◆ SpookStack

\ we'll cancel tomorrow morning's strike. Well nobody had told him that there were "operational reasons." At the moment he made that decision, he thought that there was a chance -- a good chance -- of success without that air strike. He should have been informed, right at that moment, that operational reasons do dictate that we continue ••. that we go ahead ••. because if we don't, we can't land those troops, Mr. President. 131/ Concerning Cabell's responsibility and degree of familiarity with the operational implications of the cancellation, Gaines pointed out that Cabell was not too well aware of the air plan: He had been briefed. We had our regular briefings to keep him up to date, but he had been apart from the military community for such a period of time that his operational expertise had been eroded by time. This was my whole argument .•. that the President deserves some operational information because he has killed the entire project if we cannot make that strike. 132/ Making this point to both Beerli and later to Bissell, Gaines stated further: r got the impression that there were so many political considerations involved that they did not want to go back and beard the President in his office, or ask for a special audience, when it would have been much better had we done so ... r really believe that Beerli should have been more forceful in this -- and r don't - 286 -