Support by Cambodia and LAOS Helps U.S. POW/MIA Search
Jun 24, 2004
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Support by Cambodia and LAOS Helps U.S. POW/MIA Search
Concluding two days of talks in Cambodia and Laos last week, Deputy
Assistant Secretary of Defense for POW/Missing Personnel Affairs, Jerry D. Jennings,
announced several positive steps in America’s effort to account for servicemen
missing in action from the Vietnam War.
Jennings, who oversees U.S. policies to account for POWs and MIAs,
characterized his talks in these two countries as very positive. “I am encouraged by
the progress we are seeing and believe recent new developments will lead to positive
results,” Jennings said.
During meetings with senior Cambodian officials, Jennings learned that
Prime Minister Hun Sen accepted his invitation to speak in July at the 2004 POW/MIA
Consultations in Siem Reap, Cambodia. These consultations mark an effort by the
four countries to capture lessons learned on this sensitive issue and work toward a
common vision for the future of POW/MIA accounting.
Lao officials agreed to Jennings’ proposal for a five-ministry archival
research initiative. Under this plan, Lao archivists will review documents for any
information relating to American POWs and MIAs and provide their findings to U.S.
officials for analysis. The Lao committed to working with U.S. technical experts
over the next few weeks on details in order to formalize the arrangement by the end
of July.
Lao officials announced that their delegation will also participate in
the 2004 POW/MIA Consultations and voiced strong support for the initiative. These
four-nation consultative talks were held for the first time last year in Bangkok,
Thailand.
Ellie