DPMO MEETS WITH POW/MIA FAMILY AND VETERANS GROUPS - ON WEDNESDAY MAY 3, 2000, DEFENSE POW/MIA OFFICE (DPMO) OFFICIALS LED BY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE ROBERT JONES MET WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF POW/MIA FAMILY ORGANIZATIONS AND VETERANS GROUPS TO DISCUSS THE "DPMO FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN" AND THE MISSION AREA ANALYSIS (MAA) DUE FOR COMPLETION IN OCTOBER OF 2000. REPRESENTING THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF FAMILIES WAS ALLIANCE BOARD MEMBER, AND FORMER POW, MICHAEL BENGE.

DPMO STATED THAT THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS DEAD. THEY ALSO STATED THE PLAN WAS NEVER APPROVED BY DEPT. OF DEFENSE (DOD). WE HAVE OUR DOUBTS. ANYONE IN THE POW/MIA ISSUE MORE THEN 5 MINUTES KNOWS, THERE IS DPMO "DEAD" AND THEN THERE IS REALLY DEAD. THE DPMO DEFINITION OF DEAD AND OURS CAN BE TWO TOTALLY DIFFERENT THINGS.

WE HAVE TO ASK, WHY WOULD DPMO HIRE A CONSULTING FIRM TO DO A STUDY ON HOW TO IMPLEMENT THE "UNAPPROVED" AND "DEAD" STRATEGIC PLAN?

WE MUST ALSO ASK, WHY DPMO DIDN'T ANNOUNCE THE PLAN WAS "DEAD" IN ITS MARCH 31ST WEEKLY UPDATE, WHEN IT ACCUSED A CERTAIN ORGANIZATION (US) OF SPREADING "MISINFORMATION." INSTEAD DPMO SAID "ANOTHER MISUNDERSTANDING CENTERS ON SIMILAR LANGUAGE IN A 1998 DRAFT OF THE DPMO STRATEGIC PLAN. THAT DRAFT WAS ONLY ONE OF MANY WORKING DOCUMENTS THAT SENIOR DEFENSE LEADERSHIP USES TO PERIODICALLY EXPLORE MORE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT WAYS TO CARRY OUT THE MISSION OF THE FULLEST POSSIBLE ACCOUNTING." NOT A WORD ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLAN NOT BEING APPROVED OR "DEAD."

FOR THOSE WHO NEED REMINDING, THIS IS WHAT THE STRATEGIC PLAN SAID, IN THE SECTION TITLED "GOALS," ITEM 4 READS: "TRANSITION THE ACCOUNTING PROCESS FOR PRIOR CONFLICTS FROM ACTIVE OPERATIONS TO REACTIVE EFFORTS TRIGGERED BY NEW INFORMATION BY FY 2004."

WE BELIEVE THIS MEETING WAS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE PRESSURE BROUGHT TO BEAR BY YOUR LETTERS, FAXES AND PHONE CALLS. THERE WAS CERTAINLY NO INTENT, BY DPMO TO BRIEF THE FAMILY AND VETERANS GROUPS, WHEN THE STRATEGIC PLAN WAS FIRST PREPARED OR WHEN THE MAA WAS CONTRACTED.

THE MAA - IT HAS BEEN OUR CONTENTION, THAT THE MAA WOULD BE USED TO JUSTIFY THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN. IT IS ALSO OUR CONTENTION THAT IF THE PLAN HAD NOT BEEN PASSED TO US, DPMO WOULD BE MOVING FORWARD UNCHALLENGED. IT SHOULD ALSO BE REMEMBERED THAT NO STEPS WERE SCHEDULED FOR IMPLEMENTATION IN THE YEAR 2000, SO TO SAY NOTHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN THIS YEAR IS NO REASSURANCE.

WE HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE OBJECTIVITY OF THE CONTRACTOR CONDUCTING THE MAA. WE KNOW THAT ANSER IS A NON PROFIT GROUP WHO HAS DONE EXTENSIVE WORK FOR THE U.S. GOVERNMENT. VISIT THE ANSER WEBSITE AT: http://www.anser.org SEE WHAT YOU THINK. MANY OF ITS EMPLOYEES ARE FORMER GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES. MANY OF ITS CONSULTANTS COME FROM THE RANKS OF FORMER GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES. IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO KNOW JUST WHAT FORMER GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES ARE WORKING, OR CONSULTING, FOR ANSER, ON THIS CONTRACT?

IT WAS ANNOUNCED AT THE MAY 3RD MEETING THAT ANSER WILL SEEK INPUT FROM THE POW/MIA FAMILY GROUPS. WE DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS IN THE ORIGINAL PLAN OR CAME ABOUT AS A RESULT OF RECENT PRESSURE. WE ARE GOING TO BE WATCHING DEVELOPMENTS VERY CLOSELY AND WILL KEEP YOU ADVISED.

THE BRIGHT SPOT - THANKS TO THE EFFORTS OF ARTIE MULLER, BOB O'LEARY AND DAVE MURRAY, ALL OF ROLLING THUNDER, CONGRESSMAN JAMES SAXTON (R-NJ) HAS INTRODUCED H.CON. RES 311 CALLING FOR THE UNITED STATES TO "..CONTINUE TO ACTIVELY PURSUE EFFORTS TO ACHIEVE A FULL ACCOUNTING OF UNACCOUNTED FOR PERSONS FROM PAST WAR, INCLUDING RECOVERY AND IDENTIFICATION OF REMAINS..."

