THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, July 10, 1996 TAG: 9607100355
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: FROM WIRE REPORTS
LENGTH: 96 lines
A subdued Secretary of Defense told a Congressional committee Tuesday the United States can expect further attacks on U.S. servicemen in Saudi Arabia.
William Perry also said that both the force and sophistication of the bomb that killed 19 airmen June 25 indicated that U.S. military commanders in Saudi Arabia had underestimated the capabilities of terrorists in the region.
Perry also said that despite serious threats, Americans never formally asked Saudi officials to expand the security perimeter at the base.
Shortly after the tragedy, the commanding general of U.S. forces stationed where the bomb exploded complained to reporters that the Saudis had not responded to repeated requests to have the perimeter moved.
But senior Pentagon officials acknowledged Tuesday that the fence issue was raised with the Saudis only informally in talks led by a U.S. colonel.
In addition, Perry said he believed Saudi officials had not refused even informal requests. ``The answer was not, `No,' '' he told the Senate Armed Services Committee. ``But the answer was, `Not now. Not yet.' ''
Perry defended the actions of senior military officials responsible for security at U.S. bases in the Persian Gulf.
Appearing subdued as the hearing started, Perry had to be asked by chairman Strom Thurmond, R-S.C., to speak into the microphone so he could be heard.
``We can expect further attacks on our facilities in the command,'' said Perry. ``We must capture and punish the bombers,'' he said. ``If we identify another nation as thesource of the bombing, we should retaliate.''
Appearing with the defense secretary were Gen. John Shalikashvili, the nation's top uniformed military officer, and Gen. J.H. Binford Peay, whose Central Command includes the Middle East and Persian Gulf.
Perry said that maintaining a U.S. military force in Saudi Arabia is ``vital to our national security interest,'' but security considerations might require moving those forces outside populated areas such as Riyadh, the Saudi capital.
``Riyadh is an urban environment,'' Perry said. ``I do not know how we're going to provide protection against bombs this size in Riyadh, and therefore I think the only solution to that problem is we have to move out of Riyadh.''
``I have alerted the king, crown prince, and the minister of defense that such a request may be imminent in a matter of weeks,'' he said.
Some committee members questioned why Air Force commanders in the desert kingdom failed to press reluctant Saudi officials to expand the security perimeter around the high-rise building in Dharan, and failed to take other steps to thwart intruders.
Perry said intelligence reports on Mideast terrorist threats before the blast were ``fragmentary and inconclusive,'' but denied that amounted to an ``intelligence failure.''
In seeking to explain why the bombers had caught U.S. officials by surprise, Perry said it is his working assumption that the group ``had extensive support from an experienced and well-financed international terrorist organization,'' and also ``had sophisticated training, did extensive practice and had access to military-quality explosives.''
Last week, U.S. officials said privately the bombers apparently had help from outside Saudi Arabia. A government official privy to details of the probe said Tuesday that investigators now believe the bombing was not carried out by home-grown Saudi dissidents, or by the same group that bombed a Riyadh building last November, killing five Americans.
The official said it may emerge that the new bombing was arranged by Iran, Iraq or another country, or by well-known terrorist groups opposed to the Middle East peace process and the presence of U.S. forces in the region.
Tuesday's hearing marked the bombing's transition from national tragedy to hot presidential political issue, as Senate Republicans appeared to be test-marketing what could prove a useful campaign issue. They wanted to know why intelligence officials blundered in failing to prepare for a bomb in the 5,000-pound range, why Perry didn't object when counter-terrorism funds were reduced from military budgets, and why U.S. commanders in Saudi Arabia were diffident in pressing security concerns with Saudi hosts.
Thurmond said late Tuesday the testimony showed that ``the threats to our forces stationed in Saudi Arabia were underestimated and that actions were not aggressively taken to reduce the vulnerability of our military personnel.''
``I'm stunned,'' Sen. John Warner, R-Va., said during the hearing of testimony by Peay, commander of the U.S. Central Command, that he had almost no details on subordinates' conversations with the Saudis about protecting the high-rise in Dhahran. ``We're learning today of a failure to bring forward, up through the chain of command . . . a very serious breakdown'' in communications with Saudi officials that endangered U.S. troops. ``I assume the president would have been interested,'' Warner added.
Several senators denounced the Saudis for failing to act on the defense request. ``We've got to determine the level of cooperation of the Saudi government,'' Warner said.
Members of the panel also criticized Peay for his defense of the Saudis and his own military subordinates.
Peay said U.S. commanders usually avoid pushing their Saudi hosts because of ``intense Saudi sensitivity to issues of their sovereignty,'' and ``cultural'' differences. What seems to Americans to be ``foot-dragging'' actually reflects a balkanized bureaucracy committed to ``consensus-seeking,'' he said, adding that Saudis also have ``a different sense of time.''
Sen. Dirk Kempthorne, R-Idaho, replied that ``we subordinated our culture to that of our host country, and it cost us.'' MEMO: The Washington Post, The Associated Press and Knight-Ridder News
Service contributed to this report.
KEYWORDS: MILITARY BASES SAUDI ARABIA by CNB