THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, October 9, 1996 TAG: 9610090425
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: 43 lines
The Pentagon acknowledged Tuesday it sometimes gave rushed, incomplete answers to questions about Gulf War illnesses, possibly creating the impression it was ``less than forthcoming.''
The comments by Navy Capt. Michael Doubleday, a Pentagon spokesman, came in response to questions about what some veterans complain is a credibility gap at the Pentagon over its handling of the Gulf War illness issue. Much as veterans are angry over their inability to get answers, so Pentagon officials are frustrated that their effort to investigate illnesses among Gulf War veterans has yielded little but criticism.
``One of the things that we've learned is that where we too rapidly respond to questions with answers that are incomplete, it later proves to be not a wise thing to have done,'' Doubleday told reporters in a briefing.
Afterward, Doubleday elaborated that he was referring to a few specific instances in which the Pentagon gave answers on Gulf War illness issues and later had to amend them.
``There have been instances in the past where we have made a very considerable effort to get information out as soon as it became known,'' Doubleday said. For example, the Pentagon briefed reporters about the demolition of an ammunition bunker in March 1991 and only later found out that more chemical munitions were destroyed nearby in an open pit.
``Because we don't have the full story of what happened operationally and we are having to recreate that information,'' Doubleday said, ``it sometimes appears as though we are being less than forthcoming. But in fact we are making a very concerted effort.''
So far, the Pentagon knows of no U.S. soldier who died or suffered acute illness due to chemical or biological weapons during or immediately after the 1991 war against Iraq. The question is whether fleeting exposure may have led to less dramatic symptoms.
American Legion spokesman Phil Budahn said sentiment among Gulf War veterans ranges from suspicion that the military exposed soldiers to chemical weapons deliberately in some sort experiment to those who chalk the problem up to bureaucratic bungling.
KEYWORDS: GULF WAR ILLNESS by CNB