EXECUTIVE SESSION (Senate - April 10, 1997)
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Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, in executive session, I ask unanimous consent that the majority leader, after consultation with the Democratic leader, may proceed to the consideration of Executive Calendar No. 34, the nomination of Pete Peterson to be Ambassador to Vietnam . I further ask that the nomination be considered under the following time limitation: 30 minutes equally divided between the majority leader and Democratic leader or their designees. I further ask unanimous consent that immediately following the expiration or yielding back of the time, the Senate proceed to a vote on the nomination and that, immediately following the vote, the President be notified of the Senate's action and the Senate then return to legislative session.
Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, is it the understanding of Senators on both sides of the aisle that this would not require a rollcall vote?
Mr. LOTT. That is my understanding at this time, Mr. President.
Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that in the unlikely event that a rollcall vote is necessary, that it would take place following the final vote on the nuclear waste bill next Tuesday.
Mr. LOTT. I hope that, after all that we have done, we can get this concluded tonight. I know that would be your preference. That is my understanding as to the parties that have been interested. I think we can get it done tonight.
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Mr. DASCHLE. I make that unanimous-consent request, but I don't think it will be necessary.
Mr. LOTT. I have no objection.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. LOTT. For clarification, there was no objection to the unanimous consent request that I made, as amended by Senator Daschle.
Mr. DASCHLE. I had no objection.
Mr. LOTT. Mr. President, with regard to Calendar No. 34, the nomination of Pete Peterson to be the Ambassador to Vietnam , I would like to specifically thank the Senator from New Hampshire for his cooperation and for the very serious questions that he has raised, which needed to have proper attention. I believe that we have gotten some progress made in that regard. We do have now a letter that has been sent to me, in response to our questions, from the National Security Council, Mr. Berger.
Senator Smith has had a chance to review that. I personally have had very serious concerns all along about the normalization of relations with Vietnam . I think the certification has been flawed in the way it has been handled, and I think that those points needed to be made. But I also felt that Pete Peterson was an excellent choice for this assignment. And I appreciate the cooperation of Senator Smith in the way he handled this matter, and Senator McCain for his cooperation. I know he has a personal involvement and interest in the nominee. I just wanted to thank them both for their efforts.
I would like to yield the remainder of my time to the Senator from New Hampshire.
Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Thank you, Mr. President. I yield 3 minutes to the Senator from Arizona.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The nomination will be stated.
NOMINATION OF PETE PETERSON, OF FLORIDA, TO BE AMBASSADOR TO THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIETNAM
The assistant legislative clerk read the nomination of Pete Peterson, of Florida, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
The Senate proceeded to consider the nomination.
Mr. McCAIN addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arizona is recognized.
Mr. McCAIN. Mr. President, I thank the majority leader for all of his efforts in making this possible.
I also would like to especially thank my friend from New Hampshire who is a dogged, a determined, a zealous, and a committed advocate of attaining a complete and full accounting of those who are still missing in action in Vietnam.
The Senator from New Hampshire and I have had differences of view on this issue from time to time. But no one has ever questioned the absolute dedication of the Senator from New Hampshire to the commitment to those fellow Americans for whom we still have not been able to obtain an accounting.
Mr. President, I thank him because if it had not been for him this very important letter from the White House would not have come over to our leader signed by Sandy Berger, Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs. It lays out a very important set of priorities for further actions that need to be taken by the United States and by the Vietnamese so that we can finally put this very difficult chapter behind us.
I thank the Senator from New Hampshire for his efforts in that direction.
Finally, Mr. President, I would like to wish, since I am confident that Pete Peterson will be confirmed by the Senate, a dear friend, Godspeed. He is traveling back to a place that he found quite uncomfortable the last time he resided there, and I am very grateful that we have an American like Pete Peterson who is willing to go back and serve his country in a very vital and important manner. And perhaps one could argue that only Pete Peterson could do this job in the way that it needs to be done in this very difficult and very critical time in our relations with Vietnam and Asia.