IN A LETTER TO J. DAVID MURRAY, CHAIRMAN POW/MIA COMMITTEE NEW JERSEY STATE COUNCIL VVA, DATED APRIL 26, 2000, CONGRESSMAN SAXTON STATED: "...THE DEFENSE POW-MISSING PERSONNEL OFFICE (DPMO) AT THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) HAS DRAFTED A STRATEGIC PLAN THAT PROPOSED TO CONSOLIDATE ITS MISSING PERSONNEL RECOVERY AND ACCOUNTING OPERATIONS. AS A SIDE EFFECT OF THIS SEEMINGLY REASONABLE INITIATIVE TO STREAMLINE ITS OFTEN BUREAUCRATIC OPERATIONS, THE PLAN MAY ACTUALLY RESULT IN A REDUCTION OF EFFORTS

TO RESEARCH, INVESTIGATE, SEARCH FOR AND RECOVER AMERICAN SERVICEMEN LEFT BEHIND IN AMERICAN'S FOREIGN WARS."

"UPON LEARNING OF THE POTENTIALLY HARMFUL EFFECTS OF THE PENTAGON'S PLAN, I DECIDED TO TAKE ACTION AND MAKE A PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKE. I INTRODUCED THE FOLLOWING CONCURRENT RESOLUTION IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ON APRIL 13, 2000, WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE NEW JERSEY CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION...."

A PRESS RELEASE FROM CONGRESSMAN SAXTON'S OFFICE TITLED "ADMINISTRATION CONSIDERS REDUCING SEARCH FOR POWS & MIAS IN KOREAN , VIETNAM WARS," DATED APRIL 13, 2000 STATED; "SAXTON HAS LEARNED THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (DOD) HAS DRAFTED A PLAN TO CONSOLIDATE ITS EFFORTS, A PLAN SAXTON SAYS MAY HURT THE EFFORT TO RECOVER POWS AND MIAS. THE PLAN, IF IMPLEMENTED, COULD SCALE DOWN PERSONNEL RECOVERY AND ACCOUNTING OPERATIONS CURRENTLY DONE BY DOD. THE REDUCTION WOULD BE DONE BY 2004."

THE PRESS RELEASE CONTINUED; " THE SEARCH MUST GO ON, " SAXTON SAID. "THERE IS NO ALTERNATIVE. THESE SEARCHES ARE QUESTS FOR CLOSURE AS MUCH AS FOR REMAINS. THEY COULD BRING PEACE IN THE MINDS OF FAMILIES. HOPE IS PRICELESS. WE NEED TO KEEP LOOKING. THE WOUNDS OF THESE WARS ARE STILL MENDING FOR MANY AMERICANS. AS LONG AS THERE ARE LEADS TO RESOLVING THE STATUS OF OUR POWS MIAS, WE MUCH CONTINUE TO SEARCH FOR THOSE LEFT BEHIND. AS LONG AS WE SEARCH, THERE IS HOPE."

WE KNEW IT, WE KNEW IT - THERE JUST HAD TO BE A CONGRESSMAN OUT THERE THAT WOULD PUT OUT THE EXTRA EFFORT TO CONFIRM OUR INFORMATION, REGARDING DPMO PLANS FOR THE FUTURE. WE KNEW THAT SOMEWHERE A CONGRESSMAN WOULD ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS AND NOT LIKE THE ANSWERS. WE OWE AN BIG THANKS TO CONGRESSMAN JIM SAXTON.

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CO-SPONSORS - H.CON. RES. 311 NEEDS THEM! WRITE YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE NOW! ASK THAT HE OR SHE BECOME A CO-SPONSOR OF H.CON RES. 311. SEND YOUR LETTERS TO YOUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVE AT U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE, WASHINGTON D.C. 20515.

IT IS BECAUSE OF YOUR EFFORTS, THAT WE HAVE A CHANCE TO STOP THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN, AS WRITTEN. YOU HAVE GOTTEN US THIS FAR. H. CON. RES 311 WILL SEND THE MESSAGE WE NEED. THIS TIME PEOPLE ARE LISTENING. MAKE YOUR VOICES HEARD.

REMEMBER YOU ARE THE LAST VOICE FOR OUR POW/MIAS AND THE CLOCK IS TICKING

THERE IS DEAD AND THERE IS DEAD - WE HOPE YOU ALL SAW THE EXCELLENT PIECE ON CBS "60 MINUTES II" DETAILING THE CASE OF GULF WAR POW/MIA MICHAEL SCOTT SPEICHER. CBS DETAILED THE LIES TOLD TO THE SPEICHER FAMILY, THE FAILURE TO MOUNT EVEN A MINIMAL SEARCH EFFORT, THE FACT THAT PILOTS FLYING THAT NIGHT WERE EQUIPPED WITH RADIO EQUIPMENT THAT WOULD NOT STAY WITH THEM IF THEY WERE FORCED TO EJECT. THEY DETAILED OPPORTUNITIES NOT TAKEN TO EXAMINE THE CRASH SITE, BECAUSE IN THE WORDS OF THEN CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF, GENERAL JOHN SHALIKASHVILI, "I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE TO WRITE LETTERS HOME TO THE PARENTS TO TELL THEM THAT THEIR SON OR DAUGHTER DIED LOOKING FOR OLD BONES.'"

