Newsweek: Kerry met with 'Terrorists' in Paris

Early on in the Kerry campaign a small fuss was made to have his vietnam war diary made public. Kerry adamantly denied allowing anyone access to the document citing he had signed over exclusive rights to the diary to Douglas Brinkley. However when Brinkley was confronted about the issue he denied Kerry signed the rights over to him.



Shortly after that the debate over the diary died down with swift boats and guard papers taking the limelight. Yet, now after the election we know the reasons Kerry did not want the diary released. In the diary Kerry claims that he met with North Korean 'terrorists' in Paris.

This bombshell would have cost Kerry dearly allowing the Bush Campaign to point out anyone willing to negociate with terrorists is unfit to be commander in chief in this day and age.

In a bombshell development that could have turned President Bush's victory into a landslide had it come out before the election, John Kerry wrote in his Vietnam War diary that he met with "terrorists" in Paris - a revelation that "flabbergasted" his running mate, John Edwards.


All during the campaign, Kerry had adamantly refused to release his diary, claiming that he'd given exclusive rights to use the document to his biographer, Douglas Brinkely. But when Brinkley told reporters that wasn't true, Kerry still declined to make the diary public.

According to Newsweek magazine, "Kerry's diary included mention of a meeting with some North Vietnamese terrorists in Paris."

Though Kerry's sit-down with North Vietnamese representatives had been reported late in the campaign, his description of them as "terrorists" would have set off smoke alarms.

The prospect that the top Democrat was willing to negotiate with "terrorists" 35 years ago would undoubtedly have cemented the Bush campaign's central message on Kerry: Anyone who would negotiate with terrorists can't be trusted with U.S. national security in a post-9/11 world.

Source

When John Edwards was informed on the diary this was his responce.

"Let me get this straight," he told campaign staffers who delivered the shocker. "He met with terrorists? Oh, that's good."

[edit on 8-11-2004 by BlackJackal]

Don't you just love it?
The election is over and we are still being bombarded with this stuff.
Now, we knew Kerry met with Hanoi during the Vietnam war. He was still in the military. He consorted with the enemy.
I'm not sure calling them terrorists today makes any difference. He was wrong then and he was wrong to cover it up now.
I don't think terrorists was in our vocabulary in the early 70s.

It amazes me that Newsweek is still cashing in on the election.
Oh, heck, pick out the chapters you want to read:

How Bush did it

ed. to fix link

[edit on 9-11-2004 by DontTreadOnMe]

Terrorist may have not been as taboo a word in the 70's as it is today but if this information had come out 2 weeks prior to the election I would bet Kerry would have lost in a landslide.-

From what you imply in the title, you make it sound like Kerry met with AlQueda. Talk about misleading You should change your title to Kerry met with North Korean representitaves before the election. And further more, if the diary has never been released, this is just rumors flying. Can I start one too? Bush paid the Dibold company to rig the voting machines in his favor.

At least Kerry had the balls to go talk to NK. Bush would NEVER had done this. He is content just hiding behind his staff, and letteing his advisors make all his decisions.

Kidfinger,

Apparantly it is more than 'rumors' because Newsweek reports they have the diary.

Originally posted by BlackJackal
Kidfinger,

Apparantly it is more than 'rumors' because Newsweek reports they have the diary.

And just what point are you trying to make? There isn't one. What exactly is it that your trying to do?

Originally posted by BlackJackal
Kidfinger,

Apparantly it is more than 'rumors' because Newsweek reports they have the diary.

As far as I know, there is only one newsweek, and I have spent the last 10 minutes perusing the site and I didnt see a mention of it once. Also, you didnt address your misleading everyone on ATS by your title to this thread. If you have a link to the diary, please post it.

I have read the newsweek article online. It stated the Kerry wrote that he met with North Vietnamese terrorist, not North Korean. It also stated that Edwards was not to happy. The facts are that Kerry met with the enemy of the United States in a time of war and presented their side as right. The title of this thread is not wrong, it's Kerry's own words.

This is not trying to rehash the election, but it does show how the MSM (main stream media) were biased towards Kerry and against Bush.

