Alternet: McCain Was Not Tortured, POW Guard Claims

[MagickMuffin]

snip

The Republican US presidential candidate John McCain was not tortured during his captivity in North Vietnam, the chief prison guard of the jail in which he was held has claimed.

In an interview with the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, Nguyen Tien Tran acknowledged that conditions in the prison were "tough, though not inhuman". But, he added: "We never tortured McCain. On the contrary, we saved his life, curing him with extremely valuable medicines that at times were not available to our own wounded."

snip

Tran dismissed as "absolutely impossible" perhaps the most famous story from McCain's autobiography: that one Christmas, a guard traced a cross in the mud in front of him. "My men were all communists and atheists," he said.

As to why McCain, then 36, left North Vietnam with prematurely grey hair, Tran denied it was because of mistreatment. "It's that in prison you think too much."

more @ link

http://www.alternet.org/election08/103233/


edit to include this extra tidbit someone posted in the comments.

The late Colonel David Hackworth, popular TV commentator, Korean/Vietnam veteran, winner of 78 combat awards, including the Silver Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, Bronze Star, Air Medal and eight Purple Hearts, said the following:

"The facts are that McCain signed a confession and declared himself a 'black criminal who performed deeds of an air pirate.' This statement and other interviews he gave to the Communist press were used as propaganda to fan the flames of the antiwar movement."

"The United States Navy says two eyewitnesses are required for any award of heroism. But for the valor awards McCain received, there were no eyewitnesses, less himself and his captors."

"A former POW says, 'No man witnessed another man during interrogations. We relied on each other to tell the truth when a man was returned to his cell.'”

"McCain refused an early release. An act of valor? Three former POWs told me he was ordered to turn it down by his American POW commander and he 'just followed orders.'”

POW Gordon Larson told the Phoenix New Times he did not believe McCain had been tortured before his interrogations at a POW camp called "The Plantation," as claimed by McCain.

POW Phillip Butler, Navy pilot and U.S. Naval Academy graduate who spent more than eight years in North Vietnam as a prisoner of war, gave the following explanation about why he would not support McCain for the presidency:

"I can verify that John has an infamous reputation for being a hot head. He has a quick and explosive temper that many have experienced firsthand. Folks, quite honestly, that is not the finger I want next to the red button."

Army Colonel Earl Hopper, a veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam whose son was shot down near Hanoi and killed, contends McCain gave information to his captors that helped them fine-tune their air defense system. Because McCain cooperated with the enemy in return for special favors and made radio propaganda broadcasts, the North Vietnamese contemptuously nicknamed him "Songbird."

POW Ted Guy, one of McCain's Senior Ranking officers at the Hanoi Hilton, longtime friend and admirer changed his mind about the Arizona senator's integrity. The reversal of opinion happened in 1992, after the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs and following a series of recorded phone calls with McCain. Said Guy, "I don't trust John anymore. I think he's a total liar."

POW John Dramesi, who escaped from the North Vietnamese, was recaptured and brutally beaten, and later became the chief USAF war planner in Europe and Strategic Air Command wing commander, alleges today that "McCain says his life changed while he was in Vietnam, and he is now a different man. But he's still the undisciplined, spoiled brat that he was when he went in."

It's worth noting that ONLY one American POW has been honored by a statue in Hanoi. That person is Senator McCain.

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Was McCain tortured I don't know as I wasn't there to know if he was or wasn't. As much as McCain distorts the truth in this campaign, it does make one wonder. Maybe the guard considers it "advanced interrogation techniques."

[Ian David]

1. Actually, he WAS tortured, but "only" for two years.

Ho Chi Minh died after McCain was in prison for 2 years. And after Ho Chi Minh died, the Vietcong stopped torturing prisoners.

[Coexist]

2. we don't need to go here please.

[kswheels]

4. Agreed...

Nothing good comes from going here.

[kikiek]

5. My first thought also.

[kswheels]

3. As much as I dislike McTwitchy...

This is a load of shit.