THE FOLLOWING IS EXCERPTED FROM THE CBS STORY - (CBS) ON JANUARY 17, 1991, THE FIRST NIGHT OF THE GULF WAR, LIEUTENANT COMMANDER MICHAEL SCOTT SPEICHER WAS SHOT DOWN OVER IRAQ. HE BECAME THE CONFLICT'S FIRST AMERICAN CASUALTY. BUT THERE'S ONE PROBLEM: THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT HE IS DEAD."

"...THERE WERE DEFINITE SIGNS SPEICHER COULD HAVE SURVIVED AN EJECTION. BUT WHEN THE CRASH TEAM RETURNED THE PENTAGON SAID THAT THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE THAT SPEICHER HAD SURVIVED. IN FACT, THE INVESTIGATORS REPORTED THAT THE CRASH SITE PROVIDED NO EVIDENCE SPEICHER HAD DIED. THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT NOW GRUDGINGLY ACKNOWLEDGES THIS..."

"..BUT IF SPEICHER SURVIVED THE CRASH, WHY DIDN'T HE SEND A RESCUE CALL ON HIS RADIO? PILOTS ARE REPEATEDLY DRILLED ON THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING THEIR RADIOS WITH THEM AT ALL TIMES DURING CRASHES. IT IS THE KEY TO GETTING RESCUED. MINUTES BEFORE SPEICHER TOOK OFF, THE PILOTS HAD BEEN GIVEN NEW RADIOS. THESE RADIOS WERE LARGER THAN THE PREVIOUS MODELS, AND DIDN'T FIT IN THE VEST POCKET THAT HAD HELD THE EARLIER MODELS. EVEN BEFORE THE MISSION, THE

SIZE OF THE RADIOS WORRIED TED PHAGAN, WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF THE PILOTS' RADIOS. "AS THE PILOTS ARE WALKING OUT I'M TELLING THEM, 'YOU'RE GONNA LOSE THIS RADIO IF YOU HAVE TO EJECT,'" HE RECALLS. PHAGAN THINKS SPEICHER LOST HIS RADIO WHEN HE EJECTED. (BY THE SECOND LAUNCH, PHAGAN HAD FIXED THE PROBLEM WITH A NEW FLAP.)..."

"...AMERICAN INVESTIGATORS SAY AN IRAQI DEFECTOR WHO HAD RECENTLY ESCAPED TO JORDAN TOLD THEM THAT IN THE FIRST DAYS OF THE WAR, HE HAD DRIVEN AN AMERICAN PILOT FROM THE DESERT TO BAGHDAD AND THE AUTHORITIES. THE PILOT, HE SAYS, WAS ALIVE, ALERT, AND WEARING A FLIGHT SUIT. THE DEFECTOR POINTED SPEICHER OUT IN A PHOTO LINEUP, AND PASSED TWO LIE DETECTOR TESTS...."

"...THE CASE MAY NEVER BE SOLVED. ADMIRAL ARTHUR IS TORMENTED BY THE QUESTION OF WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FLIER. "MY WORST FEAR WAS WHAT HAPPENS IF SOMEDAY HE SHOWS UP IN BAGHDAD ON A TV SCREEN AND IT'S A SURPRISE TO EVERYBODY," SAYS ARTHUR. "HOW WOULD YOU EXPLAIN THAT?"

INTERESTING COMMENT - WE RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING COMMENT REGARDING THIS STORY, VIA EMAIL. IT SAID; "THE LAST LINE IN THIS INTERESTING, YET HAUNTINGLY FAMILIAR, STORY IS, "HOW WOULD YOU EXPLAIN THAT?"... I WOULD HAVE TO SAY IN THE VERY SAME WAY THAT UNCLE SAM EXPLAINS EVERY MILITARY CLUSTER ****: "CATCH ME,... DISPLAY INCONTROVERTIBLE EVIDENCE THAT THERE WAS A SCREW UP,... DEMAND THAT I ADMIT I SCREWED UP,... THEN I SIMPLY CONTINUE TO DENY, DENY, DENY." WHAT THE HELL... IT WORKED IN VIETNAM."

OUR COMPLAINT - THE ONLY PROBLEM WE HAD WITH THE CBS STORY IS THAT THEY REPORT THE GOVERNMENT DECLARING SPEICHER DEAD WITHOUT EVIDENCE AS IF IT WERE SOMETHING UNUSUAL. LITTLE DO THEY KNOW THAT IT IS "SOP" AT DOD.

"THE WAR RECORDS A SENATOR DOESN'T WANT YOU TO SEE." - FOR THE FIRST TIME IN SEVERAL YEARS, NOTED AUTHOR, PULITZER PRIZE WINNER AND APBNEWS.COM EDITOR SYDNEY H. SCHANBERG HAS WRITTEN ON THE POW/MIA ISSUE. MANY REMEMBER THE EXCELLENT SERIES HE DID DURING THE HEARINGS OF THE SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON POW/MIA AFFAIRS.

HIS LATEST ARTICLE PUBLISHED BY APBNEWS.COM IS TITLED "THE WAR RECORDS A SENATOR DOESN'T WANT YOU TO SEE." ACCORDING TO APBNEWS.COM, THE ARTICLE "DETAILS HOW FORMER PRISONER OF WAR SEN. JOHN S. MCCAIN HAS WAGED A PROTRACTED CAMPAIGN TO DENY THE U.S. PUBLIC ACCESS TO KEY PORTIONS OF THE GOVERNMENT'S PRISONER OF WAR AND MISSING IN ACTION FILES..."

