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Tues., March 26, 1985, Spokane, Wash.
Westmoreland was 'clearly a patriot' By JEFF KRAMER Staff corruponda1t
COEUR d' ALENE - Although he misrepresented enemy troop strength in Vietnam, Gen. William Westmoreland was "clearly a patriot," the producer of a critical CBS documentary said Monday. George Crile, a C<Hlefendant in the $120 million libel case brought against CBS by Westmoreland, said the documentary he produced linking the general to distorted troop figures was accurate. But he added that the story failed to explain why Westmoreland acted as be did. "You have to JO beyond getting the story right,' said Crile, produce r of the documentary, "The Uncounted Enemy: A Vietnam DeceP.t ion." 'You must explain why he withheld information on troop estimates," he said. Crile said Westmoreland believed providing doctored figures would help the war effort and keep the country from " panicking and pulling the plug" on its commitment to Vietnam. He called the general "a man who was clearly a patriot." By not explaining Westmoreland's motivation, the documentary left doubts in the public's mind about the story's validity, Crile said. At the same time, he stressed that information from CIA informants disproved claims that Westmoreland's tactics boosted the national cause. "I think the overwhelming evidence by these men was that it was disastrous and didn't help the country," he said. Westmoreland recently dropped his suit against the network. Crile, who spent 11 days on the witness stand during the 18-week trial, admitted the ordeal altered his feelings about the media. "Both of us had to endure the slings and arrows of the press,
which is not a pleasant experience," he said, adding that Journalists need to use compassion m their work. Calling on them to employ "the kindness factor," Crile said "They (reporters) just don't know bow powerful their medium is." During his hour-long presentation before a large audience at North Idaho College, Crile said the press didn't come out ahead in the dispute despite the outcome of the trial. "All you've got ultimately is the right to go back to work again,'' he said. The trial in U.S. District Court in Manhattan is believed to have cost CBS and Westmoreland $7 milllon to $9 million. Crile, 39, was a C<Hlefendant with Mike Wallace of "60 Minutes." Their report, which aired Jan. 23, 1982, indicated the military undercounted irregular e nemy forces by as much as 200,000 men. Crile did much of the interviewing and editing, and was criticized for leaving out key portions of interviews. However, be maintained the s~ory was the most important of his career, addinJ that investigative journalism 1s a "reporter's highest calling." He also said that in retrospect, be would take on the story again. The story would have been "a national scandle the likes of which you wouldn't believe" bad it broken during the war, be said. "The impulse that led me to do this is something I hope will stay alive in me." The producer maintained that the libel suit probably was withdrawn because attorneys for the general knew the case was lost and had no closing argument. Crile appeared as part of an NIC Popcorn Forum Symposium titled "Public Officials Libel Suit and the Media on Trial."
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CBS PRODUCER GEORGE CRILE Reporters should employ "the lclndaess factor."