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Areas Where Vietnam Is Not `Cooperating in Full Faith' or Providing Full Disclosure on Unaccounted for Americans
(1) Politburo records concerning U.S. POWs: Vietnamese officials have not provided wartime politburo documents in which the total number of captured U.S. POWs were discussed. This is critical because of the information passed to the U.S. Government in 1993 by Russian intelligence which contained reported transcripts of two secret North Vietnamese wartime speeches in which the number of captured U.S. POWs referenced was substantially higher than those who were returned by Hanoi in 1973. U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/MIA Affairs, James Wold, confirmed in a meeting with Senator Smith and Congressman Johnson on February 4, 1997, that he has not succeeded in convincing Hanoi to cooperate on this matter--and DoD analysts have testified under oath that access to such records has not been provided.
(2) North Vietnamese military records on U.S. POW/MIAs from Laos: Since September, 1993, Vietnam has not provided additional documentation on a North Vietnamese shootdown record pertaining to U.S. losses in Laos. (The so-called `Group 559 Shootdown Record' turned over in September, 1993, contains only summary information, and DoD analysts have concluded that `it is clear that this Record was compiled after the fact from original records' and that `it is very difficult to believe that additional Group 559 documents could not be turned over forthwith' and that `analysis of this document makes clear that the Vietnamese have additional Group 559 records that may contain information useful to POW/MIA case resolution.' DoD analysts testified under oath to Congress last year that with regard to about 253 Americans captured or lost in Laos, it was not clear that the Vietnamese had direct knowledge of these losses, and `they should have known exactly what happened to the person.' U.S. intelligence also indicates that Vietnamese officials should have direct knowledge of the fate of U.S. POWs known to have been held by the Pathet Lao during the war in Sam Neua province in northern Laos--none of whom have ever been accounted for by the Communist side.
(3) Unilateral Action by Vietnam on 461 cases of unaccounted for men: In January, 1996, the State Department indicated that Assistant Secretary Winston Lord had `expressed disappointment to Vietnamese officials in the level and quality of unilateral work they perform on cases.' Last summer, General Wold passed to Vietnam 461 `unilateral cases' of unaccounted for men--cases where General Wold stated that `critical Vietnamese assistance' was needed. Such assistance has not been forthcoming in these cases, according to the comprehensive review of all cases conducted by DoD in response to Congressional legislation in 1995. It is not clear that this situation has dramatically improved over the last six months since General Campbell assumed command of Joint Task Force (Full Accounting.)
(4) Prison Camp Records Pertaining to U.S. POWs: The U.S. has reportedly not received access to prison camp records detailing the fate of many POWs, including so-called `died-in-captivity' cases, and the prospects for final accountability for these men (ie: information on the location or disposition of remains). These records would also help resolve eyewitness accounts of reported American POWs in captivity which U.S. intelligence agencies have collected over the years.
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U.S. Senate,
Washington, DC, March 24, 1997.
Hon. Richard C. Shelby,
U.S. Senate, Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Dick: I am writing to request an inquiry by the staff of the Select Committee on Intelligence into certain documents pertaining to American POW/MIAs from the conflict in Southeast Asia.
As you know, Senator Bob Smith has raised questions about intelligence information on which President Clinton based his 1996 certifications required by law as a condition for the expansion of relations with Vietnam . He has specifically raised concerns relating to two documents acquired from the archives of the former Soviet Union. These documents came to light after the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs was disbanded in 1993.
I would appreciate your directing a staff inquiry examining the intelligence basis for the President's certifications--specifically addressing the two documents--in as expeditious a fashion as possible. Because I hope that full Senate can consider the pending nomination of former Congressman Peterson to be Ambassador to Vietnam the week of April 7th, I would appreciate receiving the results of the inquiry prior to that time.
Thank you for your consideration of my request. With best wishes, I am
Sincerely yours,
Trent Lott.
U.S. SENATE
Select Committee on Intelligence,
Washington, DC, April 8, 1997.
Hon. Trent Lott,
Majority Leader, U.S. Senate,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Leader: In response to your March 24, 1997 letter, we are attaching the findings of a preliminary staff inquiry into the U.S. Intelligence Community input that formed the basis of the 1996 Presidential determinations regarding Vietnam 's accounting for American POW/MIAs, including accelerating efforts to provide POW/MIA-related documents.
The President determined last year that, based upon information available to the U.S. Government at that time, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam was cooperating in full faith on the POW/MIA issue. These determinations were made by the President in response to Public Law conditioning the release of funds for U.S. diplomatic or consular post in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on Presidential certification.
The staff inquiry has found:
1. That the Intelligence Community appears to have played no formal role
in the determinations.
