Bruce Kesler:

The Los Angeles Times’ devoted 4600 words (plus pdf files of selected documents at latimes.com/Vietnam), a major expenditure of ink by a newspaper, and considerable reporters’ time to its article this past weekend, “Civilian Killings Went Unpunished: Declassified papers show U.S. atrocities went far beyond My Lai.”

The article is based upon a Pentagon task force report from the 1970’s, and follow-up interviews by the LA Times, focusing particularly upon one of the U.S. units whose actions were investigated by the Army.

This LA Times feature article lays out a disturbing narrative. Until further investigation of both the sources and the LA Times’ research and interviews, let’s accept it. However, with the record of former MSM slants revealed, and what is outlined below, a large grain of salt is required of any fair observer. An extended excerpt from the LA Times article is below.

What is missing? Surprise, Surprise!: Context. ...

[Read on.]

*** Update and bump. Originally posted 2006.08.07.23:26

1stCav tried to leave the following comment on this post. TypePad emailed me a copy but for some reason it isn't showing up on the site:

The LA Times piece is definitely missing context. Besides the NVA massacres of civilans in 1968, there are numerous others documented. Below are some links and snippets from just a couple I'm familiar with.
==========================================
http://thebattleofkontum.com/stars/29.html
Friday, May 12, 1972
2 French Priests Reported Crucified by Communists
=======================================
http://thebattleofkontum.com/stars/39.html
Wednesday, May 31, 1972

Hospital Spared By Reds

<snip>
But in contrast to the last time, when they ran through the place shooting women and children in the legs and throwing grenades in a terrorist frenzy, the Communist troops harmed neither patients nor staff, a U.S. civilian source said Monday.

When Communist troops charged into the hospital just after Tet, 1968, Dr. Pat Smith, who operated the hospital for Montagnards, survived only because she was hidden by more than 30 Montagnard staff members and patients.

...

The Vietnamese are still killing the Montagnards.
And let's not forget that the 1971 Winter Soldier Investigation, produced by John Kerry, Jane Fonda, et al. 99% of the statements have been proven as lies. Some have even signed official affidavits in 2004 that they were coerced into telling false U.S. atrocity stories.
Reference: http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/kerry/staticpages/index.php?page=YesterdaysLies1

Another question, whatever happened to the lawsuit that was filed to stop the airing of the film "Stolen Honor, Wounds That Never Heal?" Maybe a look at the www.wintersolder.com site would provide some details.

Lawsuit update: http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/kerry/index.php?topic=New

Yeah, two young jackasses still trying to milk atrocities from Vietnam. I'm not so sure John Fng Kerry didn't put them up to it.

My thoughts...screw John Kerry and his ilk. While he was saying (paraphrase) 'how could our country ask anyone to be the last to die in Vietnam,' there were many patriotic volunteers that fought and died while Kerry and his type were running, deserting, or just plain chickenshits. The damn war was practically won in 1972 after Nixon poured on the bombing and mined the ports of North Vietnam. The Vietnam war was lost because of the lack of resolve fermented by antiwar Soviet controlled socialist/communist assholes, like today. In short, the loss was because of Kerry, Fonda, and their bunch meeting with the enemy, fomenting treason, etc. The influence of their protest and collaboration of the unchecked news media unduly influenced the U.S. not press for victory at the 1972 peace talks. The North Vietnamese were at their knees and ready to give up. Just read General Giap's statements on who he credits their victory.

More articles of NVA and VC atrocities can easily be documented throughout the war, but the Lame Ass Times just won't do it. Think they have an agenda? 30 - 40 years ago most professors would have graded their report an F. Today however, many of our university professors would grant them an A+. What would be the radical left professors' agenda? Could it be that deep down they want to prove themselves right so many years ago? LOL. Most would crawl up in a hole if the enemy were to come to their home. The LA Times would collaborate with them and be blissful in dhimmitude. Get on your knees all you John Kerrys, and not for praying.

***

Rurik left this comment, which I'm promoting to the main post body:

Again the context. As some of you know, I came within a couple of millimeters of "commiting a war crime". That event has been documented at Small Town Veteran.  [Link added -- BF] My "almost crime" was directly the result of guerrillas who made a practice of using small children as unwitting combatants. There must have beenmany others in situations similar to mine, and some of them certainly acted differently.

