Today comes word of the release of Mr. Newman, an elderly Korean war veteran who tried to visit North Korea as a “tourist”, using nothing less than his U.S. passport and U.S. retired military ID card to identify himself going in.
Not surprisingly, perhaps this gentleman was arrested , charged and subsequently convicted of multiple war crimes resulting apparently during his time in service with the U.S. military during the Korean war.
Of particular note is the fact that Mr. Newman confessed to these war crimes in writing as a precondition to his release.
As a former infantryman, I know full well that if held under such conditions as being a POW (“Prisoner of War”) – and that is exactly what Mr. Newman was – you are only allowed to reveal 3 things to your enemy. Name, rank and serial number. Anything beyond this is tantamount to high treason.
See video: Newman confession http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OVH8ZYcVX6Y
Treason is still a crime punishable by death here in the United States.
Certainly no one here will accuse Mr. Newman of being a “traitor” or dare criticize him for doing whatever he had to do to escape that hellish situation, but , as a human being it’s got to be eating up inside!
Imagine, for a moment how you would feel to know that your final act, as a Korean war veteran was in signing a written confession of war crimes directed against your country that you love, in an effort to gain your own release from prison?
See video Newman release from North Korea : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEukACi3qZA and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLghYOaE5yU