2. That regarding the so-called `735' and `1205' documents from the Russian archives:
They have not been the subject of a coordinated community-wide analysis. Elements of the Intelligence Community did contribute to a 1994 Department of Defense assessment and the State Department's Office of Intelligence and Research (INR) prepared several memoranda analyzing the documents;
The 1994 DoD assessment and the 1993 INR analysis identified numerous errors in the documents and raised questions about their accuracy, but could not dismiss them as fabrications; and,
Time constraints have not allowed the Committee staff to completely investigate all activities taken since 1994, but attempts by the Intelligence Community to gain additional information on the documents appear to have been limited.
We want to emphasize that this is not a comprehensive Committee review. We will explore whether the Committee should conduct further inquiry after consultation with all of the Committee Members.
Sincerely,
RICHARD C. SHELBY,
Chairman.
J. ROBERT KERREY,
Vice Chairman.
Attachment.
STAFF INQUIRY
Background.
A primary role of U.S. intelligence is to help American foreign policy makers make informed decisions. In general, U.S. Government's certification on foreign affairs matters is assumed to be based on a number of factors including input from the Intelligence Community. The process of collecting and analyzing sensitive and open-source information is complicated and subjective, but is the essence of the work done by the Intelligence Community. In most instances, the quality and source of information is such that it can be interpreted in more than one way and isolated reports of information may easily be misinterpreted. It is critical to take all information--including information derived from sensitive intelligence sources and methods, and information related to policy implementation--into account when judging the validity of information on which to base a certification or determination.
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Dear Mr. Leader: You have requested clarification from me regarding Administration policy on POW/MIA issues with Vietnam , in view of a report recently provided to you by the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. I am happy to respond, and I realize that some Members of the Senate have linked these matters to a confirmation vote on Douglas `Pete' Peterson to be our first Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.
First, the President commits to continue to press the Government of Vietnam to cooperate on full accounting. We have established mechanisms through which the Vietnamese can respond to requests for information available only to them.
As you know, the President has determined that Vietnam is providing full-faith cooperation with U.S. efforts to obtain this information. We believe the President's determination is backed up by tangible assistance provided by Vietnam to the Department of Defense Joint Task Force (Full Accounting). I will direct the Intelligence Community to prepare a special National Intelligence Estimate on this matter, something that was last done in 1987. We will consult with the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Intelligence Committee concerning the terms of reference for this new study.
Second, we will take immediate steps to ensure that collection requirements pertaining to the POW/MIA issue remain as a high priority for the U.S. Intelligence Community, and we will stay in close contact with the Intelligence Committee on this matter.
Third, I will ask for an updated assessment from the Intelligence Community on the so-called `735' and `1205' documents from Russian archives. We will continue efforts already underway to acquire additional information on these documents from the Vietnamese Government, including access to the alleged `735' author Hoang Anh, as well as other relevant party and government archival materials.
Fourth, the President asserted when we agreed to establish diplomatic relations with Vietnam that our principal goal was to enhance the full accounting process. This issue will be Mr. Peterson's highest priority as Ambassador. This task will include pressing for additional unilateral efforts by the Government of Vietnam to provide records and remains. We, therefore, hope the full Senate will confirm Mr. Peterson at the earliest possible date.
I trust this is responsive to your concerns.
Sincerely,
SAMUEL R. BERGER,
Assistant to the President
for National Security Affairs.
Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. At this point, Mr. President, I yield the floor to anyone else who may wish to speak on the issue.
Mr. HAGEL. Mr. President, I would like to add my thoughts regarding the nomination.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Chair would observe that the majority has 1 minute and 20 seconds remaining, and the minority manager, the distinguished Senator from Massachusetts, has 15 minutes.
Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. I yield whatever time I have remaining to the Senator from Nebraska, and perhaps the Senator from Massachusetts might give him another minute.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nebraska is recognized.
Mr. HAGEL. Thank you, Mr. President. I will be very mindful of my distinguished colleagues' time. I too want to add my thoughts and thanks to my distinguished colleague from New Hampshire and fellow Vietnam veterans.
Mr. President, I join my colleagues tonight in confirming former Congressman Pete Peterson to be our Nation's Ambassador to the socialist Republic of Vietnam . Through his integrity, hard work, and bipartisan temperament, he has earned the highest possible regard of his former colleagues in Congress on both sides of the aisle, and I think that is evident tonight.
