Senate panel mulls response to Pentagon's Crusader decision

Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., said Monday his committee will meet later this week to decide how to respond to Defense Secretary Rumsfeld's decision to terminate the Army's Crusader artillery system, Copley News Service reported.

Although he could not predict what the committee would do on the controversial issue, Levin said he favored giving the Army more time to study the need for Crusader and the possible alternatives to the high-tech 155mm artillery system.

"We need to take some time to hear from the Army. That process was cut short," Levin said at a session with reporters.

Levin called Rumsfeld's decision "precipitous" and noted the Pentagon did not follow its own plan to allow the Army time to study possible alternatives. That study was to have answered seven questions, dealing with four possible alternative indirect fire support methods in four different combat scenarios, he said.

"I think we need to keep open that process," he said. Levin indicated a preference to include some provision in the defense authorization bill that would allow the Army at least one month to complete the studies on the Crusader.

He was not sure how the Crusader funds would be handled, but suggested a requirement that the Pentagon would have to come back to Congress for permission to reprogram the funds after the Army studies.