There was a reason why Kerry did not sign the 180 and released his diary. He also did not want his book "The New Soldier" to get out before the election.

Sins of youth can be forgiven, but you must ask for it, Kerry hasn't, He's not sorry for what he did as a young man.

If this is true, then show me a link. I went to the newsweek site, and there is NO mention of it. I have to believe this is a lie untill I am shown proof. Also, the original source link was NOT from newsweek. It was from NEWSMAX, a very conservitave site. Agian, I could say I read something somewhere and say it was true as well. Lets try it. I read in yadda yadda that Bush signed a 480 billion dollar tax cut on airforce one so it couldnt be opposed.

Kidfinger,

here you go, go to the end of the page.

----

Kerry's running mate, John Edwards, also wanted to take a swipe at the Swifties. Edwards was hardly an attacker in the Dole (or Cheney) tradition of vice presidential hit men; his whole persona and appeal were based on sunny optimism. But as early as Aug. 5, when the Swifties were just getting traction, Edwards wanted to push back, hard. McCain had just told the Associated Press that the Swift Boat ads were "dishonest and dishonorable... the same kind of deal that was pulled on me." Edwards wanted to begin a speech, "I join with Senator McCain in calling on the president to condemn this dishonest and dishonorable ad." But Kerry headquarters said no. Stephanie Cutter, the boss of the Kerry communications shop, explained that the campaign didn't need to give the Swift Boat vets any more attention than they were already getting.

Edwards played along, but his aides were indignant. They warned the veep candidate that the story was already out of control and about to get worse. Historian Douglas Brinkley, author of a wartime biography of Kerry, cautioned that Kerry's diary included mention of a meeting with some North Vietnamese terrorists in Paris. Edwards was flabbergasted. "Let me get this straight," the senator said. "He met with terrorists? Oh, that's good."

www.msnbc.msn.com...

Kidfinger I don't feel the title is misleading at all. Kerry met with as he described them terrorists in Paris. That is just what the title of this thread states.

"Terrorists"! these are the people that went on to form the legitemate government in Vietnam one presumes? The ones that kicked the USA out and who had a seat in the UN.

Guess what Bush meets terrorist! Chinese leader and Ariel Sharon.

Clinton meets terrorist, Yasser Arafat.

Bush senior meets terrorist Gerry Adam.

Reagan arms terrorists. The Contra rebels.

Carter talks to terrorists. Begin.

Tell us BJ who is a terrorist in your opinion. Was George Washington a terrorist ? Was Stonewall Jackson a terrorist ?

Poor topic, poor example of historical revisionism.

A terrorist is whoever suits anyone else devalues what a real terrorist is.

John Bull,

I think the point you are missing is that Kerry considered them Terrorist. These are his words not ours. While I agree with you that one man's freedom fighter is another man's terrorist. That is not the point of this thread. This thread is about how the MSM had information about Kerry, his own words, and refused to use them because it would be bad for Kerry. The MSM had no problems publishing false documents, made-up stories about Bush and did everything they could to defeat him. This is an indictment against the MSM.

I have copied every word in the article about the terrorist diary account. Here it is.

Historian Douglas Brinkley, author of a wartime biography of Kerry, cautioned that Kerry's diary included mention of a meeting with some North Vietnamese terrorists in Paris. Edwards was flabbergasted. "Let me get this straight," the senator said. "He met with terrorists? Oh, that's good."

3 sentences. In the whole 15 paragraph piece on Kerry, just 3 sentences. If they have this diary, there is nothing holiding them back. Oh, wait a minute. Newsweek NEVER once said in the entire article that they were in possession of his diary. So how could they know what was in it? Agian, this whole thing is just hearsay.

The title of your thread is misleading in the fact that NK has never been labled as terrorist. They are a soverign nation that most of the world disagrees with, but a soverign nation none the less. Not terroris, just a nation with bad judgment. Yes, you title is VERY misleading. By the way, dont people get banned for posting things that are not true?

why do you keep saying NK, it's not north korea, it's the vietcong, North Vietnam.

The title is not wrong. Kerry's own words, not mine or any other poster in this thread. What I don't get is why you are so worked over this? You seem to think that this is a vast right wing conspiracy? it's not, It's Kerry's own words.

