Defense Secretary Dick Cheney said Saturday the Bush administration will push for the return of any missing prisoners of war, even if the effort interferes with re-establishing relations with Vietnam.
Cheney said resolving the fate of an estimated 2,300 missing-in-action servicemen from the Vietnam War remained a priority, despite allegations the administration has slowed work in order to improve U.S.-Vietnam relations."It is absolutely incredible to me to think that any American official would spare any effort that might lead to the discovery of a single American POW," Cheney told the National League of Families of American Prisoners and Missing in Southeast Asia.
"The idea that someone would rather not know about the fates of our POWs and MIAs, because it might interfere with our relationship with Vietnam, is not only outlandish, but it goes against the attitudes of everyone I know in this government about that country," Cheney said.
In March, Army Col. Millard Peck quit as director of the Defense Intelligence Agency office for POWs and MIAs, claiming the effort to find prisoners was "being manipulated by unscrupulous people in government."
Cheney did not mention Peck but did describe the controversy as an "extra burden" on the families of servicemen who are missing. He said he regretted the extra burden.
The Defense Department has more than 150 experts working on information about the missing servicemen, the secretary said. In 1989, the government listed 2,383 servicemen as missing without any word on their whereabouts.
Cheney also announced that a temporary U.S. office in Hanoi, to pursue leads on the men and women still missing, has opened ahead of schedule, and its staff is preparing for a 14th joint investigation in the field.
"Until we see the active, willing cooperation that only Vietnam can provide, it will be impossible to set timetables or deadlines," Cheney said.
"Ultimately, however, we must recognize that our success continues to rest on the actions of the governments of Indochina. If they live up to their promises, if they follow through on their commitments with integrity and energy, we can achieve the meaningful accounting that Americans demand."