"...THE WITHHELD TROVE OF CLASSIFIED POW/MIA RECORDS IS BELIEVED BY MANY TO DOCUMENT HOW AMERICAN POWS WERE KNOWINGLY LEFT BEHIND IN SOUTHEAST ASIA BY U.S. POLITICAL AND MILITARY LEADERS WHO CARRIED OUT AMERICA'S HURRIED 1973 WITHDRAWAL FROM THE WAR. THE FILES ARE ALSO BELIEVED TO SHOW HOW THE PENTAGON AND U.S. INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES SYSTEMATICALLY IGNORED, HID OR DESTROYED INFORMATION ABOUT SIGHTINGS OF MISSING AMERICAN SERVICEMEN SINCE THAT TIME. GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS HAVE DENIED BOTH ASSERTIONS...."

FROM "THE WAR SECRETS SEN. JOHN MCCAIN HIDES FORMER POW FIGHTS PUBLIC ACCESS TO POW/MIA FILES" DATED APRIL 25, 2000, BY BY SYDNEY SCHANBERG

NEW YORK (APBNEWS.COM) -- THE VOTERS WHO WERE DRAWN TO JOHN S. MCCAIN IN HIS RUN FOR THE REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL NOMINATION THIS YEAR OFTEN CITED, AS THE CORE OF HIS APPEAL, HIS OPENNESS AND BLUNT CANDOR AND WILLINGNESS TO ADMIT PAST LAPSES AND RELEASE DOCUMENTS THAT OTHER SENATORS OFTEN HOLD BACK. THESE QUALITIES ALSO SEEMED TO ENDEAR MCCAIN TO THE CAMPAIGN PRESS CORPS, MANY OF WHOM WROTE ABOUT HOW REFRESHING IT WAS TO TRAVEL ON THE MCCAIN CAMPAIGN BUS, "THE STRAIGHT TALK EXPRESS," AND OBSERVE A MAVERICK SPEAKING HIS MIND

RATHER THAN A TRADITIONAL CANDIDATE GIVEN TO OBFUSCATION AND SPIN.

BUT THERE WAS ONE SUBJECT THAT WAS OFF-LIMITS, A SUBJECT THE ARIZONA SENATOR ALMOST NEVER BRINGS UP AND HAS NEVER BEEN OPEN ABOUT -- HIS LONG-TIME OPPOSITION TO RELEASING DOCUMENTS AND INFORMATION ABOUT AMERICAN PRISONERS OF WAR IN VIETNAM AND THE MISSING IN ACTION WHO HAVE STILL NOT BEEN ACCOUNTED FOR...."

"...HIS STAUNCH RESISTANCE TO LAYING OPEN THE POW/MIA RECORDS HAS BAFFLED COLLEAGUES AND OTHERS WHO HAVE FOLLOWED HIS CAREER. CRITICS SAY HIS ANTI-DISCLOSURE CAMPAIGN, IN CLOSE COOPERATION WITH THE PENTAGON AND THE INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY, HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL. LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF DOCUMENTS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE BEEN DECLASSIFIED LONG AGO HAVE BEEN LEGISLATED INTO SECRECY...."

"FOR EXAMPLE, ALL THE PENTAGON DEBRIEFINGS OF THE PRISONERS WHO RETURNED FROM VIETNAM ARE NOW CLASSIFIED AND CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC UNDER A STATUTE ENACTED IN THE 1990S WITH MCCAIN'S BACKING. HE SAYS THIS IS TO PROTECT THE PRIVACY OF FORMER POWS AND GIVES IT AS HIS REASON FOR NOT MAKING PUBLIC HIS OWN DEBRIEFING...".

"...DEBRIEFINGS FROM RETURNING KOREAN WAR POWS, AVAILABLE IN FULL TO THE AMERICAN PUBLIC, HAVE PROVIDED BOTH CITIZENS AND GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATORS WITH IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT OTHER AMERICANS WHO WENT MISSING IN THAT CONFLICT...."

"OVER THE YEARS IN WASHINGTON, MCCAIN, AT TIMES ALMOST SINGLE-HANDEDLY, HAS PUSHED THROUGH PENTAGON-DESIRED LEGISLATION TO MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE OR MUCH HARDER FOR THE PUBLIC TO ACQUIRE POW/MIA INFORMATION AND MUCH EASIER FOR THE DEFENSE BUREAUCRACY TO KEEP IT HIDDEN."

"IN 1989, 11 MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES INTRODUCED A MEASURE THEY CALLED "THE TRUTH BILL." A BRIEF AND SIMPLE DOCUMENT, IT SAID: "[THE] HEAD OF EACH DEPARTMENT OR AGENCY WHICH HOLDS OR RECEIVES ANY RECORDS AND INFORMATION, INCLUDING LIVE-SIGHTING REPORTS, WHICH HAVE BEEN CORRELATED OR POSSIBLY CORRELATED TO UNITED STATES PERSONNEL LISTED AS PRISONER OF WAR OR MISSING IN ACTION FROM WORLD WAR II, THE KOREAN CONFLICT AND THE VIETNAM CONFLICT SHALL MAKE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC ALL SUCH RECORDS AND INFORMATION HELD OR RECEIVED BY THAT DEPARTMENT OR AGENCY. IN ADDITION, THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SHALL MAKE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC WITH ITS RECORDS AND INFORMATION A COMPLETE LISTING OF UNITED STATES PERSONNEL CLASSIFIED AS PRISONER OF WAR, MISSING IN ACTION, OR KILLED IN ACTION (BODY NOT RETURNED) FROM WORLD WAR II, THE KOREAN CONFLICT, AND THE VIETNAM CONFLICT."

