OFFICIAL TIED TO NAVY COST OVERRUNS QUITS

The Pentagon official in charge of military procurement has quit in what appears to be the latest fallout from disclosures of delays and cost overruns as high as $1 billion in development of the Navy's A-12 Avenger bomber. John Betti, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, was linked by a Pentagon report released last month to the A-12 mess, which embarrassed Defense Secretary Richard Cheney and the Navy.