RUSSO REPORT PRESENTED TO WAR CRIMES INQUIRY

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005430991
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: June 24, 2015
• Document Release Date: January 21, 2010
• Case Number: F-2009-01396
• Publication Date: October 12, 1972

RUSSO REPORT PRESENTED TO WAR CRIMES INQUIRY
Paris APP in English 1620 GMT 12 Oct 72 C--F
{Text] Copenhagen, 12 Oct (APP)--Anthony Russo. who was responsible with Dr Daniel
Ellsberg for releasing parts of the Pentagon Papers to the press. today revealed that
prior to the 1968 My Lai massacre at least two villages were wiped out by allied
ground troops but that the D.S. any did not investigate.
Sr. Russo made his report to the third session of the international committee
Smsestigating alleged D.S. war crimes in Indochina.
Sr Russo said that examples of unparalleled criminal brutality of the allied invaders
was shown in Appendix A of a Rand Corporation report prepared in 1966 by Leon Ooure at
the request of General Westmoreland.
She report, containing interviews with prisoners taken in Phu Yen and Binh Ding
Provinces, mentions the death of more than 200 men, women and children and one prisoner
said that Et.rean allied troops wiped out the entire hamlet of_Phnoc Hoa and that-only
five people escaped, Mr Rus said. He said there waa'nd record of General Westmoreland's
investigating Phnoc Nos and that as was the policy of the invaders. Phnoc Hoa was swept
under the rug.
The Interviews in the Rand report also showed that the Scope of the air war was great
even prior to 1966, Mr. Russo said. He said prisoners answered questions on whether
their home villages had been hit by artillery or air strikes and that figures
projected from the answers showed that prior to 1966 literally millions of villagers
bore the brunt of heavy bombing and shelling.
The large number of refugees--estimated at one million as early as the summer of 1965--
was parallel proof"yt the genocidal proportions of the air war, Mr Russo said.
He said in the Rand report 34 [word indistinct] of the prisoners and defectors said
there bad been civilian casualties in their home villages prior to 1966 and 18 [word
indistinct] described the casualties as-severe.
Mr. Russo said that the civilian casualty rate had doubtlessly increased greatly since
1966 but that the rates were high then and the information existed in the Rand
interviews and no responsible American official could plead ignorance.
Mr. Russo said the casualties were the result of Shotgun tactics used in the countryside
by American invaders. He said the report also exposed the blatant hypocrisy of
President Nixon's excuse for not settling the Vietnam war for fear of a bloodbath.
He said in 1954 amnesty and elections were promised but not given and President Diem's
troops carried out a campaign of terror and suppression against all former resistance
members that had continued to this very day under the name of the Phoenix program.
In the light of the Lansdale-Diem policies and the current CIA-sponsored Phoenix
program, it was the PRO fighters who Should logically fear a bloodbath, not Nixon, Mr.
Ruaso's report said.
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APPROVED FOR RELEASE[] DATE: ?'"" "' " e"`!-
13-Jan-2010