February 1996
Summary of news for the entire month.
For recent and daily news, please go to: InterNetwork
01 FEB 96: Starting off right. Congressman Pete Peterson sent out a 'Dear Colleague' letter to soothe the concerns of any Washington Insiders on the question of the Baron 52 mass burial scheduled for March at Arlington National Cemetery. Rather than allow the valid questions and concerns of the families involved in the case to be heard. Peterson made sure that his colleagues were treated to a 'they're all dead, we found the remains' scenario. Needless to say, the letters from family members over the years to AFIRB and DPMO, as well as the USAF Service Secretary went unreported. Once again, we are treated to a powerful politician using the "influence of his good office" to do more harm and continue to spread the lies and deception. Fortunately, Congressman Bob Dornan took it upon himself to send his own 'Dear Colleague' letter and set the record straight.
02 FEB 96: Following the DOD completion {a year late} of the Comprehensive Review of Unaccounted for Americans from the Vietnam War, DASD James Wold traveled to SEA to meet with officials. As stated in previous updates, the Review broke down the case into new categories based on the likelihood of resolution according to DPMO and the analysts who researched the report and prepared it. In excess of 560 personnel were set aside pending any further information as basically unrecoverable and no possible means of resolution with information and intelligence currently available. Wold presented the ambassadors from the Lao and Vietnamese Embassies with lead sheets on cases that the Review found to be resolvable unilaterally. 69 individual cases from Vietnam and 6 from Laos were offered to the ambassadors. This is the first group of cases to be presented under the review and further case lead sheets will be prepared by DPMO and JTF-FA. As always, the representatives of both Vietnam and Laos promised full cooperation. Makes you wonder if they were also provided a script?
03 FEB 96: In a wire service report, we read that the SRV is trying to get onto the Internet. It seems the only thing holding them back, is their fear of the open and truthful nature that the information superhighway offers. Given that the SRV is planning a conference sponsored by the CFR to help rewrite the history of that tragic war in Vietnam, it will be interesting to see how fast they want to enter cyber-space.
05 FEB 96: Propaganda Time! Mobil took out an advertisement in the Roll Call... 'The Newspaper of Capitol Hill' today. Well, the Madison Avenue Mavens who were responsible for this winner also added such gems as: "The thaw began two years ago, when the U.S. ended its embargo against Vietnam. Then last summer, President Clinton announced establishment of full diplomatic relations. Both were milestone events bridging a war and a 20Üyear gap between our nations. And both have helped resolve some of the issues that still surround those missing in action." The rest is hype about economic leverage and most favored nation status. Its closing line reads, "Economic normalization with Vietnam. It's time to move closer to the promises of spring time and the rewards of normalcy." They forget to say the REWARDS OF MONEY!
07 FEB 96: Hardly into the New Year, we are once again confronted with the never ending myth-making of the USG. In a letter dated 05 JAN 96, the Director of External Affairs for DPMO, Mr. Charles W. Henley writes: "I should point out that there are no Americans servicemen who are unaccounted for from the Persian Gulf War." Well, that's a nice sentence, but it begs us to wonder IF there are no American service personnel missing from Desert Storm, then why is the US trying to find a pilot in Iraq? In a New York Times article of 14 December 95, we learn that the Pentagon was sending a secret team to Iraq to try and find the remains of a downed pilot, Lt Cmdr Michael Scott Spiecher, USN. There is also some hub-bub lately that satellite imagery was produced of Spiecher's crash site, during and after the war. A prominent activist has stated that the imagery produced proof that the plane landed upside down, but intact. It is also alleged that the imagery produced evidence of ejection and an E & E or authenticator code that was laid down. Once again, the USG and the DPMO are thinking for the American public, and telling them what they think the public wants to hear. Guess they never heard of the truth.
10 FEB 96: After years of haggling over language, and power plays by politicians with questionable agendas, the Missing Service Personnel Act of 1996 is law. It has been an arduous and upsetting battle, but the likes of Ben Gilman who stuck to his guns and kept the original language of the House Bill, and then with the support of Congressional leaders like Bob Dornan, Bob Smith and Jim Talent, it's a done deal. The efforts of family members and activists helped keep the pressure on and the language in. Although the Bill was passed, it sat unsigned on President Clinton's desk until today. What is imperative now, is that not only do our service members have this bill as some means of protection, but that we insist that it be ENFORCED!!! Aspects of the Bill allow some leverage to families with POW/MIA cases, and the language also sets up active duty personnel and their dependents to realize some protection in the worst case scenario. If you know any Active Duty people or their dependents, make sure you tell them to get hold of this bill and read it!!!
