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POW Commission Stalled
Posted on June 20, 2010
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Danny "Greasy" Belcher, Executive Director
Task Force Omega of KY Inc.
Vietnam Infantry Sgt. 68-69
"D" Troop 7th Sqdn. 1st Air Cav
Maybe the story should have been titled, "POW/MIAs take back seat again."
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/jun/16/inside-the-ring-382424672/?page=2
POW commission stalled
Congressional Democrats are holding up Obama administration plans to restart the U.S.-Russian joint commission on prisoners of war and servicemen missing in action, a panel that was suspended in 2004 by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The White House National Security Council has been pressing for the commission to resume its efforts to gain access to Russian archives where secret files on the fates of hundreds of missing Americans from wars are believed to be held.
A meeting of the U.S. side of the commission was held June 10 on Capitol Hill, but a key member, Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry, Massachusetts Democrat, was absent, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, has not assigned a Democratic House member to the panel.
Sen. Saxby Chambliss, Georgia Republican and the chief of staff for Rep. Sam Johnson, Texas Republican and himself a prisoner of war in Vietnam for seven years, took part.
The absence of the Democratic representatives was criticized by several participants. They also voiced concerns that the Defense Intelligence Agency failed to send one of its officials to the meeting.
The U.S. commission chairman, retired Air Force Gen. Robert Foglesong, reserved judgment on the Democratic no-shows but told the gathering, "We do need two active Democratic members on this commission."
Time is urgent because President Obama is expected to raise the issue of the commission when he meets with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, who will be in Washington on Tuesday.
A White House official at the meeting told the gathering that now is a good time to win Russian assistance in resolving POW/MIA cases, noting that the administration's recent conciliatory efforts with Moscow that led to a new arms treaty, Russian backing on U.N. sanctions on Iran and Russian help with land and air routes for supplies to Afghanistan.
Another positive sign was Russia's recent opening of its archives on the Soviet massacre of Polish officers at Katyn.
U.S. officials have said privately that the Russians are believed to hold documents that will assist in the hunt for missing Americans, likely including those reported captured and held in Siberia during the Cold War and the Korean conflict.
Russia has not released documents from this region since the commission was launched in 1992. POW activists suspect Moscow has blocked access to historical records because the records are expected to show the Russians executed scores, if not hundreds, of American POWs.
"We deeply appreciate the Obama administration's efforts but are dismayed the Democratic leadership in Congress cannot find two lawmakers willing to support our POW/MIAs and their families. At a minimum, we call for Speaker Pelosi to fill immediately the empty commission seat for a Democratic congressional representative so that person can take part in the upcoming meeting," said Dolores Alfond, chairwoman of the National Alliance of Families.
"We also ask Sen. Kerry to step aside in favor of a senator willing to devote the time and energy needed for this critical mission," she said.
White House National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer said Mr. Obama looks "forward to exploring ways to revitalize and reinvigorate the work of the commission" in talks with Mr. Medvedev.
"The White House strongly supports the excellent work the U.S.-Russia Presidential Commission on POW-MIAs has done in bringing closure to the American and Russian families of those lost or missing in war," he said.
A House Democratic aide said the commission is not viewed as a "formal" unit, but that Rep. Vic Snyder, Arkansas Democrat, has been working with it. "Since Snyder is retiring after this year, the speaker will likely appoint another House Democrat soon," the aide said.
Frederick Jones, a spokesman for Mr. Kerry, said in a statement that the Massachusetts Democrat missed the meeting because he was attending a meeting with Senate committee leaders.
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