Kerry was in Cambodia, before he wasn't. At which time, he was with the CIA, just before he was. In Cambodia...umm, Chewbacca!

The Left-wing MSM ALL published one version (or another) of Kerry's Christmas In Cabodia yarn.

Yet they REFUSE to cover the discrepancies in that yarn.

This PROVES they're biased FOR Kerry: because if the yarn was good enough to initially publish, then the "fisking" of that yarn is MORE THAN good enough for publication, too.

This is some good compilation work Paul. I am going to be watching this story. All partisan jokes aside, it will be interesting to see how it works out.
And if it turns out he WAS in Cambodian waters in '68, I am sure you guys will cover that with equal vigor right? I will touch on this subject on my Blog today.

I think he's busted, hard, on this, but one thing in one version has been bugging me: the drunk South Vietnamese soldiers celebrating Christmas by busting off caps. When did Christian missionaries overrun Vietnam? When I first read that version the old Bob Geldolf charity tune kicked right into its chorus in my skull.

I think what maybe surprises me the most is that Kerry has been using the rather absurdly checkable non-fact that in December 1968, the evil Nixon administration's secret war in Cambodia was well underway, even though Nixon was a mere President-Elect at that time!

But then again, we've got contemporary commentators criticizing George W. Bush for not immediately doing something about the USS Cole attack, notwithstanding the fact that he was governor of Texas at the time....

None of this matters much since Kerry will be assassinated by Bush operatives who will make it look like al Qaeda did it. Or is that assassinated by al Qaeda who will make it look like Bush operatives did it? I'm so confused! Anyway it must be true since I read it on DU.

Kerry's already pulled away from the Cambodia story with Tour of Duty. That's the one thing that I think people aren't catching. Kerry's personally chosen biographer couldn't or wouldn't back up the story. That's where any notion that Kerry's going to be able to come up with evidence that he was in fact in Cambodia hits reality.

Thanks for the links, Paul!

Here's another; the local depository library has the 1991 Kerry POW Senate Report on microfilm, he mentions the previous vists on page one, image attached.

http://free.prohosting.com/cyberdog/c.jpg
http://free.prohosting.com/cyberdog/p1.JPG

Author: John F. Kerry
July 1991

Trip to Thailand Cabodia and Vietnam

here's the relevant part on page 1
"... During the war, military operations had carried me throughout many of the waterways and coast lines of southern Vietnam and even, occasionally, into Cambodia. "

images of these pages to follow

Here's the refernce info, so you can make your own copy.

1750.
Author: Kerry, John, 1943-
Title: Trip to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam report to the Committee
on Foreign Relations, United States Senate.
Publisher: Washington : U.S. G.P.O. :For sale by the Supt. of Docs.,
Congressional Sales Office, U.S. G.P.O., 1991.
Description: v, 16 p. ; 24 cm.

Doc. Numbers: GPO Item No.: 1039-A, 1039-B (MF)
Govt Doc No.: Y 4.F 76/2:S.prt.102-40.

The US has long claimed not to have been operating in many areas of the word that it has since been found to have had some involvment, including the bombing of Chinese factories north of the Korean border and the CIA assistance during the Iran Contra affair, I wouldn't be supprised if Kerry was operating where there wern't supposed to be US troops.

It is the nature of war that you have to lie to your own people and to the international comunity, and it is the nature of politics that you must continue that lie after the war until it becomes widely accepted that it was OK to tell it.

But does this really matter to the elections. Kerry didn't order troops across the border, he was ordered to go himself. Why would he lie to discredit an already questionable president during a war that a lot of people didn't support. He could have simply said "I don't remember where I was, one day seems pretty much like the other in Vietnam".

Kerry, get back to how you will create jobs and stop the US dependancy of imported oil.

Bush, get back to how you will win the peace.

I think the sooner people learn about who and what Kerry is, the better. It made me sick to my stomach when he entered the DNC, saluted and said "I'm john kerry, reporting for duty!" He was a wuss in the war and the more he brings it up, the more mud he will get mired in and the sooner people realize this about him the better, and better now than later when it's too late to do anything about him.

