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From: jhull@spp2.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Viet Nam Atrocities
Message-ID: <292@spp2.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 3-Dec-84 18:48:46 EST
Article-I.D.: spp2.292
Posted: Mon Dec  3 18:48:46 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 6-Dec-84 03:37:30 EST
References: <300@cadovax.UUCP>
Reply-To: jhull@spp2.UUCP (Jeff Hull)
Organization: TRW, Redondo Beach  CA
Lines: 59
Summary: 

In article <300@cadovax.UUCP> jefff@cadovax.UUCP (Jeff Fields) writes:
>
>Jeff Hull commenting on an article by Joaquim Martillo writes:
>
>> In article <588@ihuxt.UUCP> martillo@ihuxt.UUCP writes:
>> >Compared to the East Asian communists, the USA army was a model of correct
>> >and moral behavior.  
>>
>> True.  One of the most effective interrogation techniques the Rangers
>> and Green Berets had was to threaten to turn the prisoner over to the
>> ROK's (Korean Army).
>
>	Yep. Another technique that worked really well was ...   omitted that describe atrocities committed by US troops>...
>	- Saturation bombing of Cambodia, the most heavily bombed nation in
>World history
of basically uninhabited areas used by the North VietNamese to move
war material into South VietNam past the demilitarised zone.  Later,
they continued to use the routes they already had set up.  (Yes.
Sometimes Cambodians were killed in these raids, but they were
directed at North Viet Namese supply routes in basically uninhabited
areas.)
>
>	- The policy of burning villages to the ground whether or not they
>harbored V.C. or not
The policy was basically to remove the villagers and then burn the
village to prevent its reoccupation by Viet Cong. (Yes.  Sometimes
villagers were killed.  But the policy was...)

Statements like the two cited here irritate me because they seem to
say the US set out to commit atrocities whereas I believe the
atrocities were committed when policy was not followed, that the US
was trying to make the best of an impossible situation.  Whereas, the
opponent made deliberate use of atrocity and terror as a matter of
policy.  I acknowledge that the US is not guiltless.  I just like to
see some balance.  For each atrocity committed by US troops, you can
find hundreds committed by VC and ARVNs.  And compared to the ones
cited by Fields, so gory as to turn your stomach.  (Part of me wants
to describe them here, just to show you what Fields and others are
comparing us to so you could understand the magnitude of the lie.
Part of me still gets sick just remembering.)
>
>	The sad fact remains that although we avowed to be fighting for a moral
>and just cause, our methods in Viet Nam were not entirely moral or just, even
>in the context of war.  Yes, atrocities were committed on both sides.  We were
>not the only perpetrators of war crimes, but our guilt remains nonetheless.
>
>				-Jeff Fields
The sad fact remains that although we avowed to be fighting for a
moral and just cause, out methods in Viet Nam were not entirely moral.
I just get tired of hearing the US put down when, in general, in
comparison with the other participants, we were paragons of virtue 
(whatever that means).
-- 
					Blessed Be,

 jhull@spp2.UUCP			Jeff Hull
 trwspp!spp2!jhull@trwrb.UUCP		13817 Yukon Ave.
					Hawthorne, CA 90250