John Kerry

The White House has denied any links between Bush's campaign and the group, Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, and said it respects Kerry's wartime service, but refused to repudiate the charges against him.

In a statement, the Kerry campaign said it had "filed a legal complaint against Swift Boat Veterans for Truth before the Federal Election Commission for violating the law with inaccurate ads that are illegally coordinated with the Bush-Cheney presidential campaign."

The group alleges that Kerry lied to obtain two of his medals and that he betrayed U.S. forces in Vietnam by alleging after he returned to the United States that U.S. troops committed atrocities.

Kerry won three Purple Hearts for wounds suffered in combat and a Bronze Star and a Silver Star for bravery, and has used his combat exploits to tout his national security credentials in the first presidential campaign since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The Japan Times Weekly: Aug. 28, 2004
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