SwiftVets.com

[leeinwv]

Subject: John O'Neill Committed To Stopping kerry

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?
xml=/news/2004/08/22/wus22.xml&sSheet=/portal/2004/08/22/ixportal.htm
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'I will do everything I can to stop John Kerry becoming the
commander-in-chief of this nation's armed forces'
By Charles Laurence
(Filed: 22/08/2004)


In his first interview for the British press, the Vietnam veteran
leading the attack on John Kerry tells Charles Laurence why he must
act



The Vietnam veteran at the heart of an increasingly vicious campaign
to discredit John Kerry's "war hero" status has vowed to
do "whatever it takes to stop that man becoming commander-in-chief
of America's armed forces".

In an outspoken interview with the Telegraph, John O'Neill, speaking
in his publisher's office in the shadow of Capitol Hill, denied
being a Republican stooge, saying that his campaign to prevent Mr
Kerry reaching the White House was driven by personal loathing of
the Democratic presidential nominee.

Exasperated by three weeks of allegations that he had exaggerated
his Vietnam war record, Mr Kerry finally filed a complaint with
government regulators on Thursday alleging that Mr O'Neill's
pressure group had "illegally co-ordinated with the Bush-Cheney
presidential campaign".

On Thursday night, a heated Mr Kerry told an audience in
Boston: "The President keeps telling people he would never question
my service to our country. Instead, he watches as a Republican-
funded attack group does just that. He wants a debate about our
service in Vietnam. Here is my answer: bring it on."

The White House mocked the senator for "losing his cool" and Mr
O'Neill - the author of the book Unfit for Command and spokesman for
the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth group - again accused him of
betraying former Vietnam comrades.

"John Kerry ravaged the souls of people," said Mr O'Neill, his face
trembling with rage as he talked of events that happened more than
30 years ago. "I don't really care about the presidency, but that is
why I will do everything I can, whatever it takes, to stop that man
becoming commander-in-chief of our armed forces.

"I am not a Republican. I tend to support the Democrats more than
the Republicans at home in Texas, and in this election I would have
voted Democrat. I would vote for John Edwards [the vice-presidential
candidate] for president. But I will do everything I can to stop
John Kerry."

He admitted that it was the senator's behaviour following the war -
Mr Kerry served just four months in Vietnam before being repatriated
after receiving his third Purple Heart medal for combat wounds -
that motivated his campaign. He pointed out that he had attacked Mr
Kerry during a television debate about Vietnam as long ago as 1971.

According to Mr O'Neill, Mr Kerry was known in Vietnam as "the jerk
who wants to be President" and returned home to make a name for
himself as a leader of the Vietnam Veterans Against the War. He
testified to the Senate, led marches on Washington and - to Mr
O'Neill's enduring ire - accused the American forces in Vietnam of
routinely abusing the civilian population and of "war crimes".

Mr O'Neill said: "That buzzard got out after four months and
betrayed the people he served with. Millions of people opposed the
war. I have no problem with that. But it is a whole different world
to come back and say that the kids you served with are war
criminals, and the people in your command are war criminals.

"We were still riding the river and this buzzard was in Paris, on
television, talking to a Viet Cong in their so-called peace
delegation while the Viet Cong were killing our men. We lost 55 men
in that campaign."

While Mr O'Neill accused Mr Kerry of "embroidering and exaggerating
his war", and of "posing and posturing", surprisingly he also
conceded that although publicly he supported specific claims about
the accuracy of Mr Kerry's war record, much of the detail was in
fact lost in the fog of war and conflicting memories.

All the specific charges against Mr Kerry are also contested by
veterans who support him, including Jim Rassman, a Green Beret whom
he pulled from the Mekong River and who is campaigning alongside him
despite intending to vote for President Bush.

The anti-Kerry veterans have alleged that Mr Kerry won a Silver Star
for rescuing a special forces officer while under fire when there
was no enemy fire at the time. They say he secured a Purple Heart
for a minor shrapnel injury which was "self-inflicted" in a non-
combat incident involving a grenade.

He claimed to have killed Viet Cong combatants when, they argue,
records show that the "enemy" were a woman and child. Finally, they
accuse him of shooting a wounded Viet Cong in the back when his
Bronze Star citation had him turning his swift boat into enemy fire
and charging up the river bank.

"The citation has Kerry charging into intensive fire against
overwhelming enemy force - well, he killed a wounded, fleeing kid,"
said Mr O'Neill. "That was fair combat as far as I'm concerned, but
it is the posturing I object to. He should apologise and tell the
truth."

Democrats have pointed out that the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth is
bankrolled by leading Republican fund-raisers in Texas, President
Bush's home state. Partners in Mr O'Neill's successful law firm in
Houston have enjoyed close ties with both the President and Karl
Rove, his chief aide.

Mr O'Neill agreed that he had known the two biggest donors, Harlan
Crow and Bob Perry, for many years. Mr Perry gave the group $200,000
(£110,000) and is also the state's most generous Republican donor.

Doubts were also cast on Mr O'Neill's claim that he usually supports
Democrat candidates when details of his financial support for
politicians were published in the Washington magazine Capitol Hill
Blue last week. Federal Election Commission records revealed that
the Texan lawyer has contributed $14,650 to various Republican
candidates since 1990, yet national and local election data showed
no contributions to Democrat politicians.

But Mr O'Neill denied that he had given money to Republicans, rather
than Democrats. "That story is inaccurate because it focuses only on
the money I have given to local Republican candidates, candidates I
supported because I liked them or their policies and not because
they were Republican," he said.

"I have recently given $20,000 to Democrats running for the Houston
City Council. It is unfair to characterise me as a Bush guy. If the
Democrats had come up with any other candidate, I would not be here
now and I would be back home in Texas."

21 August 2004: Kerry camp fights back as holes appear in veterans'
sniping attacks
20 August 2004: Kerry comes out fighting over his Vietnam record

[kate]

whoa...great artical
_________________
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one of..... We The People

[ord33]

Mr. O'Neill Once Again with a great interview/story, but geez...the press mixed up the Bronze & Silver Star again...But they did a lot better job than some of the US Newspapers have been!