European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - January 23, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 4 a a the stars and stripes wednesday january 23,1991 questions on . Success leave journalists frustrated Washington apr with every hour of the persian Gulf War More questions arise about the Pentagon a claims of Success. So far the questions far outnumber the answers. One ranking member of Congress suggests the Pentagon could reassure americans by answering Many of those questions a a but chooses not to. Pentagon spokesmen say that in some cases they done to have the answers and in others they Don t want to share them with the Public. They profess to being As frustrated about some things As the reporters who Badger them a Tor instance on the assessment of How much damage Allied bombers have inflicted. A let me Tell you that there a frustration level All Over the building about what bomb damage assessment is a chief Pentagon spokesman Pete Williams said. A a it a not like election returns a you done to just go out and do this and then the computer kicks it out the next a but rep. Bill Alexander d-ark., said Many apparent discrepancies could be resolved if the Public had Access same classified information House members received monday from the defense department. A i think there is an explanation a he told the Arkansas Gazette. A if it Wasny to a classified briefing i would give it to you a Alexander said the Pentagon has information about the fighting that could reassure americans the War is going Well. A there is just no match a he said. A a we Are literally shooting ducks off the the Pentagon is anxious to avoid the credibility problems that arose during the Vietnam War when the daily military briefing became known As the �?o5 of clock Fol. a ,.a a a a a a a a a a a Quot a a a reporters Are upset at strict coverage guidelines Ini posed by the Pentagon in the Gulf and by their inability to confirm any claims of . Success a partly because Iraq has expelled virtually All journalists. Williams sought to defuse Media frustration at the daily Pentagon briefing monday after two military briefer repeatedly failed to satisfy questions about the Prog Westmoreland confident . Headed for Success in Gulf Ress of the 5-Day-old War. The briefer cited two main reasons they weren to More forthcoming. They said that bad weather was hampering accurate assessment of bomb damage and that operational Security was limiting what they could reveal. A outta amp they were Able to obtain. A you have to remember that there has to be a balance Between the amount of information that a released and the amount of information that we possess a said it. Gen. Tom Kelly director of operations for the joint chiefs of staff. Kelly repeatedly said that he is a satisfied with the Progress we re making a and that 80 percent of the Al. Lied bombing missions have been successful. Mow can you say that several reporters asked when you can to assess the damage the answer explained Kelly and Williams is simple. The Success of a bombing Mission is initially determined by the pilots report that the bomb struck its target. In Good weather the bombers camera can also film the bomb hitting the target. A a a Pilot can deliver a bomb even when the weather is Cloudy by using computers and electronic instruments that guide the bomb to its target. To assess the damage however a reconnaissance plane or satellite must film the site after the bombing a something it cannot accomplish through the Clouds. A you know it sounds like we re just making excuses with the weather a Kelly said a but honest to goodness its there and we re having a problem with it and we expect it to Clear up pretty members of Congress after being briefed monday by defense officials were inclined to accept the weather is a problem in trying to determine what kind of damage has been done a said sen. Dale bumpers dark a Williams promised that once the weather clears up he will try to provide More answers on bomb damage. A it. Gen. Tom Kelly however he also said the Pentagon from now on will withhold announcements about american planes being downed and about the number of Patriot missiles fired at iraqi scud rockets launched against saudi Arabia and Israel. By divulging that a . Plane has gone Down the Pentagon could be informing the iraqis of something they might not have known for sure thereby preventing the downed Crew from trying to escape Williams said. And he said the Pentagon has also decided to a fuzz it up a Little bit regarding the number of patriots fired possibly because officials done to want the iraqis to figure. Out How Many patriots remain in the . Arsenal. Charleston . A a commander of . Troops during War says the persian Gulf War will be much different because this time the United states is using All its might. A the Vietnam War was a limited War with limited objectives fought with limited Means and with limited Public support a said retired Gen. William Westmoreland in a copyright article in tuesdays edition of the Post courier. Westmoreland 76, a resident of Charleston was commander of . Troops in Vietnam from 1964 to 1968. The published interview was his first since the Gulf War began last week. Westmoreland said he attended a Pentagon briefing the Day . Air strikes against Iraq began but the Mili Westmoreland tary has not asked for his opinion or insights. A they done to need any advice and if i were in their position i want any old soldiers trying to look Over my shoulder and Tell me what to do a he said. A a in be been retired almost 19 years and although in be fought three wars they done to need my Westmoreland said he sees Many contrasts with the Vietnam War. Most significant was president Bush a assurances that this War would not be like Vietnam and that . Troops would not have to fight Iraq with a one Arm tied behind their backs Quot he said. A a in a not surprised that or. Bush has made that Point a Westmoreland said. A a it a Welcome to most of us particularly those of us who fought in weaponry is also much greater this time he said. A a Vietnam was kind of a sideshow compared with the firepower we be got Over there now. We Only had three relatively Small airfields compared to 50 in saudi Arabia. We had one aircraft Carrier maybe two offshore. Now they be got the Forrestal based in Mayport fla., was to leave wednesday for the Mediterranean sea bringing the total number of aircraft carriers in the Middle East to seven but in both Vietnam and the Middle East Westmoreland said fighting occurred before . Involvement. And in both cases America got involved for the same Basic reasons. A when recommit troops to the Battlefield its based on two considerations a he said. A the first is ideological where we Are the champions of Freedom and democracy. A the second is our strategic self interest. You re talking about resources open seas namely Waterways. If you look at every War we be fought a both of those considerations come into play.�?�. Westmoreland predicted military com. Manders will have to decide within weeks when to commit ground troops and said the w a could last Many months. Sales of books maps on Mideast skyrocketing ass Sara files 0c Phi re a sir a Tir Thyo the information they can find on Thi Laurie Mylroie of Harvard Middle East and on the iraqis that the a a feed a basically around . Troops Are now at War with thl he Nch w"tin8 he Book he said. They re also snatching do John Godfrey head of information u wete�?ohenf8ou? of Public retailers say. Prary says he s had a steady Stream of stores report that m i inquiries about the iraqi Leader since laced books an. They a also asking related books have increased and some stores have sold out of Mideast maps. A a a Rand Mcnally spokesman Conroy Erickson says a special Middle East map created aug. 2 iraqi invasion of Kuwait is in its fifth printing we Haven to been Able to keep it in Stock it our or in retail stores a he said monday in a phone interview from company offices in Skokie. 111. Merchants and publishers say people Are seeking All types of information a about the Region. They re looking for anything that Wall give them factual information about what they re hearing on the news a said Astrid Webster of Hige one Bookstore in Albuquerque . Seale Ballenger publicist for times Hooks random House inc. In Manhattan said the Book a Saddam Hussein and the crisis in the Gulf is Likely to go into its second printing. Thea Aiau Ami in about iraqis soviet scud missiles he said.ka0.s Mideast related and Ward n01? have been High at the. Dalton bookseller stores nationwide and at the 50 Barnes amp Noble Bookstore outlets said Donna Passan Nante spokeswoman for the two companies. _ a from Beirut to Jerusalem by l Homas l. Friedman had sold steadily �?~tsj989 publication. But sales a i f Ped 50 percent since the first week of january As the deadline for Iraq to withdraw from Kuwait approached 1 Passannante said. A Esi of prophecy books related to the end of the world increased about a percent after the invasion of Kuwait she said. Inv i Nar a so have soared since the Allied attack on Iraq. The demand caused k Mart to place ear a order to Stock its stores with american hags nationwide