"BITTERLY OPPOSED BY THE PENTAGON, "THE TRUTH BILL" GOT NOWHERE. IT WAS REINTRODUCED IN THE NEXT CONGRESS IN 1991 -- AND AGAIN DISAPPEARED. THEN, SUDDENLY, OUT OF THE SENATE, BIRTHED BY THE ARIZONA SENATOR, A NEW PIECE OF LEGISLATION EMERGED. IT WAS CALLED "THE MCCAIN BILL." THIS MEASURE TURNED "THE TRUTH BILL" ON ITS HEAD. IT CREATED A BUREAUCRATIC MAZE FROM WHICH ONLY A FRACTION OF THE AVAILABLE DOCUMENTS COULD EMERGE. AND IT BECAME LAW. SO RESTRICTIVE WERE ITS PROVISIONS THAT ONE CLAUSE ACTUALLY SAID THE PENTAGON DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TO INFORM THE PUBLIC WHEN IT RECEIVED INTELLIGENCE THAT AMERICANS WERE ALIVE IN CAPTIVITY."

"FIRST, IT DECREED THAT ONLY THREE CATEGORIES OF INFORMATION COULD BE RELEASED, I.E., "INFORMATION ... THAT MAY PERTAIN TO THE LOCATION, TREATMENT, OR CONDITION OF" UNACCOUNTED-FOR PERSONNEL FROM THE VIETNAM WAR. (THIS WAS LATER AMENDED IN 1995 AND 1996 TO INCLUDE THE COLD WAR AND THE KOREAN CONFLICT.) IF INFORMATION IS RECEIVED ABOUT

ANYTHING OTHER THAN "LOCATION, TREATMENT OR CONDITION," UNDER THIS STATUTE, WHICH WAS ENACTED IN DECEMBER 199L, IT DOES NOT GET DISCLOSED...."

"SECOND, BEFORE SUCH INFORMATION CAN BE RELEASED TO THE PUBLIC, PERMISSION MUST BE GRANTED BY THE PRIMARY NEXT OF KIN, OR PNOK. IN THE CASE OF VIETNAM, LETTERS WERE SENT BY THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TO THE 2,266 PNOK. MORE THAN 600 DECLINED CONSENT (INCLUDING 243 WHO FAILED TO RESPOND, CONSIDERED UNDER THE LAW TO BE A "NO"). "

"FINALLY, IN ADDITION TO THESE HURDLES AND LIMITATIONS, THE MCCAIN ACT DOES NOT SPECIFICALLY ORDER THE DECLASSIFICATION OF THE INFORMATION. FURTHER, IT PROVIDES THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT WITH OTHER JUSTIFICATIONS FOR WITHHOLDING DOCUMENTS. ONE SUCH CLAUSE SAYS THAT IF THE INFORMATION "MAY COMPROMISE THE SAFETY OF ANY UNITED STATES PERSONNEL ... WHO REMAIN NOT ACCOUNTED FOR BUT WHO MAY STILL BE ALIVE IN CAPTIVITY, THEN THE SECRETARY [OF

DEFENSE] MAY WITHHOLD THAT RECORD OR OTHER INFORMATION FROM THE DISCLOSURE OTHERWISE REQUIRED BY THIS SECTION."

"BOILED DOWN, THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPH MEANS THAT THE DEFENSE DEPARTMENT IS NOT OBLIGATED TO TELL THE PUBLIC ABOUT PRISONERS BELIEVED ALIVE IN CAPTIVITY AND WHAT EFFORTS ARE BEING MADE TO RESCUE THEM. IT ONLY HAS TO NOTIFY THE WHITE HOUSE AND THE INTELLIGENCE COMMITTEES IN THE SENATE AND HOUSE. THE COMMITTEES ARE FORBIDDEN UNDER LAW FROM RELEASING SUCH INFORMATION."

"AT THE SAME TIME, THE MCCAIN ACT IS NOW BEING USED TO DENY ACCESS TO OTHER SORTS OF RECORDS. FOR INSTANCE, PART OF A RECENT APBNEWS.COM FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUEST FOR THE RECORDS OF A MUTINY ON MERCHANT MARINE VESSEL IN THE 1970S WAS REJECTED BY A DEFENSE DEPARTMENT OFFICIAL WHO CITED THE MCCAIN ACT. SIMILARLY, REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION ABOUT AMERICANS MISSING IN THE KOREAN WAR AND DECLARED DEAD FOR THE LAST 45 YEARS HAVE BEEN DENIED BY OFFICIALS WHO REFERENCE THE MCCAIN STATUTE."

"AND THEN THERE IS THE MISSING SERVICE PERSONNEL ACT, WHICH MCCAIN SUCCEEDED IN GUTTING IN 1996. A YEAR BEFORE, THE ACT HAD BEEN STRENGTHENED, WITH BIPARTISAN SUPPORT, TO COMPEL THE PENTAGON TO DEPLOY MORE RESOURCES WITH GREATER SPEED TO LOCATE AND RESCUE MISSING MEN. THE MEASURE IMPOSED STRICT REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. MCCAIN AMENDED THE HEART OUT OF THE STATUTE. FOR EXAMPLE, THE 1995 VERSION REQUIRED A UNIT COMMANDER TO REPORT TO HIS THEATER COMMANDER WITHIN TWO DAYS THAT A PERSON WAS MISSING AND DESCRIBE WHAT RESCUE AND RECOVERY EFFORTS WERE UNDERWAY. THE MCCAIN AMENDMENTS ALLOWED 10 DAYS TO PASS BEFORE A REPORT HAD TO BE MADE..."

