To: Online Opinion

Robert Manne’s memory of what he once wrote about Wilfred Burchett is faulty. He contests our recent statement ("Manne of Influence," Online Opinion, July 4) that in 1985 he had described Burchett as having been a torturer during the Korean War. According to the Age reporter Matthew Ricketson, Manne “denied he had ever written that Burchett was a torturer.” Rather, he charged that our “description of his earlier position was ‘an absolute lie’.” (Ricketson, "New Brawl over Burchett's Reputation," July 8, 2008: http://blogs.theage.com.au/mediamatters/archives/2008/07/new_brawl_over.html ). However, our statement is correct, and Manne is wrong again.
In 1985 Manne did accuse Burchett of involvement in torture. At that time, describing his August 1985 Quadrant essay, "The Fortunes of Wilfred Burchett: A New Assessment", Manne wrote: "My article presented evidence to show that Wilfred Burchett [...had] active involvement in the creation and dissemination of the false germ warfare confessions extracted from captured American pilots after protracted periods of physical and mental torture" (Robert Manne, letter to the editor, Sydney Morning Herald, August 16, 1985). Manne accused Burchett not merely of the "dissemination" of false confessions, but also explicitly of their "creation" ­- referring to their extraction in a process involving protracted "physical and mental torture."
Additionally, Manne quoted the charge that a US POW under interrogation was “ ‘threatened repeatedly with drastic measures by Burchett’ ". In crediting that charge, Manne accused Burchett of coercing information from a POW under the threat of torture (”He Chose Stalin: The Case of Wilfred Burchett," in The Shadow of 1917: Cold War Conflict in Australia, 1994, p. 55).
Altering his position in 2008, Robert Manne now calls into question the veracity of such charges. This is another important change in his viewpoint. However, he errs in denying "that he had ever written Burchett was a torturer". If there is “an absolute lie” here, it is not ours.

Tom Heenan,
Ben Kiernan,
Greg Lockhart,
Stuart Macintyre,
Gavan McCormack.

ah well, seems like i have finally succeeded in logging in for a new comment !
don't know if it's worth the while ! but the commentators so far do not seem to get near wiping wilfred burchetts boots (well, tennis shoes..)

I can only say: he told me of his experience in the vietnamese tunnels, under American-occupied Southern Vietnam. The tunnels were built for Vietnamese. Smaller and thinner than Wilfred. He had two minders, one to pull, one to push. Still, he got stuck. And unstuck. What I found v hard, to even think of, nites, was that he went back. Again. (he did run out of air, somewhat.)

I've worked in mines. I am very happy that Wilfred Burchett went into the Vietnamese tunnels, and that I could avoid that. I'd like any of the commentators to try think they owe the Vietnamese, that. And then think about it some more. Ah well..
Max (Watts), a frita

Max Watts
Which Vietnamese do we owe?
The million who fled Communism or the ones left?
The Communists tortured and murdered approximately 100 million people last century. The whole rotten crop lasted only one century but was ably assisted by creatures like Burchett. People who despite all the evidence stood by the tyrannical monsters were the system. These Quislings are the people who should never be forgotten or allowed to crawl under a rock and not be exposed for what they did.

time waste. try thinking of vietnamese as people in vietnam.
max watts