European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 26, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse Dugan s downfall the Story behind the Story by Rick Atkinson Washington Post so in she Washington Post published an article 3 sept. 16 with my byline and the headline a "u.s. To rely on air strikes if War the Story and accompanying photograph got a Nat newspaper editors Call great play a six columns stripped across the top of Page one a because it recounted in some detail the american Battle strategy in the even of War with Iraq. The Story and a similar piece in the los Angeles times had an unanticipated consequence. On sept. 17, Secretary of defense Dick Cheney fired the air Force chief of staff Gen. Michael j. Dugan the principal source for the article and one of five air Force generals quoted on the record regarding . Military operations in the persian Gulf. Cheney charged Dugan with Quot poor judgment and revealing classified information. And the article probably had another More enduring consequence in All likelihood the Pentagon will rebuild the Wall Between the Media and the military that has stood since the Vietnam War. For the record and for what its Worth the Story behind the Story is As follows on thursday afternoon sept. 6, a Dugan aide called and asked if i were interested in accompanying the chief on a five Day swing across the arabian Peninsula while he inspected air Force operations. Seats on the plane were limited John Morrocco of the Magazine aviation week and space technology John Broder of the los Angeles times and i were the Only reporters going. In a not certain How the list was made up id never met Dugan and had Only spoken with him once on the phone. Several complications nearly scuttled the trip for me. I was supposed to leave for a reporting assignment in the soviet Union on sept. 14, the Day before the air Force chiefs scheduled return to Washington that was resolved by pushing Back the departure Date for Moscow by two Days. Then on sept. 10, eight hours before our departure for saudi Arabia the air Force reported that its plan to have a Trio of reporters Shadow Dugan throughout his visit a including a Stop at the secret f-117a stealth fighter base a was adamantly opposed by at least two Host governments and the staff of Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf commander in chief of . Forces in the Region. Despite the diminished itinerary the trip still seemed exciting and worthwhile and i replied that i was anxious to go. As a final obstacle the three reporters lacked saudi visas. The saudi embassy said it would take Quot weeks or months Quot to process our applications and the air Force Wasny to having any Luck either. When Broder Morrocco and i arrived sans visas at Andrews fab at 6 . On sept. 10, we were told that wed have to remain in Torrejon a Spain after refuelling if the documents were not forthcoming. Just before the Jet began to taxi Down the runway at Andrews a saudi embassy official relented and promised the air Force by phone that we would be issued one week visas upon arrival in Riyadh. Andreport Ertho has covered a National political Campaign knows that Long plane rides Are strangely bonding they permit relaxed conversation with few distractions. The flight to saudi Arabia including an hours refuelling took 14 hours aboard windowless military version of a Boeing 707 with wide comfortable seats grouped four to a table. The travelling party included a half dozen generals including the chief and his deputies in charge of plans and operations logistics and engineering the aeronautical systems division the air National guard and air Force Resene. After a few hours rest the generals took turns sitting at the table with the three reporters. They were cordial patient and willing to talk in some detail about the remarkable deployment of operation desert shield. Everything was on the record. I arrived in Riyadh with the makings of a Good Story though hardly a bar Burner a about How the air Force was prepared for War in the Gulf. The Story though was no More than an Dick Cheney Gen. Michael j. Dugan assortment of miscellaneous facts without a compelling beginning. Dugan s comments on the flight Over had been intriguing and As we parted company from the generals for two Days the reporters had a Chance to Ponder what he seemed to be saying if somewhat obliquely. He had been dismissive even contemptuous of iraqi military capabilities referring to their army As Quot incompetent Quot and their air Force As a an Morrocco who had Early deadlines for the following weeks Magazine filed from saudi Arabia Broder and i after consulting our editors in Washington decided to hang fire until the return trip to see what else the chief had to say. A tall likable fighter Pilot who had been air Force chief of staff Only since july 1, Dugan very much wanted to improve his services relations with the press. His immediate predecessor Gen. Larry d. Welch had been stiff and aloof a Man equally contemptuous of journalists and Many members of Congress. It was probably not coincidental that the air Force for several years had been hammered in the press on a number of topics crucial to the services future including the b-1 and b-2 bombers and the advanced tactical fighter. Mike Dugan a 32-year Veteran