European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 8, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes monday. December 8,1986 columns James Reston Why does t Reagan ask aides for the facts Washington has a Genius for complicating things maybe because there Are so Many lawyers politicians and reporters in the neighbourhood but it is no breaking the obfuscation record in the iranian Nicara Guan Case in order to find out what it. Col. Oliver North did in shipping arms to Iran and Money to he con tras in Nicaragua we now have two investigating committees of Congress and the Tower commission and a new chief of the National Security Council and later on an Independent prosecutor Al gathering heir assistants and assistants to the assistants to get the facts which All of them including the president and the vice president say they Are determined to get. There has to be a simpler Way. The president could for example try common sense and Call in vice adm. John Pom Dexter and North and just ask them what they did and who authorized it. Better wheel Khomeini makes us out to a the Reat satan the immediate Issue is not what the president knew Back yonder when All this fiddling was going on although this would be interesting but Wal he knows now. He says be has used All his authority to get the facts but has he to s hard to believe thai two Veteran military officers who have had distinguished careers under the tradition and authority of the armed services would refuse to answer his question. Before the Congress it is their right to in Voke the fifth amendment against , bul to refuse to answer the questions of their com Mander in chief whose administration is now in deep trouble might still be a right but would also be a Dis Grace. It s not hard to believe that the president did know about this shuffling of weapons and Money last year Given his rather absent minded conduct of his office but he now concedes mistakes were made and has promised to cooperate with Congress and Clear Italy up of soon As possible. Yet he seems More interested in defending the right of executive privilege and the fifth amendment than the right of the press to look into All this under the first amendment. This is prolonging not ending the agony. Every Day or so there s another charge or disclosure North is said to have been shredding the evidence. Attorney general Edwin Meese it turns out did t Call in the Fri until four or five Days after he discovered All this Jigger poker. The Cia says it was not involved in any of these deals but then remembers that maybe it did know something about part of them. Alt of this makes news if it does t make sense firing North one Day and proclaiming him a National hero the next and leaving it to an increasingly angry Congress to uncover the facts that arc in he Possession of the president s own men. The Only Guy in the White House who showed Sim ple common sense but reckless bad timing was Larry Speakes the president s spokesman. He quit. What most people seem to want around Here is a new team for Christmas so that they can make a new beginning in the year without having to watch the democrats digging through the Graves of the past. So Long As North and Poindexter refuse to answer legitimate questions on the Hill however the suspicion win exist that they have something to hide and Are protecting not Only themselves but other higher officials of the government. And so Long As the president does not use an his  and the colonel the inference will be drawn that Mattote Doest want to know what happened and who  action without Hii consent. As a general Rule nothing is Ever As Good or at bad i Washington Ai the headlines suggest and Many of the things we have reared the most in recent Yean never happened. So with a reappraisal of he learn and of his nude policies it is still possible Tor the president to revive the arms control negotiations at the highest level and Fin the news Back to the major issues of foreign affairs. The legacy of his presidency May indeed de Pend on it. He will not be Able to put Over his Domestic Agenda with the Democrat in control of the Congress or bal Ance the budget and Trade deficits As promised or eve count on his personal popularity or his vetoes in us two remaining years. In this tense the party s ova. But he came nearer to a possible Compromise wit the russians at Reykjavik than any other president since the invention of the atom bomb and he can count on the support of the Congress and the people if he makes this rather than Iran and Nicaragua the priority task of the coming year. Hefu Yak Rumi Nten sumo mox mar mud gum whim William Buckley did Reagan unwittingly of ran Confra Deal scent the situation room where the National Security Council is meeting. Date april i 1986. The president gentlemen i be asked will Ball Here our congressional Liaison expert to join us to give us his or fore cast of what we can expect from con Gress on our request for appropriations to Aid the contras. Ball Well sir gentlemen As i be told you or. President i think the Situa Tion is turning around. A lot of things have happened since Congress refused year ago to authorize military Aid for the Contra. For one thing everyone who Stone Down to Nicaragua comes Back and report exactly what we be been telling them for a couple of Yean now. The cuban soviet militarization is in High gear the gradual total urbanization of life there is something they cant bide. They re getting ready to expel a Bishop. They re about to close Down the Only functioning opposition paper they re drafting the kids they re mounting huge military operation they re backing subversion in Al Salvador Honduras Guatemala. The Public is seeing the Point and i be been counting the votes the House and i think we re going to get the of for a Hundred million maybe More. Secretary of stale i agree with will. Think Congress is coming around. In fact i d be willing to count on it when the big vote comes in Well have a majority in favor of helping the contras. Secretary of defense yeah Fine. But we re talking about something that in t scheduled to come to a vote for three four months. The question is can our Guys hold out until then All we re authorized to give them right now is band Aidi. They Don t need band aids sitting in Cuba and �1 Salvador without be guns. I mean you can t mount a military movement by saying they re going to get defensive and offensive arms every third time the Moon is Ful president Well what is it that can be done to Bridge that Gap i mean Are we helpless in that situation Csc and Ruth Well sir you Are the commander in chief and discretionary authority goes with that office and Well there Are assets out there i mean Mili tary assets that you could. President yeah i know i have discretionary Powers but these Are usually thought of in terms of crisis use. I mean if we knew the sandinista were going to drop a bomb on Al Salvador or what the hell on key West i could go ahead and nuke Managua but that in 1 the kind of problem we re talking about Csc Utor yes sir i know that. Bulit happens that we be got some Welt floating assets you know non com melted and Noi accounted for stuff left Over from the ran business. My assist am u. Col. Oliver North known to All of you gentlemen is Here by my invitation. I d like to Aik him to comment none possibility Csc aide Well sir there s a fund i Switzerland the proceeds of the Iran arrangement id 10, 30 million that of thing enough to fuel the immedi ate military needs of the contras. President turning to Csc adviser we re getting into technicalities Here John that i m not really equipped to Cope with. I mean even if we know tha Congress is going to Back us up Down the Road i Don t know that that Means Pecan Well you know anticipate them if you see what 1 mean Csc to mtg. Yes sir those Are Lega questions and that in t my specially either. I m a military Man like obie who s trained to try to make thins work that Are Well National objectives. \ Csc aide Elbow Csc adv a Wop turns his face slightly to his a Hoat lot imperceptibly aod3 his head or i in mind u nuni Mylna