This is somewhat interesting, although I still think real issues are a lot more important than this stuff. Still, let me shoot a few holes in this while I'm here:

- one of the people who's led the charge that this is false is John O'Neill, a main political rival of Kerry's back in the 70's

- these sources say that "all living" commanding officers up the chain of command say they didn't know about this; so that means there are some with whom we can longer check

- the chain of command for CIA operations is by definition not always the same as the normal chain of command; it's not always easy to know exactly who to interview to find out what the CIA was up to

- I haven't seen interviews with Kerry's crewmates, so I can't comment on that part; I do know that the same crew was not always on duty, so some might have made it to Cambodia, and others not

And hell, there's always a chance Kerry made up a (mostly harmless) war story. I think most soldiers have probably done that, just like most fisherman have. It doesn't necessarily make them assholes, or klutzes, or unpatriotic. Frankly, I somewhat think they're entitled to it, as long as no one gets hurt. But I haven't seen anything authoritative enough one way or another to comment. What I do know is that those who originated the charges are HIGHLY POLITICIZED, and I certainly don't trust them to be objective.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, however, let's get back to the issues. A bungled war in Iraq; a troubling fiscal outlook; not enough money being spent on homeland security; etc.

Angry Chinese brings up a good point; I've wondered the same thing myself. There are always secret missions in every war, and it is not impossible that Kerry was on one.

But .... if Kerry was involved in a secret mission, why has he been flapping his jaws about it for 20+ years? Why does everybody in his chain of command deny his story, if keeping it secret doesn't matter any more?

Good post, Paul, I linked to it.

AHEM- Did you people read the whole post?

I specifically said that it was completely impossible for him to be in Cambodia. Go follow some links.

He was not working with the CIA and he was never in Cambodia. They guys he spent the day with have said that.

Furthermore, Kerry now denies he was in Cambodia.

Proof enough?!?!?!?

When the guy out fishing tells a tale of the big fish, it really doesn't matter, does it? When the guy who thinks he should be President perpetuates false information about his experiences in Nam (and Cambodia), one cannot help but wonder: Is Kerry's drive for the Presidency based upon the illusion he has created over the past 30+ years? I think it is. Unfit for command indeed! 11b2p all the way!

Kerry, get back to how you will create jobs and stop the US dependancy of imported oil.

Stop U. S. dependency on oil imported from Canada (our largest source)? Why?

[post deleted. explanation in next comment]

[comment deleted same reason - Link what you claim or give it up. I won't let you lie here.]

[post deleted- Commenter claims to have proof but he can not cite a source... When and if he does he will not be deleted. It really is that simple.]

No Raven- I told you I would delete the comment unless you could back it up. When you failed to do so, I deleted it.

Please give a link for your assertion (October 1968) above or I'll delete that too.

P

BTW I checked all your links and I came up dry. I googled the phrase and all I got was you trying to spread this tale in people's comment sections.

HINT: You can't link yourself as a source.

I don't mind people seeing both side. I just ask you to back up your assertions.

Back up the claim or I delete it. Simple.

If you really want to go crazy and find out where Kerry was during most of his time in Vietnam, have a look at this table that my wife compiled. It takes the place names mentioned in the Division 11 command history and gives their lat. and lon. as well as links to maps showing their location w.r.t. Cambodia.

Most of the time, at least, he seems to have been in the South.

Raving's, er I mean Raven's final post was deleted.

SIGH

FROM YOUR OWN FREAKING LINK RAVEN

"Even though it was strictly forbidden by the Rules of Engagement for Swift Boats to operate that far up the rivers, Mike proceeded to follow up on this lead and investigated. ..."

"Mike was called to Saigon to explain his unauthorized conduct and to answer a diplomatic protest by Cambodian Prince Sihanouk that he had fired across the border into that supposed neutral country."

He was never in Cambodia and he had to go to Saigon to answer for what he did do!.

3 strikes, you're out.

Maybe Kerry lied about having being in Cambodia. I don't know for I wasn't there.

