Bush orders release of all his military records

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Saturday, February 14, 2004

Bush orders release of all his military records

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US President George W. Bush ordered the White House Friday to release all his Vietnam-era military records amid continued questions on whether he shirked his duty as a member of the Air National Guard.

About 700 pages of documents detailed Bush's service in the Guard in Texas from 1968 to 1972 were released early in the evening. Some were opened for examination by reporters in the Roosevelt Room at the White House and were not being distributed publicly.

White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Bush decided Friday afternoon to release the papers. "The president felt everything should be made available to the public."

Questions over Bush's military service, emerged briefly during the 2000 general election, were raised anew this election year. Democrats accused him of going missing during part of his service period.

Bush transferred temporarily from a Texas Air National Guard unit to an Alabama unit in 1972 while he was working on a political campaign. Democratic National Committee Chairman Terry McAuliffe said Bush went AWOL, or absent without leave, when he should have been training in Alabama.

The White House has released Bush's military pay records and his military dental records to prove that he carried out his duty.But Democrats said these documents still could not explain where Bush went during the controversial period.

"There were some who sought to leave a wrong impression that there was something to hide when there is not," McClellan said when announcing Bush's order.

Source: Xinhua

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White House releases Bush's military service records

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