"IN THE 1995 ACT, THE THEATER COMMANDER, AFTER RECEIVING THE MIA REPORT, WOULD HAVE 14 DAYS TO REPORT TO HIS CABINET SECRETARY IN WASHINGTON. HIS REPORT HAD TO "CERTIFY" THAT ALL NECESSARY ACTIONS WERE BEING TAKEN AND ALL APPROPRIATE ASSETS WERE BEING USED "TO RESOLVE THE STATUS OF THE MISSING PERSON." THIS SECTION WAS STRICKEN FROM

THE ACT, REPLACED WITH LANGUAGE THAT MADE THE CABINET SECRETARY, NOT THE THEATER COMMANDER, THE RECIPIENT OF THE REPORT FROM THE FIELD. ALL THE CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS ALSO WERE STRICKEN."

""THIS," SAID A MCCAIN MEMO, "TRANSFERS THE BUREAUCRACY INVOLVED OUT OF THE FIELD TO WASHINGTON." HE ARGUED THAT THE ORIGINAL LEGISLATION, IF LEFT INTACT, "WOULD ACCOMPLISH NOTHING BUT CREATE NEW JOBS FOR LAWYERS AND TURN MILITARY COMMANDERS INTO CLERKS."

"...ONE FINAL EVISCERATION IN THE LAW WAS MCCAIN'S REMOVAL OF ALL ITS ENFORCEMENT TEETH. THE ORIGINAL ACT PROVIDED FOR CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR ANYONE, SUCH AS MILITARY BUREAUCRATS IN WASHINGTON, WHO DESTROY OR COVER UP OR WITHHOLD FROM FAMILIES ANY INFORMATION ABOUT A MISSING MAN. MCCAIN ERASED THIS PART OF THE LAW. HE SAID THE PENALTIES WOULD HAVE A CHILLING EFFECT ON THE PENTAGON'S ABILITY TO RECRUIT PERSONNEL FOR ITS POW/MIA OFFICE...."

DISCUSSING THE HEARINGS OF THE SENATE SELECT COMMITTEE ON POW/MIA AFFAIR, SCHANBERG WRITES; "IT BECAME CLEAR OVER THE MONTHS OF HEARINGS AND SPARRINGS THAT THE PRIMARY GOAL OF THE KERRY-MCCAIN ALLIANCE WAS TO CLEAR THE WAY FOR NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS WITH VIETNAM. THEY DID IT IN TWO WAYS -- FIRST, BY REGULARLY PRAISING HANOI FOR ITS "COOPERATION" IN THE SEARCH FOR INFORMATION ABOUT THE UNACCOUNTED-FOR PRISONERS AND THEN BY MINIMIZING AND SUPPRESSING THE VOLUME OF EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY THAT HAD BEEN UNEARTHED BY THE COMMITTEE'S STAFF INVESTIGATORS."

"KERRY AND MCCAIN ALSO TRIED, AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY, TO RECAST THE ISSUE AS A DEBATE ABOUT HOW MANY MEN COULD STILL BE ALIVE TODAY, INSTEAD OF THE REAL ISSUE AT STAKE: HOW MANY MEN WERE ALIVE IN 1973 AFTER THE 591 WERE RETURNED? "

"ALTHOUGH MUCH EVIDENCE WAS KEPT OUT OF THE COMMITTEE'S FINAL REPORT IN JANUARY 1993, ENOUGH OF IT, ALBEIT WATERED DOWN BY THE COMMITTEE'S MAJORITY, WAS INSERTED BY THE DETERMINED STAFF TO DEMONSTRATE CONCLUSIVELY THAT ALL THE PRISONERS HAD NOT COME HOME. STILL, IF THE READER DIDN'T PLOW THROUGH THE ENTIRE 1,223-PAGE REPORT BUT SCANNED JUST THE BRIEF CONCLUSIONS IN THE 43-PAGE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AT THE BEGINNING, HE OR SHE WOULD HAVE

FOUND ONLY A WEAK AND PALLID STATEMENT SAYING THAT THERE WAS "EVIDENCE ... THAT INDICATES THE POSSIBILITY OF SURVIVAL, AT LEAST FOR A SMALL NUMBER" AFTER THE REPATRIATION OF 1973. ON PAGE 468 OF THE REPORT, MCCAIN PROVIDED HIS OWN PERSONAL STATEMENT, SAYING THAT "WE FOUND NO COMPELLING EVIDENCE TO PROVE THAT AMERICANS ARE ALIVE IN CAPTIVITY TODAY. THERE IS SOME EVIDENCE -- THOUGH NO PROOF -- TO SUGGEST ONLY THE POSSIBILITY THAT A FEW AMERICANS MAY HAVE BEEN KEPT BEHIND AFTER THE END OF AMERICAN'S MILITARY INVOLVEMENT IN VIETNAM."

