Army inspector general probes Crusader lobbying

The Army's inspector general is investigating the conduct of Army officials who sought support from members of Congress for the controversial Crusader howitzer program after Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld announced his intention to cancel the program.

The investigation is a significant embarrassment for the Army and Army Secretary Thomas White, who is under increased scrutiny for his role at the now-bankrupt Enron Corp. energy firm, where he was an executive before President Bush tapped him for the Army's top job. The Crusader program has long been controversial in the Army. It is a heavy artillery system--too heavy, critics say--initially designed to destroy Soviet tanks during the Cold War.

White had been a vocal advocate for Crusader, which the Army had managed to lighten from 80 tons to about 40 tons. The weight of the weapons system was the chief reason it lacked support outside the Army's artillery community and key Congressional supporters.

Immediately after Army officials were told of Rumsfeld's decision, someone on the Army staff--it is not clear who--sent "talking points" to supporters of the program in Congress so that they might be better armed to fight for the program. But the Army hardly needed to do that, since the program enjoys strong support on both sides of Capitol Hill.

While Crusader's cancellation stunned many in the Army who believed United Defense, the program's politically well-connected manufacturer, had too many supporters in high places to put the program in serious jeopardy, it heartened others who believed the $11 billion program was a drain on other more important programs.

By all accounts, Rumsfeld was outraged by what he saw as dissent by the Army.

"Around here, when an issue is under discussion or under review - [we] fully, fully expect people to speak out forcefully, to speak out smartly, to make their case. But when the decision has been reached, the expectations are that you will support that. And that's what we expect. And that's what I think we'll see," Pentagon spokeswoman Victoria Clarke said.

When asked if Rumsfeld had confidence in Army Secretary Thomas White, Clarke said, "[Rumsfeld] has full confidence that they will get to the bottom of this, get to the bottom of any inappropriate behavior and if [there are] those who are responsible for inappropriate behavior, we'll discover that--then they will be held accountable."