What is disgusting is we have trade relations thanks in part to John Kerry’s burying the POW/MIA issue, which is far from dead, in my opinion.

People protested Nguyen Minh Triet’s visit, one man chanting through a bullhorn “no communists! no communists! no communists!”

We should try that chant at anti-war rallies where there are members of Code Pink, International ANSWER, United for Peace and Justice, the World Workers Party, et. al.

Was there anyone protesting the return of the remains of our missing POW/MIAs? Was there anyone there defending their honor? Was there anyone demanding that Vietnam give up what they know about our missing soldiers, nurses and missionaries?

President of Vietnam Nguyen Minh Triet waves as he arrives in Los Angeles Friday June 22, 2007. Nguyen Minh Triet, the first Vietnamese head of state to visit the U.S. since the end of the Vietnam War, is leading a delegation of more than 100 Vietnamese businessmen, to focus on accelerating U.S.-Vietnam trade relations. No additional identification. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

Picture and caption from John Kerry’s fans at the Boston Globe.

More at Gateway Pundit, showing the protestors. There are some really good pics and commentary there, too. Here’s an earlier post at Jim’s; the protestors were anticipating this visit with disdain.

And let’s not forget our POW/MIAs

We are looking for someone who can identify these two men:

There are, in fact, at least 19 servicemen that we know ’survived into captivity’ who the POW/MIA families have been pleading the government to help find out what happened, yet Kerry, in cold-hearted response, rolls his eyes and says “talk to my aid, I don’t have time for this.’

Nine servicemen, acknowledged by the Vietnamese as “captured alive” are:

Carlos Ashlock, James T. Egan, Jr., Robert L. Greer, Roger D. Hamilton, Gregory J. Harris, Donald S. Newton, Madison A. Strohlein, Robert L. Platt and Fred Schreckengost. Remains for both Greer and Schreckengost were recovered. Commenting on Greer and Schreckengost, Tourison notes; “During the recovery of their remains in 1990 Vietnamese officials acknowledged they had been captured alive and killed in captivity. The U.S. Marine Corps still does not list them as having died in captivity but to have died while in a MIA status.”

Of the 7 remaining “new POWs” Tourison offers the following information:

Carlos Ashlock – “Vietnam has now acknowledged that Corporal Aslock (sic) was captured alive in Quang Ngai Province. His eventual fate has not yet been determined.”

James Egan, Jr. — – “Vietnam has now acknowledged that Lieutenant Egan was captured alive and has reported that he died in captivity in December 1968.”

[It should be noted that Egan’s name was not on the list of POWs who died in captivity presented in Paris in January 1973. Yet, based on this new information Egan survived in captivity for almost 3 years, from January 21, 1966 to December 1968. As no other POW reported seeing Egan in captivity, where was he held?]

Roger D. Hamilton – “Vietnam has now acknowledged that Lance Corporal Hamilton was captured alive in Military Region 5. His eventual fate has not yet been determined.”

Gregory J. Harris – “Vietnam has now acknowledged that Corporal Harris was captured alive. His eventual fate has not yet been determined.”

Donald Newton – “Vietnam has now acknowledged that Sergeant Newton was captured alive and taken to Hospital 102 of Military Region 5. His eventual fate has not yet been determined.”

Robert L. Platt – “Vietnam has now acknowledged that Private First Class Platt was captured alive. His eventual fate has not yet been determined.”

Madison Strohlein – “Vietnam has now acknowledged that Sergeant Strohlein was captured alive on June 22, 1971 in Quang Nam Province. His eventual fate has not yet been determined.”

Whatever the reason, this information was not made public during the life of the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs.

Added to the list of men who “survived into captivity” are: Richard C. Bram, John F. Dingwall, Fredric M. Mellor, Charles J. Scharf/ Martin J. Massucci, John F. O’Grady, Thomas A. Mangino, Paul A. Hasenbeck, David M. Winters, Daniel Nidds, and John T. McDonnell.

The horrible emotional toll of not knowing if your loved one is alive or dead, or just wanting to bring them home for a proper burial is a devastating reminder of what kind of man we’re dealing with in John Kerry; someone who puts his political aspirations, and friendships with other lying communists, above all else.

Ted Sampley has written about this, too. See his bio, here.

Sampley points out that Kerry isn’t the only one to have taken part in burying evidence that there were POW/MIAs alive in Vietnam;

“the person in Washington who has done more to bury the POW/MIA issue than any other elected official is none other than U.S. Senator John McCain from Arizona, himself a former POW.”

The POW/MIA families will readily supply file folders inches thick of correspondence related to Kerry and McCain’s betrayal.

The Select Committee, established in August 1991, was tasked with the mission of resolving the lingering POW/MIA issue by either gaining the release of American prisoners of war believed to be alive under the control of Hanoi, but never released, or explaining what happened to the missing prisoners.

In hindsight, it is obvious that McCain and Kerry were more interested in using the Select Committee as a means to justify lifting the U.S. imposed trade embargo against Vietnam than resolving the issue of missing U.S. servicemen.

So this visit was a result of their disgusting politics.