I would assume the his offical biographer who has the diary would not spread hearsay about what's in it. Either way, the fact remains that a MSM outlet had information that would be harmful to Kerry and did not release it, while they did with Bush.

You just don't get it do you, this is not really about Kerry as it is with the MSM and it's bias.

This is how propaganda works, provide no proof, cite a supposed statement without the full context, make a claim and set the masses to believeing.

Where is the diary, now? Does Brinkley have it or does he not? If he has it, is it his exclusive or not? Where does it say that kerry met with them while in uniform?

For all the Newsmax and anti-Kerry crowd know, Kerry may have met with the Vietcong in a diplomatic effort to get them to halt the war.

This Newsmax piece is typical of the diatribe it spits out and calls newsworthy.

Newsweek not Newsmax, this is a MSM outlet. By the way, it's illeagle for a private citizen, or military member, to perform any diplomatic efforts on there own.

This Newsmax piece is typical of the diatribe it spits out and calls newsworthy.

Ummm, its Newsweek. You know, the magazine whose editor said that the media could guarantee Kerry 15 points in the election?


Yeah, that one.

Originally posted by John bull 1
"Terrorists"! these are the people that went on to form the legitemate government in Vietnam one presumes? The ones that kicked the USA out and who had a seat in the UN.

Guess what Bush meets terrorist! Chinese leader and Ariel Sharon.

Clinton meets terrorist, Yasser Arafat.

Bush senior meets terrorist Gerry Adam.

Reagan arms terrorists. The Contra rebels.

Carter talks to terrorists. Begin.

Tell us BJ who is a terrorist in your opinion. Was George Washington a terrorist ? Was Stonewall Jackson a terrorist ?

Poor topic, poor example of historical revisionism.

A terrorist is whoever suits anyone else devalues what a real terrorist is.

Yes JB1, I'll go along with your premise (though I disagree that Begin or Sharon is/was a terrorist), you listed Elected officials meeting with leaders of relevant (though not legitimate) organizations. In the U.S. private citizens are barred from carrying out foreign policy, furthermore, what John Kerry did amounts to treason (and not like Benedict Arnold, which you never gave an adequate response to my post on your thread regarding the same ). He had no right, authority, or moral ground to do what he did, the obfuscation and post election revelation only further diminishes his credibility as a man of veracity. The patriotic mantle that he attempted to wear didn't fool many, and his despicable proclivity to wrap himself in the flag when his past demonstrated his true nature will be his undoing in any future political aspirations (I think his tenure as a Senator will conclude with this term).

Neither Washington, nor Jackson were terrorists, if you would care to debate this please start a thread.

John Kerry is over. Period.

Indignant Monkeys, not just for organ grinders anymore...

Originally posted by jrsdls
Newsweek not Newsmax, this is a MSM outlet. By the way, it's illeagle for a private citizen, or military member, to perform any diplomatic efforts on there own.

I beg to differ, the article cited in the opening post is from Newsmax, which goes to my statement on taking something out of context. Newsmax claims "John Kerry wrote in his Vietnam War diary that he met with "terrorists" in Paris " and "According to Newsweek magazine, "Kerry's diary included mention of a meeting with some North Vietnamese terrorists in Paris."

Newsweek reports: "Historian Douglas Brinkley, author of a wartime biography of Kerry, cautioned that Kerry's diary included mention of a meeting with some North Vietnamese terrorists in Paris. "

Where newsweek has not quoted Brinkley, we do not know whether "terrorist" is their interpretation or whether Brinkley actually stated that Kerry about about meeting with terrorists. Newsmax decided to fuel the fire obviously and presents first a definitive statement that Kerry met with terrorists, then spin its tale as though Newsweek is the holder of this information purposely reducing the contextual statement Newsweek made which did not quote Brinkley.

It may be so that private citizens may not hold diplomatic meetings on their own, I don't know. But like Newsmax and Newsweek everyone is jumping the gun here and presuming that Kerry's meeting was illegal, during a time of war, or with terrorists.

The story will play out further if there is anything to it. we'll have to see.