Kerry Denounced U.S. as 'The Real Criminal' in Vietnam
Sunday, Feb. 15, 2004 2:22 p.m. EST
Kerry Denounced U.S. as 'The Real Criminal' in Vietnam
During his war protest days in the early 1970s, Democratic presidential front-runner John Kerry once denounced the United States of America as "the real criminal" in the Vietnam War.
In comments first reported by the New York Times 33 years ago, Kerry condemned the entire country as "criminal" during a 1971 demonstration on Wall Street, a few weeks after the trial of Lt. William Calley.
"Guilty as Lieutenant Calley may have been of the actual act of murder, the verdict does not single out the real criminal ... the United States of America," railed the future Democratic presidential hopeful.
The damning comment was unearthed by the Baltimore Sun, which reprinted Kerry's outburst in its Saturday edition exactly as quoted above.
The Sun also revisited other anti-war comments by Kerry that have yet to receive significant exposure, including remarks Kerry uttered on NBC's "Meet the Press" a few weeks after the Wall Street protest.
"I committed the same kinds of atrocities as thousands of others," he told the network, "in that I shot in free-fire zones, fired .50-caliber machine bullets, used harass-and-interdiction fire, joined in search-and-destroy missions and burned villages."
Though NBC has the Kerry interview on tape, it has so far declined to broadcast his revealing comments.
The Sun also obtained reactions from two of Kerry's Swift Boat mates in Vietnam, who told the paper they were deeply disturbed by his anti-war activities.
Kerry crewman James Wasser said he was "absolutely upset" over his former commanding officer's claims that the U.S. committed wartime atrocities as a matter of course.
Saying he recalled no such war crimes, Wasser said of Kerry, "I felt betrayed."
Shipmate Bill Zaladonis was also offended by Kerry's claims. "I didn't like the idea [of Kerry condemning his fellow servicemen]," he told the Sun.
"I certainly didn't believe that all Vietnam veterans were baby-killing women rapers. Most people I know agree with me - they didn't see it."
While Wasser and Zaladonis remain troubled by Kerry's anti-war past, they're split over whether they intend to support him for president.
"I'm still studying it," Zaldonis told the Sun, while Wasser occasionally campaigns for the Massachusetts Democrat.
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