Vietnam Says Kerrey Has Shown Remorse About War Actions

Former Sen. Bob Kerrey has shown remorse about his actions in the Vietnam War and should move on by helping heal the wounds from the conflict, Vietnam's government said.

Kerrey has acknowledged leading a U.S. Navy SEAL mission in 1969 in the Mekong Delta hamlet of Thanh Phong that killed at least 13 unarmed civilians, mostly women and children. He received the Bronze Star for the raid.

"Mr. Kerrey has shown in his statements about what happened in the past in Vietnam that he was remorseful about his behavior," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Phan Thuy Thanh said Thursday.

"We think the best way for Mr. Kerrey and other Americans who fought in Vietnam to achieve peace of mind is to contribute to healing the wounds from the war through concrete and realistic actions," she said.

On Monday, Vietnam's Communist government celebrates the 26th anniversary of its victory over the U.S.-supported government in South Vietnam.

Kerrey, a Medal of Honor winner, served one term as governor of Nebraska and two terms as a senator. He is now president of New School University in New York. He is seen as a possible Democratic candidate for president in 2004.








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