European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - December 20, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Pago 10 columns the stars and stripes saturday december 20,1986 Tom Wicker Regan has failed As White House chief of staff should Donald Regan be dismissed awhile House chief of staff yes. Not because he knew too much but because he says he knew too Tittle. No because his departure would end the Iran Nicaragua scandal but because he hat become a Symbol of while House ineptitude and arrogance in overriding the Law and common charge alone would justify returning Regan to Wall Street he sent the president inadequately briefed and psychologically unprepared to his disastrous news conference on nov. 19. Reagan seemed stunned by inc detail and Lack of deference in the questions put to him an Alert Slaff chief should have seen what was coming and prepared his Boss perhaps should have stopped Reagan from facing reporters at thai Point. Regan at least should have advised the presi Dent not 10 insist that no other nation was involved in the arms shipments to Iran since Regan himself had told reporters that Israel played a role in the scheme. As it was the while House quickly had Loback Down on the president s word Bui the Best reason for dismissing Regan if his own testimony is to be believed is that be had neither the political judgment to protest sending arms to the Ayatollah Khomeini nor the control of the while House Slaff to prevent a Maverick Marine lieutenant colonel from diverting the Ayatollah s payments to the con tras in s a chief of staff no that s a Man who simply did t do his Job. What did attorney general de Meese know and when did he know it judge this chronology for yourself oct. 5, 1986 a transport plane belonging a Southern air transport formerly owned by the Cia is shot Down while delivering supplies to the contras. Soon after la. Col. Oliver North of the National Security Council an a Donl supporter of the contras Calls me Csc North then Calls inc Fri to ask that the Bureau not investigate the Southern air incident. The Fri opens an investigation anyway. Oct. 30 associate attorney general Stephen Iran mils to director William h. Webster of the Fri an order from Melesc thai the Bureau delay it Southern air investigation. Thai Day North is in Bei rut arranging a shipment farms to 30 to nov. 4 North meets in Beirut with ambassador John h. Kelly and Richard v. Secord a retired air Force general to discuss the hostages. Oct. 31 Webster writes a memo for his files pulling on record Meuse s order to delay the inv Sliga lion. Webster s memo Stales that me Csc had said that the safely of american hostages what hostages other than those held in the Middle East was involved an the investigation into an incident in Nicaragua might upset their release. Nov. 25 Melesc announces that Only North and his Security Council Superior vice adm. John poin Dexler had had knowledge of the diversion of iranian payments to the contras. Is the presidency being do sprayed by investigation of the Iran Nicaragua scheme the relevant questions Are whether Ronald Reagan followed or broke Laws he is sworn to uphold whether he was diligent in controlling a staff acting in his name and whether he has been forthcoming with the Ameri can people who chose and misled him. These questions weaken not the office but reagan1political command of in if resolved largely against him they will further dilute his Power and the Politi Cal repercussions would be serious. That May be deplorable but it is not destroying the presidency or even necessarily the current president. Rather it s presidents who consider themselves above the Law or who act As if they Are or who look the other Way when underlings exceed their writ who threaten the presidency which is fundamentally an idea in which the Hopes and beliefs of a people Are gathered and sometimes expressed. That idea hence the greatness of an office that be Longs 10 All of us is not destroyed but preserved when americans demand that its temporary occupant re Spect its limits As Well As its Power and the Taw that governs us All.0 Flora Lewis operating in the dark increases Chance of failure top israeli officials Are convincing when they say they responded to american inquiries and though they were just doing the . A favor by getting m vol cd in the american iranian arms Deal. But inc claim to have had solid information about the situation in Iran How the Power struggle there might be influenced and who might represent the so called moderates is not convincing. Two israelis the former military attache Yaacov Nimrod and Uri Lubrani the defense ministry consultant on shiite affairs and an architect of israeli deals with lebanese factions spent Many years in Iran. The were Able to keep up some contacts after the Khomeini revolution. But that does t validate claims about openings for Western influence. The israelis have been Selling arms to Iran All along on their own account i secret arrangements that benefited both sides and did not imply any political Trust. In fact the astute israeli military commentator Zeev Schiff now wonders aloud whether the Irani ans did t deliberately provide misinformation about Altitude of rival factions in an elaborate superbly executed team to extract needed weapons from line and the . Certainly the iranian fictions ire i Intini but there s nothing to Thow they weren t also operating � Good Tuy bid Guy show for Gullible westerners Loet weapons they desperately wanted for the War with Iraq. The Mossad Israel s famed Intel Spence service stayed out of the operation and was not involved when Lintel begin to serve As middleman far the . That and intense secrecy limited Jerusalem s ability to judge the information it we getting. In the same Way Washington s Ultra secret handling of its part of the affair prevented checks being made through Cia and stale department channels to surtout the eyewash and confirm such things As whether Adnan Khash Oggi s financial contribution indicated official saudi encouragement. There Are Many on the . Government payroll who know a lot about the area and the records of the play ers. But the experts were All excluded on the grounds of confidentiality while Shady outsiders were used. This is another example of the Way obsessive secrecy guarantees ignorance and promotes amateurish stupidity. The experts can make mistakes too but at least the know How to be professional. The saudi Angle is important and has yet to refactored into the examination of the wild affair. For several years saudi Arabia has been casting about for ways to bring an end to the Iran Iraq War with out a Victory for either Lide. Knowledgeable source Sty Riyadh has been investigating whether the ouster of Iraq s Leader Saddam Hussein without the fallow bit baath regime would induce Tehran to Settle. Meanwhile the saudis have been hedging a usual and an said to hive Given Tome help to Iran All Houth they Are major supporters of Iraq. A food Bractt source said that even before the american inn Deal Israel received a venue saudi inquiry about of to Tignini weapons for inn obviously the abrupt Dis miss Arof Sheik Yamuni and the shift of saudi Oil pric ing policy worked to Iran s advantage. Reports recirculating in Europe that the former Oil minister has had his passport Laken away so that he can t venture abroad and Tell his Story. All these elements Are relevant to the attempt to Clear up what happened and Why. In addition to the moral Issue and the Issue of Legal violations by the White House there Are important foreign policy issues to be straightened out. The congressional committees need to know More than they Are Likely to obtain from the american officials they will question. They can t oblige foreign officials to give evidence but one of the two figures in the first phase of the american israeli iranian Deal the israeli arms merchant Al Schwin uner is an american citizen. He knows a Tot about How it ill started and who was speaking for whom and could be asked to testify. Governments still need to keep some secrets i dealing with a chaotic partly hostile world. It in shocking that they Gamble on both sides of other people s worlds and try to keep in touch with All kinds of rival factions so As to have some i against surprises some Day the a. Anil need to restore relations and it does male itry to took ahead. " " -. A Vamp operate in the dark so that its own experts