"AND EVEN THESE MEAGER CONCESSIONS WERE NOT VOLUNTARY. THEY HAD BEEN FORCED BY THE SWORN PUBLIC TESTIMONY BEFORE THE SENATE COMMITTEE OF TWO FORMER DEFENSE SECRETARIES FROM THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION, MELVIN LAIRD AND JAMES SCHLESINGER. BOTH THESE MEN TESTIFIED THAT THEY BELIEVED IN 1973, FROM STRONG INTELLIGENCE DATA, THAT A NUMBER OF PRISONERS IN VIETNAM AND LAOS HAD NOT BEEN RETURNED. THEIR TESTIMONY HAS NEVER BEEN CHALLENGED. SCHLESINGER, BEFORE BECOMING DEFENSE SECRETARY, HAD BEEN THE CIA DIRECTOR.

DURING HIS COMMITTEE APPEARANCE, SCHLESINGER WAS ASKED WHY NIXON WOULD HAVE ACCEPTED THE PRISONERS BEING HELD BACK IN 1973. HE REPLIED: "ONE MUST ASSUME THAT WE HAD CONCLUDED THAT THE BARGAINING POSITION OF THE UNITED STATES ... WAS QUITE WEAK. WE WERE ANXIOUS TO GET OUR TROOPS OUT AND WE WERE NOT GOING TO ROIL THE WATERS ..." THEN HE WAS ASKED "A VERY SIMPLE QUESTION. IN YOUR VIEW, DID WE LEAVE MEN BEHIND?"

"I THINK THAT AS OF NOW," REPLIED THE FORMER PENTAGON SECRETARY, "THAT I CAN COME TO NO OTHER CONCLUSION [THAT] ... SOME WERE LEFT BEHIND." THE PRESS WENT ALONG ONCE AGAIN WITH THE DEBUNKERS. THE SCHLESINGER-LAIRD TESTIMONY, WHICH SEEMED A BOMBSHELL, BECAME BUT A ONE-DAY STORY IN THE NATION'S MAJOR MEDIA. THE PRESS NEVER FOLLOWED IT UP TO EXPLORE ITS IMPLICATIONS."

"ON JAN. 26, 1994, WHEN A RESOLUTION ARDENTLY BACKED BY MCCAIN AND KERRY CAME UP IN THE SENATE CALLING FOR THE LIFTING OF THE TWO-DECADE-OLD ECONOMIC EMBARGO AGAINST VIETNAM, SOME MEMBERS -- IN AN EFFORT TO STALL THE MEASURE -- TRIED TO PRESENT NEW EVIDENCE ABOUT MEN LEFT BEHIND."

"MCCAIN ROSE TO HIS FEET AND, OFFERING NO REBUTTAL EVIDENCE OF HIS OWN, PROCEEDED TO CHIDE "THE PROFESSIONAL MALCONTENTS, CONSPIRACY MONGERS, CON ARTISTS AND DIME-STORE RAMBOS WHO ATTEND THIS ISSUE." THE RESOLUTION PASSED, 62-38."

"THESE DAYS, THE PENTAGON SEEMS TO BE MOVING TOWARD CLOSING ITS POW/MIA BOOKS COMPLETELY. IN RECENT STATEMENTS AND REPORTS, IT HAS BEGUN DESCRIBING PRISONERS NOT AS POWS BUT AS IPS -- ISOLATED PERSONNEL."

"AND IN A 1999 BOOKLET, THE PENTAGON SAID: "BY THE END OF THE YEAR 2004, WE WILL HAVE MOVED FROM THE WAY THE US GOVERNMENT CONDUCTS THE BUSINESS OF RECOVERY AND ACCOUNTING [NOW] TO AN ACTIVE PROGRAM OF LOSS PREVENTION, IMMEDIATE RESCUES, AND RAPID POST-HOSTILITY ACCOUNTING."

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SERVICEMEN ACCOUNTED FOR - ANDRES "ANDY" GARCIA - FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS - "CARLSBAD, N.M. (AP) -- SOME TIME LATER THIS MONTH, THE REMAINS OF ONE OF THE LAST SERVICEMEN KILLED IN VIETNAM WILL BE RETURNED TO NEW MEXICO FOR A FULL MILITARY BURIAL. ON MAY 15, 1975, ANDRES "ANDY" GARCIA WAS ONE OF 18 AMERICANS LOST OR KILLED IN A FAILED ATTEMPT TO RESCUE AN AMERICAN CARGO SHIP ON A SMALL ISLAND NEAR CAMBODIA."

"IT WAS CALLED THE MAYAGUEZ INCIDENT, HISTORICALLY CONSIDERED THE LAST BATTLE OF THE CONFLICT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA. THE SERVICEMEN, 14 OF THEM MARINES, ARE CONSIDERED TO BE THE FINAL AMERICAN CASUALTIES OF THE WAR."

"GARCIA, 20, WAS PRONOUNCED LEGALLY DEAD -- BUT HIS REMAINS WERE NEVER RECOVERED. NEARLY 25 YEARS LATER, ON MARCH 20, THE GARCIA FAMILY RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE MARINES. "BASICALLY, THEY CALLED AND SAID HIS REMAINS HAVE BEEN FOUND AND ARE GOING TO BE RETURNED FOR BURIAL," ANDY'S SISTER, ANITA GARCIA YBABEN, SAID...."

"....THE MILITARY IS CLOSE TO IDENTIFYING SEVERAL OTHERS OF THE AMERICANS LOST IN THE ABORTIVE 1975 RAID TO RESCUE THE CREW OF THE CARGO SHIP MAYAGUEZ, SEIZED BY KHMER ROUGE GUERRILLAS AT CAMBODIA'S KOH TANG ISLAND. THE REMAINS WERE RECOVERED IN NOVEMBER 1995. THE MERCHANT SHIP WAS ON ITS WAY TO THAILAND AND HAD BEEN CARRYING A NON-ARMS CARGO FOR MILITARY BASES. IT HAD BEEN SAILING WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF INTERNATIONAL WATERS, BUT THE KHMER ROUGE HAD RECENTLY CLAIMED TERRITORIAL WATERS 90 MILES FROM THE COAST OF CAMBODIA."

