fact and an opinion.
An Enormous Crime Ð No where is the failure of DIA and DPMO to properly evaluate the credibility of a witness and case documentation better demonstrated then in "An Enormous Crime" the highly anticipated book by former Congressman Billy Hendon and Beth Stewart, daughter of POW/MIA Col. Peter Stewart. Now in bookstores, "An Enormous Crime" outlines, in great detail, the abandonment of our POWs. Citing document after document, the book clearly demonstrates the "mindset to debunk," within DIA and DPMO. Sadly, the "mindset to debunk" exists today.
The governmentsÕ position, as voiced by DIA and DPMO, that there have been no creditable reports of live POWs in Southeast Asia is simply untrue. That every wartime or post-Homecoming report of live unreturned POWs is a fabrication defies mathematical probability.
Run, do not walk to your nearest bookstore and get your copy of "An Enormous Crime." You can also order your copy from www.amazon.com Visit the Enormous Crime web site at www.enormous.crime to view backup documentation and additional information.
H.Res 111 Ð As of this writing, we have 47 co-sponsors. Many more are needed. Call, fax and email your congressional representative and keep calling, faxing and emailing until they sign on. For a list of congressional representatives and a copy of a sample letter visit www.nationalalliance.org/legis/index.htm
Prisoners of War Ð The number of Prisoners of War in Iraq stands at 5. On May 12th, three servicemen, Joseph Anzack, Byron Fouty, and Alex Jimenez were captured, in Iraq. Last week, the body of Joseph Anzack was recovered and identified. The total number of Prisoners of War executed in captivity now stands at 8.
Prisoners of War
Scott Speicher
Matt Maupin
Byron Fouty
Alex Jiminez
Ahmed Altaie
Prisoners of War
Executed/Died in Captivity
Thomas Tucker
Jacob Fritz
Johnathan B. Chism
Shawn P. Falter
Donald Walters
Kristian Menchaca
Johnathon M. Millican
Joseph Anzack
On June 4th Al-Qaeda released a video proclaiming the deaths of Fouty and Jimenez. As proof they offered photos of their identification cards, and other personal belongings. Neither Fouty nor Jimenez is seen in the video.
The video shows a caption above the photo of the identification cards. WeÕve found two Associated Press articles reporting the translation of that phrase as either; "Bush is the reason of the loss of your POWs." Or, "Bush is the reason for the loss of your prisoners."
It is amazing that a group as purely evil and vicious as Al-Qaeda, while not treating captured soldier as such, recognizes them for what they are - Prisoners of War.
Yet, our own Department of Defense continues to ambiguously classify these men as Missing/Captured. The Geneva Conventions, and international law recognizes captured servicemen as Prisoner of War and now it seems that the enemy does too. IsnÕt it a sad commentary that our own government will not acknowledge the true status of these men.
No Problem Acknowledging Enemy POWs Ð On April 7th , the Department of Defense held a briefing on the "Geneva Convention, EPW's and War Crimes." Participating in the briefing were Mr. Bryan Whitman, DASD (PA), W. Hays Parks, Special Assistant to the Army JAG and Pierre-Richard Prosper, U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for War Crimes Issues.
In reading the transcript of this briefing, it is clear none of the participants had any problem referring to individuals captured by coalition forces as "Prisoners of War." We found one exchange, during the question and answer session very interesting. We'd like to take a question from Qatar, if you can hear us. (Pause.) From Kuwait?
My name is Kabir (ph). I'm a correspondent reporting from -- (inaudible). I have a question concerning those unlawful combatants, Iraqi --- (inaudible).
Could you repeat your question, please? We got cut off until just the last two words.
Q: Repeat it? Okay, I'll repeat my question. It is concerning the unlawful combatants from the Iraqi side. I would like to know how we treat those unlawful combatants once they are taken into
coalition custody? Do you grant them the status of POWs?
The Special Assistant to the Army JAG, W. Hays Parks responded.
