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SUBJECT:Discussionsw/CENTCOMre:SyHershArticleOctober
22,2001
1:19PM
DECLASSIFIED
AllTlIO
RITYE.O.12958
Dr<
8.2008
Chid.
Deela55Dr
Di
•.
&
Rr<·
OJ
__
WHS
WhenIheardaboutSyHersh'spiece
in
theNew
Yorker,
Iraised
it
withTommyFranks.Iaskedhim
if
itwastruethattheCENTCOMlawyerhadinhibitedhimfromhittingthattarget.Iremindedhimthatwhenhecalledme,Itoldhimimmediatelytohitit
if
anyonewiggledandthatIwasgoingtocallthePresident.But,
in
themeantime,hehadmyauthoritytohit
it.
Ididnotwanttolosethattarget.IcalledthePresident.IcalledTommybackwithin4
Y2
minutesandtoldhimthePresidentagreed.WhenIreadtheSyHershpiece,IremindedFranks
of
ourearlierdiscussionandaskedhimwhathadactuallyhappened,and
if
hislawyerhad,infact,slowedhimdowninhittingthattarget.Hesaid
it
wasabsolutelynottrue.Ihavethefeelinghemaynothavegivenmethefullstory.Onthemorning
of
October21,whenIwasinTaos,IaskedFranksaseries
of
questionsaboutwhatactuallytakesplacewhenthiskind
of
thingoccurs.HesaidthatgenerallythereisaPredatorthatlocatesapossibletarget.ThePredatormayormaynot
be
armedwithaHellfire.There
mayor
maynotbeCAPaircraftoverhead.Whentheyseeatarget,heconvenesagroup,andtheydecidewhetherornot
it
ishighcollateral.Thentheymakeadecision.
If
hewouldlike
to
hitit,but
it
is
highcollateral,
he
calls
me.
x02501
/02
,,l)EFCONTllOl#
_
09-M-0375