JIMMY BUTLER - "FRIENDS, FAMILY BID FAREWELL TO VIETNAM WAR CASUALTY" BY ALLISON WILLIAMS "IT HAS BEEN A LONG TRIP -- 30 YEARS AND THOUSANDS OF MILES. BROTHERS, SISTERS, COUSINS, NIECES AND NEPHEWS HAVE SINCE GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE ,MARRIED, HAD CHILDREN. THEY WONDERED WHAT HAPPENED TO CHIEF WARRANT OFFICER JIMMY BUTLER AFTER HIS RECONNAISSANCE PLANE DISAPPEARED FROM THE SKY ON MARCH 20, 1970. THEY WAITED FOR HIM TO RETURN FROM SOUTH VIETNAM."

"ON SUNDAY AFTERNOON -- THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE END OF THE WAR -- THEY LOWERED BUTLER'S CASKET IN THE GROUND NEXT TO HIS FATHER, RAYMOND BUTLER. "IT'S GOING TO BE CLOSURE,"SAID PATRICIA BUTLER, JIMMY BUTLER'S SISTER-IN-LAW, BEFORE SUNDAY'S FUNERAL. "HIS REMAINS WILL BE AT HOME. BEFORE,YOU JUST DIDN'T KNOW...."

PROGRAMING OF NOTE - THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL WILL PRESENT "SEIZED AT SEA - SITUATION CRITICAL" THE STORY OF THE SEIZURE OF THE USS MAYAGUEZ AND THE ILL FATED RESCUE OPERATION TO FREE HER CREW. AIR DATE IS MAY 14TH AT 8:00 P.M. EASTERN. CHECK YOU LOCAL LISTINGS FOR TIME IN YOUR AREA.

WHY DOES JOHNNIE WEBB STILL HAVE A JOB?

VIETNAM CRITICIZED FOR SILENCING DISSIDENTS - MAY 3, 2000 FROM REUTERS HANOI "VIETNAM'S HUMAN RIGHTS RECORD STILL FALLS FAR SHORT OF INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS DESPITE IMPROVEMENTS SINCE THE COUNTRY OPENED UP TO THE OUTSIDE WORLD IN THE LATE 1980S, A LEADING U.S.-BASED RIGHTS GROUP SAID.

THE HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, IN A REPORT RELEASED WEDNESDAY AND REJECTED BY COMMUNIST VIETNAM AS "BIASED", SAID FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND ASSOCIATION AND OTHER BASIC RIGHTS WERE SERIOUSLY CONSTRAINED. THE THREAT OF IMPRISONMENT REMAINED REAL FOR THOSE WHO PUBLICLY CHALLENGED THE RULING COMMUNIST PARTY, IT SAID.

"DISSIDENTS OF ALL KINDS ARE LESS FREQUENTLY IMPRISONED THAN IN THE PAST," SAID MIKE JENDRZEJCZYK, WASHINGTON DIRECTOR OF THE ASIA DIVISION OF HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH. "INSTEAD THEY ARE SUBJECTED TO LESS OVERT FORMS OF HARASSMENT AND INTIMIDATION, INCLUDING SURVEILLANCE AND RESTRICTION OF THEIR FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT OR THEIR ABILITY TO WORK," HE SAID IN A SUMMARY OF THE 34-PAGE REPORT.

VIIETNAM WARTIME PM PHAM VAN DONG DEAD - MAY 2, 2000, FROM RETUERS HANOI - "VIETNAM'S ELDER STATESMAN AND WARTIME PRIME MINISTER PHAM VAN DONG, ONE OF THE COUNTRY'S MOST PROMINENT 20TH CENTURY FIGURES, HAS DIED, A DIPLOMATIC SOURCE SAID ON TUESDAY. THE SOURCE SAID DONG, WHO WAS IN HIS MID 90S, DIED ON SATURDAY, THE DAY BEFORE THE COUNTRY CELEBRATED THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE COMMUNIST VICTORY IN THE VIETNAM WAR....

"...DONG RANKED IN TERMS OF STATURE ALONGSIDE MILITARY LEGEND GENERAL VO NGUYEN GIAP, AND WAS CONSIDERED CLOSE TO VIETNAM'S LATE REVOLUTIONARY LEADER HO CHI MINH. HE WAS THE PUBLIC FACE AND VOICE OF NORTH VIETNAM DURING THE DECADE-LONG VIETNAM WAR, RELYING ON HIS CONSIDERABLE DIPLOMATIC SKILLS TO FURTHER HANOI'S CAUSE...."

NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF FAMILIES ELEVENTH ANNUAL FORUM IS SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 22TH - 24TH, 2000, AT THE WYNDHAM HOTEL, WASHINGTON, D.C. (SAME AS LAST YEAR.) ROOM RATES ARE $105.00 PER NIGHT. FOR RESERVATIONS CALL 202-775-0800. CONTRIBUTIONS ARE NEEDED TO FINANCE OUR FORUM. DONATIONS MAY BE MAILED TO:

NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF FAMILIES

P.O. BOX 40327

BELLEVUE, WA. 98015.

REMEMBER ALL CONTRIBUTIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

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