Re: AW: "No Comment" and related matters

[BobCherry@AOL.COM]

Here is how the activists continue to quote me in the media with regard to depleted uranium. The article is from 1998:



"But earlier this summer, the U.S. Army's safety officer, Col. Bob Cherry, conceded to a San Francisco Examiner reporter that soldiers should have been medically tested for exposure as required by Army regulations. Although the Examiner quoted him as saying those regulations were broken during the war, Cherry now insists the regulations are only good in peacetime."



Here is the context: I said that I wished that we had tested our soldiers so that we could prove that their uptake, if any, was insignificant. I also said that regulations designed for Army garrison duty are not applicable to military members in the midst of combat. After the smoke clears, the Army Medical Department does what is required. Based on the actual hazards of DU and the potential level of uptake, routine surveillance was not required by regulations. In retrospect, it would have been a good idea to have the data. (I like to think that if I was involved with the issue at that time, I would have had that idea, but I can't guarantee that I would have.)



Anyway, just as the activists ignore all data that doesn't support their positions or they twist them until they do, they also lift quotes out of context to further their "schemes" (a favorite activist word, along with "dump").



Nevertheless, as Army Public Affairs told me, the Army wants to get its message out but doesn't own the media (nor should it). The public is entitled to hear from its Government. You tell the truth and then hope for the best. "No comment" is generally not a good idea.



Bob

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