PARKS: When someone is captured, they go through a process of being taken from the capturing unit back to a collection unit and ultimately to the higher-level theater prisoner-of-war camps. And Article V of the Prisoner of War Convention, it specifies that if there is any doubt as to the status of a person, that person is entitled to prisoner-of-war protection until his or her status has been determined. That determination can be done by an Article 5 tribunal, which is a tribunal, set up by the military to look at the facts and circumstances of the capture and any other information. They then make a determination or recommendation. Our past practice, in as well as in the first Gulf War, was that if at any time there remains any doubt, that person will be entitled to prisoner-of- war status.
Entitled to a Prisoner of War Status - thatÕs more than the Department of Defense is willing to give Speicher, Maupin, Altaie, Jimenez and Fouty.
Search Not as Intense Ð From an Associated Press report, dated May 31, 2007,Ê A Pentagon spokesman says the military is still dedicating a "significant amount of assets" to the search for two missing soldiers in Iraq, but acknowledges "the search is not as intense as it was."
This Leaves Us WonderingÉ. How intense is search the for Speicher, captured in 1991, Maupin, captured in 2004, and Altie, captured in 2006?
Vang Pao Arrested Charged in Plot to Overthrow the Lao Government - The following is excerpted from a June 6th Associated Press report Ð "Nine Hmong leaders, including a former Laotian military general, and a former officer in the California National Guard were arrested Monday in California during a sweep by more than 200 federal, state and local agents. Federal prosecutors said other arrests could follow."
"Authorities acted because weapons shipments were set to begin this month to areas in Thailand along the Laotian border, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Sacramento. The buildup was in preparation for a coordinated set of mercenary attacks that investigators said were designed to kill communist officials and destroy government buildings, according to the complaint."
"Among the nine were former Laotian Gen. Vang Pao, a prominent Hmong leader who lives in Orange County, and former California National Guard Lt. Col. Harrison Ulrich Jack, a 1968 West Point graduate and Vietnam War veteran."
"....Members of Laos' ethnic Hmong minority were recruited in the 1960s by the Central Intelligence Agency to fight on behalf of a pro-American government, but they were all but abandoned after communists took over Laos in 1975. More than 300,000 Laotian refugees, mostly Hmong, fled into Thailand and many later resettled in the United States. Gen. Vang Pao, now 77, led CIA-backed Hmong forces in Laos in the 1960s and 1970s as a general in the Royal Army of Laos. He emigrated to the U.S. about 1975. The seven others charged were all prominent members of the Hmong community from California's Central Valley. All nine are charged with violating the federal Neutrality Act and face the possibility of life in prison.
"No matter how strongly held their beliefs, citizens of the United States cannot become involved in a plot to overthrow a sovereign government with which the United States is at peace," FBI Special Agent Drew Parenti said."
Other reports indicate that more arrests are possible.
Attention World War II POW/MIA Family Members and Researchers Ð a database of World War II POW/MIAs is now available on the DPMO web site. To access visit http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/WWII_MIA/INDEX.HTM
Why does Johnie Webb still have a job?
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The National Alliance of Families 18th Annual Forum is scheduled for June 21th - 23th, 2007. Our forum is conducted to coincide with the Government's annual Vietnam POW/MIA Family Briefings. This year the Alliance will meet at the Radisson Hotel located at 2020 Jefferson Davis Highway in Crystal City Va
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The Alliance is an all volunteer organization. Our meetings are open to all, without charge. At this time of year, we actively seek contributions to finance our forum. If you wish to contribute, donations may be mailed to:
National Alliance Of Families
P.O. Box 40327
Bellevue, WA. 98015
Remember all contributions are tax deductible.
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National Alliance of Families
for the Return of America's Missing Servicemem
World War II - Korea - Cold War - Vietnam - Gulf Wars
Dolores Alfond - 425-881-1499
Lynn O'Shea ---- 718-846-4350
lynn@nationalalliance.org
www.nationalalliance.org