DKW 86 7,440 Posted August 15, 2004 Share Posted August 15, 2004 Link O'Grady: Kerry's actions after Vietnam constituted treasonASHLEY H. GRANT ST. PAUL - Scott O'Grady, the Air Force pilot who captured headlines in 1995 when he survived being shot down over Bosnia, on Friday said Sen. John Kerry committed "treason" during the Vietnam War. O'Grady, in an appearance with other military veterans coordinated by President Bush's re-election campaign, said Kerry helped push North Vietnam's proposals for the United States to withdraw at a time when the two countries were still officially at war. "I see that as treason," said O'Grady, who lives in Texas and has been speaking at veterans events for Bush around the country. He's now retired from the military. A Bush campaign spokeswoman, Tracey Schmitt, said O'Grady's views were his own. "The Bush-Cheney campaign does not and has not ever questioned John Kerry's patriotism," Schmitt said. O'Grady said he was referring to Kerry's 1971 appearance before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. In response to a question about how he proposed to end the war, Kerry mentioned that he was involved in peace talks in Paris. "I have talked with both delegations at the peace talks, that is to say the Democratic Republic of Vietnam and the Provisional Revolutionary Government," Kerry told the panel, according to a transcript. A U.S. law prohibits citizens from negotiating with foreign governments on matters such as peace treaties. Earlier this year, Kerry spokesman Michael Meehan told the Boston Globe that Kerry had "no role whatsoever in the Paris peace talks or negotiations." Meehan said Kerry had gone to Paris on a private trip and had one brief meeting with Madam Nguyen Thi Binh and others. Binh, a leader of the Provisional Revolutionary Government, a communist group based in South Vietnam, had a list of peace-talk points, including the suggestion that U.S. POWs would be released when American forces withdrew. On Friday, O'Grady asserted that Kerry had championed the proposals of the communist regime in North Vietnam about setting a date to withdraw U.S. troops - a situation O'Grady called "treasonous." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueBlue72 0 Posted August 15, 2004 Share Posted August 15, 2004 The most common definitions of treason that I find when searching are: 1. a crime that undermines the offender's government 2. disloyalty by virtue of subversive behavior 3. an act of deliberate betrayal I have believed, for some time, that Kerry committed treason after his return from the Vietnam war. Free speech does not permit aiding the enemy during wartime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarTim 3,457 Posted August 15, 2004 Share Posted August 15, 2004 Not to mention LYIN'...Oh, I guess I did mention it ! ! ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quietfan 233 Posted August 17, 2004 Share Posted August 17, 2004 U.S. Constitution, Article 3, Section 3a: "Treason against the United States shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort." ...no mention of "Lyin..'" or "Disloyality by virtue of subversive behavior" here. I understand how some may consider even talking to the North, or suggesting the US end the war and withdraw it's troops as "gving aid and comfort", and they are entitled to their opinion just as Kerry was entitled to his opinion regarding the war. Personally, I don't see how it's treasonable for an individual to talk about peace plans and withdrawal if the Administration itself is in Paris negotiating how to do the same. I suspect North Vietnam would look at Kissinger & Cos. willingness to negotiation as a stronger indication of imminent US withdrawal than the comments of an individual private citizen. Apparently neither the US Senate nor the Republican administration of Richard Nixon considered Kerry's actions treason at the time since neither party pushed for prosecution. If they didn't think Kerry's statements constitued treason at the time, I don't see any reason for that to be an issue 30 years later except as a smear tactic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigermike 3,053 Posted August 17, 2004 Share Posted August 17, 2004 Neither do I, so let's just not talk about Kerry's activities 30 years ago. Instead let's concentrate on his most liberal and unremarkable senate career. Why are Kerry and the dems doing all they can to make him look like anything other than a liberal? A centrists, bull crap. If John Kerry is a centrist then Attila the Hunn was the world's first peace activists. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DKW 86 7,440 Posted August 17, 2004 Author Share Posted August 17, 2004 Instead let's concentrate on his most liberal and unremarkable senate career. Plan B will be seen quickly just before the RNC. Kerry wont run on his record, GWB is going to run on his and Kerry's too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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