I can think of no other American better suited to be the first United States Ambassador to Vietnam , and I know, as do my colleagues, that Congressman Peterson will bring his integrity and unique personal experiences to this extraordinarily challenging job which we all wish him well with and we all will help him with.
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Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, if I could just clarify one thing, I am not sure we did allow any of our time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Massachusetts is correct. The Senator from Nebraska ended up precisely on the time that was allowed to him by the previous order. The Senator from Massachusetts is recognized and has 15 minutes.
Mr. KERRY. I thank the Chair. I ask for the similar interpretation of time on our side. I am glad to recognize the Senator from Illinois for 5 minutes.
Mr. DURBIN. I thank my colleague from Massachusetts for yielding.
What extraordinary symmetry, what exceptional justice this evening that we consider the nomination of Pete Peterson to be our first Ambassador to Vietnam.
Thirty-one years ago as an Air Force pilot, Pete Peterson was flying his 67th combat mission over Vietnam when his plane was shot down. He told me the story when we were colleagues in the House of Representatives. I will not forget that as long as I live, what he went through as that plane came crashing down and he was parachuting out, with broken bones and beaten up, run through the streets by the crowds and pushed into a prison cell, and then to spend 6 1/2 years--6 1/2 years--of his life as a prisoner of war, to come home finally in 1973 with all of the deserved tribute for his service to his country, to return to his home State of Florida and his family finally and then decide once again to make a commitment to this Nation and to run and serve in the House of Representatives and after three terms to be designated by the President of the United States, President Clinton, to be America's first Ambassador to Vietnam , the same country where his plane had crashed and where he had been a prisoner of war for so many years.
I say to my colleague, the Senator from Nebraska, who really said it so well, the quiet dignity of Pete Peterson will bring a lot to this job, the kind of stature which we need in those who speak for the United States.
He served this country well for 27 years in the Air Force, 6 years in the House of Representatives, and now once again we have called Pete Peterson into service for his country. To think that he will be returning to Vietnam to speak for this great Nation, to meet some of the people who may have rescued his body and thrown him in prison and today will be greeting him is an amazing turn in history. But it is appropriate.
I know what his agenda will be--not only to service this country well with honor, as he always has, but also to work diligently for a full accounting of the POWs/MIAs who were not accounted for from that conflict and also to bring some new level of understanding between our countries.
I think Pete Peterson is clearly the person for this task. We are fortunate tonight to have this bipartisan feeling about Pete Peterson and his confirmation as Ambassador to Vietnam.
I thank Senator Lott as the majority leader, Senator Daschle on the minority side, Senator Smith, particularly Senator John McCain of Arizona, a man who has lived this same experience, who carries those scars, and will for the rest of his life, as a prisoner of war in Vietnam , who worked diligently to bring Pete Peterson's nomination to the floor this evening. My hat is off to John McCain for his extraordinary efforts.
My colleagues, Senator Kerry and Senator Reed, will speak as veterans of that war. I am not a veteran of that war, but I feel I am paying tribute to one of the best veterans of that war in Pete Peterson. This is his night and I want to tell him that it is time for the speeches to come to a close and for Pete Peterson's service to his country on a full-time basis to resume as our first Ambassador to Vietnam.
I yield back the remainder of my time.
Mr. DASCHLE. Mr. President, I am very pleased to speak today in support of the nomination of Congressman Pete Peterson to be our Ambassador to Vietnam . This day has been a long time coming, and I want to thank Congressman Peterson for his patience.
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Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I rise today in support of the nomination of my good friend Pete Peterson, and I urge his swift confirmation as our Ambassador to Vietnam. There is no better person for this job.
Just over 3 years ago I joined the majority of my Senate colleagues in encouraging President Clinton to lift the trade embargo against Vietnam. I did do because I was convinced that it would strengthen and expand joint United States-Vietnamese efforts to determine the fate of those POW's-MIA's still unaccounted for in Vietnam.
I was less certain about the establishment of full diplomatic relations with Vietnam. I feared that such a step would remove an important incentive to completing our efforts to determine the fate of every POW-MIA. But people like Pete Peterson and John McCain convinced me that reestablishing diplomatic relations was the best way to achieve our objectives in Vietnam --a full accounting of all POW's-MIA's; the implementation of democratic reforms and economic modernization; and respect of basic human rights and fundamental freedoms.
