Inquiry into Tiger Force advances (US Vietnam Unit Atrocities)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/04046/273264.stm

In a case that has reached the top levels of the Pentagon, military investigators will begin interviewing former soldiers of an elite platoon accused of slaughtering scores of unarmed civilians in the Vietnam War.

Army agents will meet with former paratroopers who said they watched the executions of villagers by Tiger Force in 1967 in the longest series of atrocities by a U.S. fighting unit in the conflict.

The move represents the first effort by the military to talk to soldiers since a series in The Blade of Toledo, Ohio, in October revealed the platoon's brutal sweep through 40 villages where civilians were tortured and killed. The series also appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

The Blade found that field commanders knew of the soldiers' actions, and in some cases, encouraged the violence.

Though the Army spent 4 1/2 years investigating the special force starting in 1971 -- substantiating 20 war crimes against 18 soldiers -- the case never reached a military court and no one was charged. Now, the Army will begin meeting with witnesses as part of an ongoing review under the direction of acting Army Secretary Les Brownlee, who was asked to look into the matter by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

[stepnw1f]

1. Why Now?

Who are these Elite Soldiers and what was Rumsfeld's role in this, since he can't remember this case.

[GreyV]

2. Kerry

Probably has to do with Kerry's Vietnam "experiences".

[GRClarkesq]

3. I dont think so

Kerry was in the brown water navy. This investigation concerns the 101st Airborne division.

[NNN0LHI]

4. Dennis Kucinich is pushing for an investigation

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=102&topic_id=366004&mesg_id=366004

>>>Investigators are expected to report their findings to Brownlee by March, according to a spokesman for U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, who has been pushing for a congressional investigation.<<<

[Silverhair]

5. I doubt this will be a serious investigation. n/t

[mobuto]

6. Investigate these claims thoroughly

but be careful before jumping to conclusions.

Vietnam "revelations" have a habit, on second look, of turning into anything but.