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1,882 Americans are still missing and unaccounted for from the Vietnam War, though over 450 were at sea/over water losses: Vietnam - 1,432 (VN-502; VS-930); Laos - 387; Cambodia - 55; Peoples Republic of China territorial waters - 8. The League seeks the return of all US prisoners, the fullest possible accounting for those still missing and repatriation of all recoverable remains.
The League's highest priority is resolving the live prisoner question. Official intelligence indicates that Americans known to have been alive in captivity in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia were not returned at the end of the war. In the absence of evidence to the contrary, it must be assumed that these Americans may still be alive. As a policy, the U.S. Government does not rule out the possibility that Americans could still be held.
Unilateral return of remains by the government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV) has been proven an effective means of obtaining accountability, as have joint field operations in recent years, though the first in northern Vietnam occurred in 1985. A comprehensive wartime and post-war process was established by Vietnam to collect and retain information and remains; thus, unilateral efforts by Vietnam to locate and return remains and provide records continue to offer significant potential. Hanoi's decision to establish a Special Research Cell to support their government's unilateral efforts was encouraging, a positive response to the May 1999 League Delegation. Archival research in Vietnam has produced thousands of items, documents and photos, but to date all except 1+% pertain to returned POWs and Americans previously accounted-for.
Joint field operations in Laos are very productive. The Lao recently agreed to increase the number of US personnel permitted in-country and allow greater flexibility during field operations. Agreements between the U.S. and the Indochina governments now permit Vietnamese witnesses to participate in joint operations in Laos and Cambodia when necessary. POW/MIA research and field activities in Cambodia have received excellent support. Over 80% of US losses in Laos and 90% of those in Cambodia occurred in areas where Vietnamese forces operated during the war, but Vietnam has not yet responded to countless US requests for case-specific records on loss incidents in these countries. Records research and field operations are the most likely means of increasing the accounting for Americans missing in Laos and Cambodia.
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U.S. intelligence assessments and other evidence indicate that many Americans can best be accounted for by unilateral Vietnamese efforts to locate and return remains and provide relevant documents and records. Despite this reality, former President Clinton regularly certified to Congress that Vietnam was "fully cooperating in good faith" to resolve this issue. The League disagrees, but recognizes that legislation requiring the certification includes punitive measures that would reverse political and economic relations to the level in place in 1994. The League supported steps by the US to respond to concrete results, not advancing political and economic concessions in the hope that Hanoi would respond. The Clinton administration lifted the trade embargo, established the US Embassy in Hanoi, normalized diplomatic relations, posted a US Ambassador to Vietnam, signed a bilateral trade agreement and advocated normal trade relations.
President George W. Bush also certified that Vietnam is "fully cooperating in good faith," but added language to outline steps Vietnam should take to improve cooperation, stating: "As we look to further strengthen cooperation, Vietnam's unilateral provision of POW/MIA-related documents and records should be improved, focused initially on archival data pertaining to Americans captured, missing, or killed in areas of Laos and Cambodia under wartime Vietnamese control. Vietnam should also focus greater attention on locating and providing information on discrepancy cases, with priority on those last known alive in captivity or in immediate proximity to capture, and to locating and repatriating the remains of those who died while in Vietnamese control that have not yet been returned." The League is confident that President Bush, Vice President Cheney and senior officials from the Departments of State and Defense will press Hanoi for answers.
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