Entitled Valley of Death, the report claimed that US air support had used sarin nerve agent against opponents, and that other war crimes had been committed by US forces during Tailwind.

April Oliver and Jack Smith sued CNN in a challenge of their dismissals and reached separate settlements[1] with the network.

Operation Gauntlet, a multi-battalion Royal Lao Army offensive intended to protect Paksong and the strategic Bolovens Plateau, was failing.

The mission was launched by three platoons of Command and Control Central's (Kontum) Hatchet Company B and two United States Air Force Pathfinder Teams.

The 110 Montagnards and 16 Americans, under the command of Captain Eugene McCarley, were heli-lifted from a launch site at Dak To to a landing zone (LZ) in a valley 60 miles (97 km) to the west, near Chavane.

They questioned why the Vietnamese had not fled the area, but members of the Hatchet Force discovered a bunker buried beneath 12 feet (3.7 m) of earth.

[4] The efforts of SOG medic Sergeant Gary Michael Rose were considered critical to the survival of many of the Hatchet Force.

It alleged that US aircraft, in an unprecedented reversal of policy and breach of international treaties, had used sarin ("GB" in US/NATO nomenclature) against North Vietnamese ground troops who were attacking the landing zones during the extraction of the forces.

[8] A second element of the reporting was an allegation that Operation Tailwind had been devised to eliminate a group of Americans who had defected to the enemy and were holed up in a Laotian village.

Admiral Thomas Moorer, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the time of Tailwind, appeared to say that nerve agents had been used, and not just during this operation.

However, Admiral Moorer later told investigators that he "never confirmed anything" to CNN regarding Operation Tailwind, that he had no knowledge of the use of sarin or the targeting of defectors, and he believed that producer April Oliver had asked him "trick" questions.

[9] But later again, in sworn deposition testimony taken during the suit of one of the producers, Admiral Moorer reviewed April Oliver's notes of her interviews of him, including his responses to her questions.

Van Buskirk said that the Montagnard Hatchet Force was exposed on the landing zone ("LZ") when the teargas agent was deployed to drive the enemy back.

'"[12] In early July 1998, Tom Johnson, CNN News Group Chairman, President and CEO, issued a statement about the findings of the internal investigation.

He said there was insufficient evidence that sarin or any other deadly gas was used, nor could CNN confirm that American deserters were targeted, or whether they were at the camp in Laos.

They put together a 77-page document supporting their side of the story; it included testimony from military personnel apparently confirming the use of sarin.

"[18] The HBO series The Newsroom featured a major storyline in its second season that explored the fictional ACN's coverage of "Operation Genoa".