ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, September 19, 1996 TAG: 9609190055
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-9 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: WASHINGTON
SOURCE: Associated Press
His voice choked with emotion, Defense Secretary William Perry told lawmakers Wednesday he bears responsibility for missteps by the Pentagon prior to the terrorist bombing that killed 19 U.S. airmen in Saudi Arabia.
``I have enjoyed some substantial successes, and I am proud of those successes. But Khobar Tower was a tragic failure,'' Perry told the House National Security Committee in a hearing on the June 25 attack at the Khobar Towers complex in Dhahran.
``To the extent this tragedy resulted from a failure of leadership, that responsibility is mine and mine alone.''
His testimony did not entirely satisfy all the committee members. Some said people below Perry in the military's chain of command could hardly be expected to recommend punishment for the secretary or other senior Pentagon officials.
The hearing came two days after release of a task force report that said the Pentagon's top leaders failed to give counterterrorism high enough priority to protect soldiers in the field - particularly those deployed in the Middle East. The report did not name higher officials but heavily criticized Air Force Brig. Gen. Terryl J. Schwalier, the 4404th Wing commander in Saudi Arabia, for failing to pursue security at the Dhahran apartment complex more aggressively.
The author of the report, retired Gen. Wayne Downing, sat next to Perry in the House hearing room.
The report correctly concluded that ``we do not have a focus in our budgeting process on force protection,'' Perry said. ``That is my responsibility.''
Declaring ``I will not participate in the game of passing the buck,'' he noted that an Air Force general will review the Khobar Towers case to determine if further punishments are warranted. Perry gave no indication he might resign.
``We have a systematic and judicious process of military justice,'' Perry said. ``I will let it proceed carefully and objectively. In the meantime, I will not seek to delegate the responsibility for this tragedy on any of my military commanders.''
Perry said he stands behind his top commanders, Gen. John Shalikashvili, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. Binford Peay III, head of the U.S. Central Command, responsible for the Persian Gulf area. If they made mistakes, Perry said, he is responsible because he supported their positions.
Rep. Curt Weldon, R-Pa., voiced dissatisfaction with the secretary's responses and suggested the committee conduct its own probe into culpability.
LENGTH: Medium: 57 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Defense Secretary William Perry said Wednesday, ``toby CNBthe extent this tragedy resulted from a failure of leadership, that
responsibility is mine and mine alone.''