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Jackson Lee Cites ‘North Vietnam’ in Afghanistan Speech

Oops.

House Foreign Affairs member Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) took to the House floor Thursday afternoon to discuss Afghanistan, suggesting that it could become like Vietnam — a nation divided in two.

But Jackson Lee appeared to forget that Vietnam is not divided, apparently confusing it with Korea.

“Today, we have two Vietnams side by side, north and south, exchanging and working,” she said. “We may not agree with all that North Vietnam is doing, but they are living in peace. I would look for a better human rights record for North Vietnam, but they are living side by side because that was a civil war.”

Jackson Lee said the Vietnam War dragged on “because the leadership of this nation did not listen to the mother and fathers who bore the burden of 58,000 dead and did not declare victory.” That is the right number for U.S. fatalities in the Vietnam War. The total was about 35,000 killed in the Korean War.

A spokesman said the Congresswoman “made a misstatement” and pointed out that she was very tired, having just returned from Afghanistan, and that she will have her comments corrected.

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