But the links cited do NOT show that Kerry said "I was never in Cambodia".
And the links do NOT show that Kerry said "in 1968 President Nixon said there were no American troops in Cambodia.".

The people claiming he said these things are wrong. Their distortions are carefully crafted to be close to what Kerry said, but not exactly what was said.

For instance a thorough reading of the congressional record March 27, 1986 clearly shows that John Kerry meant "from 1969 to 1970 the President of the United States was telling the American people that I was not there. But in 1968 I WAS there despite what the president said."

Read the following from the congressional record and see if you don't agree. Pay particular attention to the first paragraph which Swifties prefer you not to see. Also, keep in mind that prior to the 1970 SEALORDS attacks, Nixon often said that troops were not allowed into Cambodia except for in hot pursuit of Viet Cong fighters.

Here are Kerry's words as entered into the congressional record.
-------------------------------------------------------
Finally, President Nixon 1970:
"In cooperation with the armed forces of
South Vietnam, attacks are being launched
this week to clear out major enemy
sanctuaries on the Cambodian-Vietnam
border."

Mr. President, I remember Christmas of 1968
sitting on a gunboat in Cambodia. I remember
what is was like to be shot at by Vietnamese and
Khmer Rouge and Cambodians, and have the
President of the United States telling the
American people that I was not there;

I have that memory which is seared-seared-in
me, that says to me, before we send another
generation into harm's way, we have a
responsibility in the U.S. Senate to go the last
step, to make the best effort possible in order to
avoid that kind of conflict.

Congrats HeIsNotNailedYet you get the award for the most hopeless spin in the face of all fact reason or logic.

You are missing the fact that Kerry was never there at all much less Christmas.

Enjoy the Kool-aid.

Please tell me how you can be so sure?
Four months is a long time. And do you still insist that he thought Nixon was president in 1968? If so wbhy?

Or is it all about opinion and insult, the heck with the facts?

Please tell me how you can be so sure?
Four months is a long time. And do you still insist that he thought Nixon was president in 1968? If so why?

Or is it all about opinion and insult, the heck with the facts?

The Congressional Record says "President Nixon 1970".

You must think it really meant "President Nixon 1968".

I suppose you think the congressional record had a typographical error? Or do you think Kerry altered the congressional record so he could become president?

Google shows at least 1500 pages that quote Kerry's "I remember Christmas" paragraph.

Guess how many also quote the preceding paragraph?

For the answer google the following

nixon Christmas "In cooperation with the armed forces" "American people that I was not there"

If you think that the preceeding paragraph was ACCIDENTALLY omitted 1491 times, I'll bet you are the one that's been drinking Kool Aid

Whoa- easy there partner- 2 or 3 posts a time-

I'm so sure Kerry was not in Cambodia that day because he now admits he was not... Dude you are defending him AFTER he admitted he lied.

Now if you want to continue to play the part of the class clown and try to make claim the story is true even after Kerry admits it isn't-- then go right ahead.

Face it, it's over- Kerry let you down just like he let down the veterans in Vietnam down.

On August 22, 2004 06:44 PM you said
"Kerry was NEVER there at all"

You have flip flopped and now say that
"kerry was not in Cambodia THAT day".

Thanks for correcting the record because I prefer precision in all of my pointless discussions.

Now, do you still say Kerry thought Nixon was president in 1968? Do you think the Congressional Record had a misprint when they listed 1970? (Its been known to happen.)

*sigh* sometime i think people try to be moronic.

No he never went there at all. Even his closest allies on his boat say they never went into Cambodia with him.

Grow up.

And I have no idea what you mean about Nixon and the misprint... It does not freaking matter because he told the Boston Globe the same story and used the word Nixon himself.

Give it up- The guy lied. You are the only one that still believes him.

*sigh* sometime i think people try to be moronic.

No he never went there at all. Even his closest allies on his boat say they never went into Cambodia with him.

Grow up.

And I have no idea what you mean about Nixon and the misprint... It does not freaking matter because he told the Boston Globe the same story and used the word Nixon himself.

Give it up- The guy lied. You are the only one that still believes him.