European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 27, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes tuesday january 27,19b7 Reagan answers panel s policy queries Washington a president Reagan monday answered questions for the first time from a three member panel investigating the Sale or . Arms to Iran and other programs undertaken by the while House s National Security Council staff. In the course of the meeting the president an swered All or the panel s questions said a White House statement issued afterwards. The wide ranging review included the development of policy in relation to Iran the factual history of the president s Rok in the Iran initiative and the.. Foreign policy process in general the statement said. It said Reagan invited the panel to meet again and that such a session was Likely. It said monday meet ing lasted 76 minutes. Accompanied by two aides the president met in the Oval office with the panel he appointed last nov. 26after disclosing that profits from the arms Sale had been diverted to the nicaraguan rebels. The Csc played a Central role in what has become the mos serious crisis of Reagan s presidency. For the interview Reagan was joined by while House counsel Peter Wallison and Charles Brower the Deputy to David Abshire the president s Point nun Onich Jrsn con Ira scheme. Despite heavy Snow in Washington All three com Mission members attended former Sens John Tower a Texas and Edmund Muskie a Mainc and Brent scowcroft the National Security adviser in the for administration. Two committee staff members also were present Reagan has maintained Liat his chief motivation was an attempt to reopen . Dealings with a strategically important nation and that gaining the release of . Hostages in Lebanon was Only a secondary goal. White House officials said Reagan s comments at the meeting would not be released. No verbatim Tran script or recording was to be made of the discussion presidential spokesman Larry Speakes said last week. He Aid the commission believed it would be some what beneath the dignity of the office to take a Iran script during the interviews with Reagan and three former presidents Richard Nixon Gerald Ford and Jimmy Carter. Nixon and Carter were interviewed last week. Reagan has made no Public mention of the Iran Contra affair Tince before Christmas and has not an swered any questions about it since a news conference nov. 19. Several investigations of the controversy Are under Way including the Csc review which is headed by former Republican sen. John Tower of Texas. Abo investigating Are two separate select committees in the House and Senate the House intelligence committee and special prosecutor Lawrence Walsh. But thus far the Senate intelligence committee has done the most Complete investigation. The panel inter viewed several dozen witnesses last month when twas controlled by republicans. A draft report done at that time had Little information about Reagan s Rote la the controversy but the latest document contains More detail about the presi Dent s actions the sources said. Attorney general Edwin Meuse Iii told the panel last month that it col. Oliver l. North the fired National Security Council aide who oversaw both the Iran and Contra programs said Reagan was preoccupied with the release of the hostages the sources said. North his died his fifth amendment rights against self incrimination to and has refused to testily or to talk publicly about i knowledge of the controversy. Meuse is the Only High government official to talk to North about North s role in the deals. Those talks including North comments about Reagan s worries Over the hostages came several Days before the link Between the two programs was publicly announced by Meuse on nov. 25, North was dismissed and i Boss. National Security adviser John Poindexter resigned after the controversy became Public Walsh the special prosecutor has asked the select committees not to Grant immunity to North or poin Dexter but lawmakers said saturday it was too Early to decide on that request. Ism announces new top computer processors colled its most powerful supercomputers new York a International business machine corp. Monday announced its most powerful computer Ever a Box containing six processors that ism said had up to 60 percent More Power than its previous top of the line in addition o the 3090 Model Fiove the company announced the Model 300, a somewhat smaller mainframe containing three processors and it introduced enhanced versions of the four current Mem Bers of its 3090 mainframe family. The processor is the pan of the com Puter that does the actual calculations. Ism is the world s largest computer company and has about 70 percent of the worldwide Market for the big computer known As mainframes. Ism said in a news release that the up grades would give a 25 percent to 36 per cent improvement in the amount of computing Power in the mainframe family. The upgrades will be completed Start ing in May and the new models the300e and 600e. Will be available starting in the july september period ism said. The announcement comes a week after digital equipment corp. Launched an assault on ism s profitable main Frame turf with its own mainframe size computers. Digital s products Are sup posed to match the Power of ism s own3090 models 200 and 400, which used to be the most powerful ism mainframes. The 3090 models use a memory Chi that can store 1 million bits of information but runs twice As fast and takes Only one third the room of ism s original 1 million bit Chip the company a i