July 1996
Summary of news for the entire month.
For recent and daily news, please go to: InterNetwork
01 JULY 96: Vietnam formally announced the re-election of Do Muoi, 79, as Communist Party Secretary General, Le Duc Anh, 75, as President and Vo Van Kiet, 73, as Prime Minister.
02 JULY 96: Senator Claiborne Pell issues his report of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee trip to Vietnam and other countries at the end of May. In part it stated: "All officials in Hanoi, both Vietnamese and U.S., went to great lengths to assure me that cooperation on the most contentious bilateral issue - POW/MIAs - was strong and productive." Yet, at the June 19 Dornan hearing, we again hear words that Vietnam can do much more. Some day the rhetoric with be on the same page with the reality!
05 JULY 96: In a FBIS report, the daily army QUAN DOI HNAN DAN ran an article reviewing the Vietnam-US relationship. The article mentions an important issue in the Vietnam-US relationship, the MIA question, which has seen effective cooperation from Vietnam. The article goes on to state the "active and serious cooperation and goodwill has been highly appreciated by the government and people of the United States."
09 JULY 96: AP reports that a possible fourth body is now involved in remains mix-up. The families of Plumdore, Judge and Berry have once again been placed on the raft of government answers and are adrift in the sea of lies, uncertainity and deceit. The only saving grace is that the government has admitted that it made a mistaken in the identification process of these men. The families still wait and suffer.
12 JULY 96: In a FBIS report, we read - "The U.S. has officially declassified Vietnam as a war zone and has recognized Vietnam's full cooperation in the MIA issue. This indicates certain changes in the U.S. attitude and evaluation towards Vietnam, i.e., Vietnam becoming new partner of the U.S. In a short period the investment of American companies in vietnam has increased rapidly, now ranking the eighth foreign investor with a total capital of $700 million.
13 JULY 96: Senator Bob Smith and John McCain agreed to a compromise on the McCain amendment. The McCain amendment passes without objection in the Senate.
15 JULY 96: The Defense Dept. has ordered the Vietnamese government to stop renting to tourists, US military vehicles intended to aid searches for missing American servicemen, the top US military officer, Lt. Col. Joanthan P. Chase, in Vietnam announced. Add this to the more than one-third of $11.2 million unaccounted for in searches for remains. Seems like a real sloopy operation. Who is minding the store?
17 JULY 1996: The National League of Families Executive Director, Ann Mills Griffiths, in a letter to Bob Dornan endorses key provisons of the McCain Amendment. This effectively creates a break in the unity of the POW-MIA community.
19 JULY 1996: The DPMO Weekly Update reports the remains of five American servicemen previously unaccounted-for from Southeast Asia and World War II were recently returned. National Security Advisor, Anthony Lake visited Detachment Two of the Joint Task Force-Full Accounting in Hanoi. He received an update on the recovery operation and visited a site near DaNang where a remains recovery operation was in progress.
23 JULY 1996: In a NEW YORK TIMES article, Senator Jesse Helms' Office says that they have no objection to Rep. Pete Peterson for Ambassador. But, Sen. Helms is known to want more cooperation from Vietnam on those still listed as missing in action. Sen. Helms continues to wear his POW-MIA bracelet.
24 JULY 1996: Senator Bob Smith offers an amendment to H.R. 3540, the Foreign Operations bill, to strike the Committee provision which authorizes an appropriation of $1.5 million in bilateral economic assistance to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The mendment failed with a vote of YES - 43, NO - 56. Twenty republicans voted against the amendment. In a USAID Monthly Loan Delinquency Status Report as of June 30, 1996, Vietnam is in arrears for $150 million. But that's OK, it's taxpayer money - give Vietnam more.
26 JULY 1996: Skeletal remains believed to be those of an American soldier lost during the Korean War were recovered in North Korea this week. In an agreement signed by the U.S. and North Korea in May, both sides agreed that another joint recovery operation will be conducted in September 1996.
27 JULY 1996: SITREP on Missing Service Personnel Act. Dornan spoke face to face with Bob Dole at a luncheon during the week of July 9. Dole supported the Dornan position. On Friday, July 26, Ron Miller, co-chairman of Veterans for Dole told McCain's office that the Dole campaign wants McCain to withdraw his amendment to the MSPA immediately. McCain is attempting to use his soÜcalled "compromise" with Bob Smith to remove key provisions to the MSPA, such as: penalties for government officials who purposely withhold information, DOD civilians being covered by the act, and credible forensics proof to declare a person accounted for. Dornan has told McCain that the McCainÜSmith compromise has no bearing on the House position and that the MSPA is public law and should not be altered.
31 JULY 1996: Bob Dornan prepares to introduce an amendment to restore the changes offered by the McCain amendment.
POW-MIA Issue Update August 1996