13 FEB 96: FBIS reports: SEC of State for Asian and Pacific Affairs, Mr. Winston Lord visited Vietnam. He affirmed that the PRIORITY concern of the US in bilateral relations was ECONOMIC RELATIONS. Does anyone in Washington still remember the POWs and MIAs? During a press conference on 07 FEB 96, Mr. Lord responded to questions about North Korea: "going back to the liaison office for a moment, we think that it is in our interest to have a presence in North Korea to have a somewhat better sense of what's going on in that very opaque society, and to carry forward our dialogue directly rather than having to go through indirect means. And also to talk about other issues like missile proliferation, REMAINS OF MIAs, conventional problems, conventional force problems, terrorism, human rights, et cetera." Hmmmm . . . are live POWs included in the et cetera? Makes one think.
15 FEB 96: In looking at the MSPA 1996, we find that two key members of Congress, Ben Gilman and Bob Dornan, were responsible for so much of the solid language that gives this Bill some teeth. Gilman, the original sponsor of the House version, fought to have his language restored when it was chopped up by anti-bill public servants in Congress. Dornan, was able to insert additional language that really allows a service member who goes missing or is taken prisoner and their family, some ability to fight the bureaucratic red tape that has been wrapped around this issue like a boa constrictor. After looking at the Bill, it appears that the USG and DOD are going to have to start earning their pay and working on this issue instead of talking about it. Key points in the House version of the Act are:
• Any member of the Armed Forces, and civilian or contractor.
• Initial Board: Conducted by Theater component commander or head of agency within 10 days of initial report. Board required.
• Counsel for missing persons required.
• Theater component commander determination required 15 days after receipt of report.
• Attendance of private counsel okay for PNOK or previously designated person.
• Family or PNOK objections to board recommendations required within 30 days.
• Further Review required on or about every 3 years, for 30 years, after initial report of disappearance or upon receipt of information that could change status.
• Judicial Review -- Authorizes review by US Circuit Court of Appeals if person disagrees with findings of death. If requested, DOD required to review any cases of previous missing persons declared dead on or after 07 DEC 1941.
16 FEB 96: DPMO announces that National POW/MIA Recognition Day is rescheduled to the traditional third Friday, September 20.
20 FEB 96: The United States rejected as "unreasonable" North Korea's request for more than $4 million to cover past costs of returning remains believed to be U.S. servicemen. At issue is the cost of sending back 162 sets of remains in 1993-1994. The U.S. has a longstanding policy of refusing to pay for the return of its missing servicemembers or their remains. Washington does compensate foreign governments for "fair and reasonable" expenses associated with their recovery.
21 FEB 96: The more things change, the more they stay the same. The USG admitted that it had withheld captured alive information for 2 1/2 years from an American wife whose husband, Efrain Bamaca - a Mayan guerilla leader - who had been captured on March 12, 1992, while fighting in Guatemala. In September, 1995, the CIA fired two high-ranking agents and disciplined nine others for failing to convey information to Congress on a timely basis.
23 FEB 96: The POST-STANDARD reports the following answers by candidates to this question: "Should the United States and Vietnam have opened diplomatic relations, as were established last year?"
President Clinton: "Establishing official relations with Vietnam has enhanced America's ability to achieve the fullest possible accounting of our POW-MIAs, pursue our goals of improving Vietnam's human rights practices, and expanding U.S. commercial ties and exports to that country."
Lamar Alexander: "I am deeply skeptical whether the president got sufficient assurances from Vietnam on how to resolve POW-MIA issues. But I believe that ultimately, diplomatic recognition was the best course for the United States in order to get these POWs home."
Pat Buchanan: No response.
Sen. Bob Dole: "No."
Steve Forbes: No response.
Sen. Dick Lugar: "Yes."
28 FEB 96: The Socialist Republic of Vietnam denied claims that U.S. MIAs were sent to and worked in the Soviet republic of Kazakhstan in the 1960s.
POW-MIA Issue Update March 1996