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Bush: The truth must out
19/09/2004 21:48 - (SA)
Washington - President George W Bush has for the first time raised questions about documents used to bolster a report that he received preferential treatment during his Vietnam era military service.
And amid mounting Republican attacks, the CBS network, which broadcast the allegations against Bush, has stepped up its inquiry into the authenticity of the documents.
"There are a lot of questions about the documents and they need to be answered," Bush told the Union Leader newspaper based in Manchester, New Hampshire in an interview on Saturday. "Let the truth come out."
"I think what needs to happen is people need to take a look at the documents, how they were created, and let the truth come out," he told the newspaper.
Bush's military record has drawn new attention in the campaign for the November 2 presidential election because of allegations his family used its influence to get him into the Texas Air National Guard and avoid Vietnam.
Democratic challenger John Kerry received multiple bravery honours for his service as a Swift boat commander in Vietnam.
But a group of veterans, backed by Republicans, have produced a best-selling book and some adverts which allege he has lied about his service.
CBS aired a document, allegedly written by Bush's National Guard commanding officer, saying that he had felt pressure to "sugarcoat" Bush's military record because Bush's father was then chairperson of the Republican National Committee.
But multiple questions have since been raised about the authenticity of the memo.
Questions about documents
Bush did not call the documents forgeries but said "I did everything they asked me to do and met my requirements and was honourably discharged. I'm proud of my service in the Guard."
CBS has acknowledged there might be problems with the document, but insists the content of the letter is accurate.
CBS News president Andrew Heyward said "We're working very hard to resolve these questions about the documents, so I agree with the president," the New York Times reported.
Betsy West, a top CBS news executive, is now in charge of 12 journalists working on the documents, the Times added.
The Washington Post reported that CBS rushed to air the allegations because the White House did not challenge the documents after being given a chance to see them.
Bush trained as a fighter pilot but stopped flying in 1972 after transferring to an Air National Guard unit in Alabama, where he worked on a gubernatorial election campaign.
His time in Alabama later became the subject of allegations that he rarely showed up for duty.
Bush's mother former first lady Barbara Bush defended the president's military service, telling the Dallas Morning News "the truth was, he served."
"There's some pretty nasty stuff out there that just plain isn't true," she added.
- AFP
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