In campaign news, Senator John Kerry accused President Bush of being “stunningly ineffective in diplomacy.” His comments came during an hour-long interview with Tim Russert on Meet the Press. Kerry said he would work to reestablish US credibility around the world. Kerry also backed off statements he made 30 years on the same program when he admitted he had committed atrocities in Vietnam and when he accused the US military leadership in Vietnam of war crimes. On Sunday Kerry said his comments from 1971 were “a little bit over the top.” Also on Meet the Press Kerry said he backed Israel’s assassination of Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi and said he supported President Bush’s position on allowing Israel the right to keep settlements in Israel while rejecting the Palestinian’s right of return to their homeland.