In "Bury Us Upside Down" Don Shepperd describes a massacre at Phu Cat when VC threw grenades into a village meeting, containing nothing but civilians and children, causing mass casualties.

This sort of butchery of civilians alternating with acts intended to provoke soldiers to kill is one of the defining features of modern guerrilla warfare. With his background Mr. Turse should know. He's a turd, he's worse, he's a Turse.

And ... in the process of looking for Rurik's comment so I could promote it I discovered TypePad had finally gotten around to displaying 1stCav's. Go figure.

Contributed by Bill Faith on August 9, 2006 at 11:49 AM in Bill Faith, Media Perfidy | Permalink

Comments

Posted by: 1st Cav

The LA Times piece is definitely missing context. Besides the NVA massacres of civilans in 1968, there are numerous others documented. Below are some links and snippets from just a couple I'm familiar with.
==========================================
http://thebattleofkontum.com/stars/29.html
Friday, May 12, 1972
2 French Priests Reported Crucified by Communists
=======================================
http://thebattleofkontum.com/stars/39.html
Wednesday, May 31, 1972

Hospital Spared By Reds

But in contrast to the last time, when they ran through the place shooting women and children in the legs and throwing grenades in a terrorist frenzy, the Communist troops harmed neither patients nor staff, a U.S. civilian source said Monday.

When Communist troops charged into the hospital just after Tet, 1968, Dr. Pat Smith, who operated the hospital for Montagnards, survived only because she was hidden by more than 30 Montagnard staff members and patients.

...
The Vietnamese are still killing the Montagnards.
And let's not forget that the 1971 Winter Soldier Investigation, produced by John Kerry, Jane Fonda, et al. 99% of the statements have been proven as lies. Some have even signed official affidavits in 2004 that they were coerced into telling false U.S. atrocity stories.
Reference: http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/kerry/staticpages/index.php?page=YesterdaysLies1

Another question, whatever happened to the lawsuit that was filed to stop the airing of the film "Stolen Honor, Wounds That Never Heal?" Maybe a look at the www.wintersolder.com site would provide some details.

Lawsuit update: http://ice.he.net/~freepnet/kerry/index.php?topic=New

Yeah, two young jackasses still trying to milk atrocities from Vietnam. I'm not so sure John Fng Kerry didn't put them up to it.

My thoughts...screw John Kerry and his ilk. While he was saying (paraphrase)'how could our country ask anyone to be the last to die in Vietnam,' there were many patriotic volunteers that fought and died while Kerry and his type were running, deserting, or just plain chickenshits. The damn war was practically won in 1972 after Nixon poured on the bombing and mined the ports of North Vietnam. The Vietnam war was lost because of the lack of resolve fermented by antiwar Soviet controlled socialist/communist assholes, like today. In short, the loss was because of Kerry, Fonda, and their bunch meeting with the enemy, fomenting treason, etc. The influence of their protest and collabaration of the unchecked news media unduly influenced the U.S. not press for victory at the 1972 peace talks. The North Vietnamese were at their knees and ready to give up. Just read General Giap's statements on who he credits their victory.

More articles of NVA and VC atrocities can easily be documented throughout the war, but the Lame Ass Times just won't do it. Think they have an agenda? 30 - 40 years ago most professors would have graded their report an F. Today however, many of our university professors would grant them an A+. What would be the radical left professors' agenda? Could it be that deep down they want to prove themselves right so many years ago? LOL. Most would crawl up in a hole if the enemy were to come to their home. The LA Times would collobrate with them and be blissful in dhimitude. Get on your knees all you John Kerrys, and not for praying.

Posted by: 1st Cav | Aug 8, 2006 3:01:41 AM

Posted by: Rurik

Again the context. As some of you know, I came within a couple of millimeters of "commiting a war crime". That event has been documented at Smalltownveteran. My "almost crime" was directly the result of guerrillas who made a practice of using small children as unwitting combatants. There must have beenmany others in situations similar to mine, and some of them certainly acted differently.
In "Bury Us Upside Down" Don Shepperd describes a massacre at Phu Cat when VC threw grenades into a village meeting, containing nothing but civilians and children, causing mass casualties.
This sort of butchery of civilians alternating with acts intended to provoke soldiers to kill is one of the defining features of modern guerrilla warfare. With his bacground Mr. Turse should know. He's a turd, he's worse, he's a Turse.

Posted by: Rurik | Aug 8, 2006 4:16:41 PM