August 22, 2004

Knaves or fools?

By Lona Manning

So are they knaves or fools at CNN?

CNN's senior political analyst Bill Schneider exonerates John Kerry of having accused his fellow soldiers of raping and beheading innocent Vietnamese civilians. While Kerry is quoted in the soon—to—be broadcast second Swift Boat ad as testifying to war atrocities before Congress, Schneider explains, he was in fact quoting what other Vietnam Vets testified to. Kerry was not accusing his band of brothers directly, just reporting on what others had said. A news article posted on the CNN website makes the same point:

"An official transcript shows Kerry was referring to a meeting in Detroit, Michigan, that was part of what was called the Winter Soldier investigation. He told the Senate committee that veterans had testified to war crimes and relived the "absolute horror of what this country, in a sense, made them do."

Here's the CNN transacript:

SCHNEIDER: But in his testimony, Kerry was actually quoting statements made by other veterans.

KERRY: Several months ago in Detroit we had an investigation at which over 150 honorably discharged and many very highly decorated veterans testified to war crimes committed in Southeast Asia. 

[Hmm, so there is Kerry vouching for the credibility of the vets. Notice the "we," not "they had an investigation."]

SCHNEIDER: Kerry's actual statement was: "They told the stories, at times they had personally raped, cut off ears, cut off heads..." earlier this year Kerry said this about his 1971 testimony.

KERRY: I think the way I characterized at that time was mostly the voice of the young, angry person who wanted to end the war.

SCHNEIDER: Bill Schneider, CNN Washington.

Can it possibly be that Schneider —— touted on CNN's website as "one of the country's leading political commentators" —— is truly unaware of the controversy around the Winter Soldier Investigation?

Has he never visited the winter soldier website? Is he deaf, dumb and blind to the information freely available in the blogosphere, pro and con, on this topic?

It seems incredible that a man of Scheider's stature could be so insulated from the great debate raging on in cyberspace. But if he's never heard of the Internet, he could consult "Stolen Valor," published in 1998 by B. G. Burkett and Glenna Whitley.

"Stolen Valor" clearly lays out the evidence that many of those who "testified" to war atrocities were imposters who lied about their actions, their training, their orders, and in some cases, had never been to Vietnam at all. The "Winter Soldier" hearings were bankrolled by Jane Fonda, Dick Gregory, and other radical celebrities.

Schneider and CNN reference the "Winter Soldier" investigation without pointing out that it was not a judicial, military or government enquiry, but a piece of radical anti—war theater. Do they not know the facts? Or worse, do they?

Lona Manning is a freelance researcher and writer who lives in Canada.