There is no person more qualified to achieve these noble objectives than Pete Peterson. After spending 6 1/2 years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam --and having left so many of his friends behind--we all can take comfort in knowing that Pete will not rest until every single American POW and MIA is fully and honestly accounted for. This fact was recognized by the Veterans of Foreign Wars, who last year endorsed Pete's nomination.
Pete's qualifications as an advocate for economic freedom and U.S. business are also quite remarkable. He has served as a member of the House Small Business Committee, fighting for average Americans who are seeking the American dream by building their own businesses. Pete has demonstrated that he will be a fantastic advocate for American business in Vietnam.
Pete's experience as a prisoner of war gives him unique qualifications to speak frankly and honestly about human rights. As someone who lost every human right, every freedom, and nearly his life in Vietnamese prisons, Pete can speak from the heart on the importance of these basic human values in a way that few of us can. And I know that he will do a superb job.
And who could be more qualified to heal the wounds of the war, and to build bridges between the peoples of our two nations. Pete has often said that he `left the bitterness at the gate' when he left his prison in Vietnam. His leadership is a major reason that the United States and Vietnam are poised to begin a new era of friendly relations.
I have had the honor of working with Pete for the past 6 years. Pete represents everything that is great about our country. He is selfless--having served bravely in the Air Force, flying 67 combat missions over Vietnam , and 6 1/2 years as a POW--Pete came home and went to work to make our country a better place. He has faced personal tragedy--losing his wife Carlotta to cancer--and moved on to make good come out of his suffering. And after 26 years in the U.S. Air Force, Pete felt compelled to continue a life of public service. Now having served for 6 years in the House of Representatives, Pete will return to Vietnam under very different circumstances than those under which he left. But he will continue his lifelong commitment to the American people, and I am honored to speak on behalf of this great American.
There is another quality that Pete possesses that I think will serve him well in his position as our Ambassador to Vietnam. That quality is patience. Pete has waited patiently for over a year for his nomination to come to the floor of the Senate. I am very pleased that Pete's long wait is about to come to an end, and I urge my colleagues to join me in voting to confirm Pete Peterson as the United States Ambassador to Vietnam.
Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I yield 5 minutes to the Senator from Rhode Island.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island is recognized.
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Mr. KERRY addressed the Chair.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Massachusetts is recognized.
Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I yield myself such of the remaining time as I may use.
I thank the majority leader for his efforts to bring this nomination to the floor this week so that the Senate may act on it rapidly. It is a nomination that has been overdue, and it is important that we proceed.
I think it is safe to say that with this nomination and with the approval of the Senate, which I expect, we really begin the process in earnest of ceasing to treat Vietnam as a war and beginning in earnest to treat it like a country. That is an enormous transition for this country, and we have traveled a difficult journey through these years.
As a friend and one who has worked closely with Pete Peterson on the POW-MIA issue, I really cannot think of a better person to be our Ambassador to Vietnam. Pete Peterson, Senator McCain, Senator Smith, myself, and others have spent an enormous amount of time, energy, and a great deal of the taxpayers' money of this country trying to ensure that the families of American servicemen missing from the war in Vietnam get answers.
There is absolutely no doubt, Mr. President, that many families have gotten those answers in the last years as a result of the accounting process that we now have in place. But I recognize that for some whose loved ones were lost in that wrenching war questions remain. I am convinced personally that having an ambassador in the country, having an American flag again flying in Hanoi and elsewhere in the country will provide us with the opportunity to be able to leverage those answers.
Having a man who himself served, as both of my colleagues so eloquently stated, 6 1/2 years of his life as a prisoner of war in Vietnam will enhance our credibility and greatly facilitate our ability to be able to find those answers.
As a fighter pilot, as a POW, Pete Peterson has served this Nation with enormous distinction and courage. When he returned from the war, as we know, he became a successful businessman and served in Congress. During that period he served as chairman of the Vietnam working group of the United States-Russia Joint Commission On POWs. He returned to Vietnam twice already in order to meet with Vietnamese officials and travel throughout the countryside, both to find answers as well as to understand what Vietnam is like today. It is entirely appropriate that Congressman Peterson should therefore return to Vietnam as our first ambassador since the war and literally help to bridge the gap that remains between our two countries. He went once in war, and as our ambassador he would now go in peace. I cannot think of greater poetic symmetry.
