Friday, August 13, 2004
Could Kerry Be Right About "Near Cambodia?"
However, it’s quite possible that Kerry’s boat conducted patrols along the Giang Thanh River, also known as “Bernique’s Creek,” which runs parallel to the Cambodian border from the coastal town of Hai Tien to the Vihn Te Canal (both banks are technically Vietnamese territory). Indeed, these patrols began in earnest in November 1968, and Kerry assumed command of PCF 44 the following month.
Apparently, it was during this time frame when several PCFs made a transit from the base at An Thoi in the Gulf of Thailand, up Bernique’s Creek and the Vihn Te Canal to the Bassac and Mekong rivers, and finally downriver to the base at Sa Dec.
Now, this doesn't prove that Kerry was ever "in Cambodia" nor does it prove where he was on Christmas Eve, 1968. It does, however, raise the possibility that he might have been "near Cambodia" at the time in question. Obviously, there are many inconsistencies and, er, "embellishments" in Kerry's accounts over the years, but in all fairness, Smash's research should be considered in evaluating Kerry's truthfulness about what he has made the centerpiece of his campaign.
