[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 68 (Thursday, May 26, 1994)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: May 26, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
         THE BLOOD OF 3,244 MEN ON NIXON AND KISSINGER'S HANDS

                                 ______


                        HON. FORTNEY PETE STARK

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 26, 1994

  Mr. STARK. Mr. Speaker, I speak today about the murderous actions of 
the late former President Richard Nixon and his national security 
advisor Henry Kissinger in the early 1970's.
  The Nixon administration, elected with a pledge of having a secret 
plan to end the Vietnam war, took credit in the 1972 elections for the 
withdrawal from Vietnam and the wind down of the war.
  The just-published ``Haldeman Diaries,'' however, reveals that the 
withdrawal was delayed for raw, gross political reasons--to look better 
in the 1972 elections. According to a December 21, 1970 dairy entry in 
Haldeman's book found on page 223, Kissinger . . .

       * * * argues against [an early] commitment . . . to 
     withdraw all combat troops because he feels that if we pull 
     them out by the end of `71, trouble could start mounting in 
     `72 that we won't be able to deal with and which we'll have 
     to answer for at the elections. He prefers, instead, a 
     commitment to have them all out by the end of `72 so that we 
     won't have to deliver finally until after the elections and 
     therefore can keep our flanks protected.

  Each day that we delayed our withdrawal, American servicemen died 
needlessly. Kissinger advised against early withdrawal for election 
reasons in December of 1970. According to Department of Defense 
statistics, 2,412 men died in 1971, another 767 in 1972, and 65 more in 
1973. In total, 3,244 men died while the withdrawal was delayed for the 
purposes of ensuring the re-election of Richard Nixon and the sinecure 
of Henry Kissinger.
  One hundred and forty slabs of stone carry the names of 58,191 dead 
servicemen at the Vietnam Memorial. If Nixon and Kissinger had 
considered the lives of their fellow Americans instead of their own 
political victories, 7 stones would not have been needed. The next time 
you visit the Wall, think about it--1 out of every 20 names would not 
be there if we had pulled out quickly and decisively when Kissinger 
first discussed it. One out of every 20 names is there to help win an 
election for CREEP.
  The blood of 3,244 servicemen is an enormous burden on the soul to 
take to your grave.
  Following are more full quotes from the ``Haldeman Diaries:''

       [Kissinger] thinks that any pullout next year would be a 
     serious mistake because the adverse reaction to it could set 
     in well before the '72 elections. He favors, instead, a 
     continued winding down and then a pullout right at the fall 
     of '72 so that if any bad results follow they will be too 
     late to affect the election. (p. 221)--December 15, 1970
       This new action in Laos now would set us up so we wouldn't 
     have to worry about the problems in '72, and that of course 
     is the most important. (p. 239)--January 26, 1971
       The President emphasized that all foreign policy 
     initiatives are going to have to be completed by July 1972 
     because after that there will be a Democratic nominee and 
     they'll insist that he be taken along on any trips and 
     brought in on any discussions. (p. 293)--May 26, 1971
       [President Nixon] this morning got into a discussion of how 
     we're going to have to make a shift, as of now, throughout 
     our entire shop to begin a totally oriented commitment to 
     relating everything we do to the political side, without 
     appearing to do so. The question to be asked in weighing 
     every answer is, ``Does this help us politically?'' (p. 
     298)--June 10, 1971

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