I know he has the ability as well as, if not better than, anyone to understand and explain to the Vietnamese, and to others, the full breadth of the emotions that the Vietnam war has generated among us in this country for 30 years or more. His experience as a prisoner gives him the extraordinary standing and importance to represent our country in all of the ramifications of the war. No one in Vietnam could doubt his word or his intentions, because he has gone through his own personal process of resolution, and he has emerged from that process prepared to return to Vietnam and build a normal relationship between that country and the United States. No one in this country could or should doubt his desire and determination to complete the process of POW-MIA accounting or his commitment to the principles of our country, which he fought for, which are still at issue with respect to our relationship with Vietnam.
So, as Ambassador, Congressman Peterson will confront those issues that are personal, and he will confront a set of issues that are critically important to the regional and bilateral interests of the United States: Vietnam 's relationships with its neighbors, particularly China; legal and political reform within Vietnam ; human rights; trade. I have every confidence in his ability to deal with these issues effectively. He has publicly expressed his willingness and enthusiasm to take on the job, and he comes in with a deep belief in our ability to build a viable and important relationship with Vietnam.
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Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. I ask unanimous consent to have three letters printed in the Record.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that a letter to Senator Lott from the executive director of the National League of Families, Ann Mills Griffiths, a letter from the Disabled American Veterans to Senator Lott, and a letter from The American Legion to Senator Lott be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the letters were ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
NATIONAL LEAGUE OF FAMILIES OF AMERICAN PRISONERS AND MISSING IN SOUTHEAST ASIA, Washington, DC, April 9, 1997.
Hon. Trent Lott,
Senate Majority Leader, Russell Senate Office Building, Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Lott: It is our understanding that an interim report on intelligence regarding the issue of our missing relatives will soon be forwarded from the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. We further understand that this report is linked to the confirmation vote on Congressman Pete Peterson as our new US Ambassador to Vietnam.
For many years, the National League of Families has supported a policy of reciprocity; that is still our policy. Unfortunately, the Clinton Administration has not provided incentives in advance, but inaccurately justified each step on the basis of POW/MIA cooperation to include the President's certification to Congress that Vietnam is `cooperating in full faith.' Official information on which we have always relied does not support this certification. We are confident that an objective oversight effort will confirm what we know.
On May 7th, a League Delegation will again travel to Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia to hold discussions with the leadership of each country. Our last such trip was in 1994. It is our sincere hope that whatever the outcome of current Senate deliberations, a clear signal will be sent to Vietnam and the Clinton Administration that further unilateral actions on the POW/MIA issue by the government of Vietnam are expected and will be a continuous subject of Senate oversight. This signal is overdue and will help not only our delegation, but reinforce Congressman Peterson when he undertakes his difficult mission.
We are grateful for the concern shown by the Senate and look forward to providing you the results of our upcoming trip.
Respectfully,
Ann Mills Griffiths,
Executive Director
DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS, NATIONAL SERVICE AND LEGISLATIVE HEADQUARTERS,
Washington, DC, April 7, 1997.
Hon. Trent Lott,
Senate Majority Leader, U.S. Senate, Russell Senate Office Building,
Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Lott: The Disabled American Veterans is deeply concerned for the thousands of American servicemen still unaccounted for in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Since the end of that war, numerous efforts by high level American delegations, including members of Congress, have visited Southeast Asia in continuing efforts to resolve the fate of these brave men without success.
Although the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has committed to renew and increase their unilateral, as well as joint efforts, to account for America's POW/MIAs, we have seen no meaningful efforts taken by Vietnam to account for our missing service personnel.
This is particularly true with regards to the unilateral actions which Vietnam should be able to undertake to account for a large number of our POW/MIAs based on the case assessments prepared by our government last year. These case assessments showed that the Vietnamese should be able to provide information on at least 400 POW/MIAs. To date, the Vietnamese have failed to come forth with information on these individuals to any significant extent.
As a result of Vietnam 's failure to provide the fullest possible accounting of our POW/MIAs, the delegates at our last National Convention in New Orleans, Louisiana, July 28-August 1, 1996, passed a resolution expressing our opposition to further economic and political relations between the United States and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.