September 22, 1970
Page 32994
PRISONERS OF WAR
Mr. MUSKIE. Mr. President, the prisoner-of-war issue continues to be one of the great tragedies of the war in Vietnam. The continued refusal of the North Vietnamese and theVietcong even to release the names of all Americans they hold prisoner is a violation not only of the Geneva Convention on Protection of Prisoners of War but of humanitarian considerations which are not bound by political or national differences. Regardless of the conditions in prisons where Americans are being held, we must agree that the anxiety suffered by the families and friends of these Americans is a most basic form of cruelty.
Such treatment is an offensive reproach to the civilized conscience.
Our Government must continue to press for the release of the names of these Americans. This we can hopefully accomplish through united expressions of concern, such as the joint meeting of Congress today, and through bringing our concern to the attention of other nations of the world, as Mr. Borman has done.
Yet we cannot allow our efforts to stop short of what must be our highest priority in this matter – the repatriation of all Americans now held prisoner by the North Vietnamese and Vietcong.
Unfortunately, we cannot accomplish this goal through simple expressions of concern.
Nor can we accomplish this goal through the process of Vietnamization, which merely slows down the pace of the war and could keep us involved in Vietnam for some time to come.
We are engaged in a war which is in many ways different from wars we have fought in the past.
Yet, it is the rule in war, rather than the exception, that all prisoners are not released until the fighting has ceased. Our offer to exchange prisoners with the North Vietnamese, and their refusal even to consider this offer, must be considered, then, in light of our policy of continued pursuit of a military solution in Vietnam which may take years to accomplish.
Mr. President, I am convinced that the only way we will achieve the goal of a return of all prisoners is through a negotiated settlement. The recent offer initiated by the Hanoi delegation to the Paris peace talks must be considered closely. And we must continue to press for the undertaking of serious negotiations on all aspects of terminating this war, with the prompt release of all Americon prisoners in Vietnam of the highest negotiating priority.
Efforts on behalf of our men must not flag. We would break faith if our concern for them is not accompanied by our strongest possible effort to deal with the broader issues of the war, of which they are tragic victims.