wanted to change that. Quot i think that the leaders. Need to be up front they need to be the Guys on Point Quot he told air Force officials in a speech aug. 1. Quot and they need to take the Gaff that goes with it and the Flack that goes with at Dugan s direction a and to the astonishment of reporters accustomed to air Force stonewalling a his Public affairs office printed the names and phone numbers of senior officers on a Small laminated card that urged journalists to get their facts right by directly calling those who knew the answers. A a he a probably too open for his own Good Quot a colonel told me. Quot eventually hell probably get on Friday morning sept. 14, we rendezvoused with the generals in Dhahran on the persian Gulf As they completed their inspection tour with a look at a f fighter base. In an air conditioned tent Dugan gave a 30-minute press conference to a Pool of reporters he said Little that was newsworthy and the three of us travelling with him asked no questions preferring to wait until we were Back on the plane. At noon we took off for Home. Morrocco Broder and i were eager to resume the interviews. Having pondered the dimensions of an apparently shapeless Story had come to realize that the essence of what Dugan and his deputies could Best address was the limitations and capabilities of american air Power a generation after it had last been used extensively in Southeast Asia. Could air Power alone Force Gaddum Hussein out of Kuwait sparing huge losses to . Ground forces How Yvo Ini targets would to most effective in reversing the iraqi Inveson did you have to destroy Kuwait in order to save it v. made the air Force believe bombing would be More elective against Saddam than it was against Flo Chi Mph we really wanted to understand not just for the Sake of being privy to that which is usually forbidden to scribes but a a get a glimpse of this warriors world where thousands of lives hang in the balance. Again the generals obligingly rotated into the vacant seat at our table. They too seemed eager to talk and the conversations on the first leg lasted five hours. They were pleased and proud at what they had seen on the Peninsula at the logistical marvels of desert shield at the ingenuity and Pluck of americans consigned to a baking wasteland 7,000 Miles from Home. Dugan i think particularly wanted us to understand that his pilots and Crews were ready to shoulder the Load if War erupted potentially sparing the United states a protracted Armor War in which thousands of american soldiers might die. Quot air Power is the Only answer that s available to our country to avoid a bloody land War that would probably devastate Kuwait he said. Do the other chiefs share that View we asked. Yes Dugan said and no one voices the sentiment More often than Schwarzkopf. He continued outlining his vision of How the War would unfold How Quot the cutting Edge would be in downtown Baghdad Quot How Saddam would be personally targeted How the israelis had advised hitting Saddam s family personal guard and mistress disclosure that particularly infuriated Cheney and other officials sensitive to Israel s role in this crisis few of Dugans comments seemed improbable or naive. After describing How the air Force would flatten Iraq the chief added Quot we re not mad at the iraqi people and when this i All Over we Don t want the iraqi people to be mad at us and the rest of the allies we be brought exhibiting a trait not uncommon among fighter pilots he also seemed Cocker than most of theary officers i had interviewed who had a much More sober View of a potential War with Iraq. When Dugan mentioned that he had asked his planners to interview civilian specialists a including academics and journalists a to determine Quot what is unique about iraqi culture that they put very High value on Quot we wondered at the propriety of enlisting such people to help draft a target list. And we wondered frankly Why the air Force chief of staff was telling us All this. The 16-hour flight Home passed amiably. Reporters and officers played cards and told jokes shared a Quick Beer at the officers club in Spain during refuelling and an even quicker bottle of Vodka on the second leg to Washington. As we neared Andrews at the end of the journey an officer confided a you be made lifelong friends on this somehow i doubt that. And i regret it. I like Mike Dugan and his band of generals i Admire their Devotion to duty and their Clear concern for the 30,000 air Force men and women in the persian Gulf whose lives Are their responsibility. But i doubt Shatwell see Many More of those laminated cards urging reporters to ring up the senior leadership. I certainly done to regret publication of the Story. Reporters have their duties too. I believe that there Are fundamental issues americans should be thinking about before the f first shot misfired do we want to flatten Baghdad do we hate Saddam enough to Hunt him relentlessly with our bombers Are we ready to see hostages and civilians die or captured pilots imprisoned in iraqi jails these Are issues of National will not just military planning. I suspect Dugan agrees that May be Why he spoke so candidly. I m sorry truly sorry that he had to pay for that airing with his . Ber 26, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 15
