European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 1, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10columns the stars and stripes sunday March 1,1987 William f. Buckley Reagan has passed crucial test of credibility the Tower commission did no disclose any Broad finding thai sur prised. It is worthwhile even Solo Force oneself to give a recapitulation in order to restore perspective. 1. Ronald Reagan s delegation of authority to he Slaff of inc National Secu Rity Council Wem Loofah. 2. The Csc s delegation of authority Loli. Col. Oliver North went too far 3. In retrospect the overture to Irani an moderates was an undernourished idea. In the abstract it is not Hare brained 10 seek Friendly relations with a faction that in a future Power struggle might prevail. But the byzantine and a narc Icid politics of the iranians made ii much likelier that an overture would Hurt the United Stales than that it would help � Harry f. Rosenthal Reagan s hands off management style foiled clearly what the Tower commission is asking of Ronald Reagan is that at age 76, he abandon the hands off style he honed to a Fine Point in eight years As a governor and six years As the president. It tells him to Start paying attention to the Job and poles bluntly that he might not find himself in this fix if he had done so before. The report looks Back to the recent years of Clandes Tine involvement Wilh Iran and not Forward to the two years remaining in Reagan s term in which he will iry to put the episode behind him. Reagan was the presidential candidate whose Campaign made a virtue out of his toughness who criticized the incumbent Jimmy Carter Tor his weak Deal Ings Wilh Iran and then the report shows absentmindedly backed into an appeasement policy thai he said he never would adopt. In his stale of the Union address last month Rea Gan asked that the affair be Pul behind him an impossibility. Ii will be revisited in congressional investigations and the judicial proceedings thai loom on the horizon. That next chapter the president can t change. What he should change he report says is his practice of letting others dominate the running of foreign policy. It poses this question in latin quis Cus Odiet Itsos cd Siodis .1" who will guard the guardians the Csc National so curly Council system will not work unless the president makes in work says the commission s report. By his actions by his leadership the president. Determines the Quality of its the commission gives Reagan credit for Good intentions. It pictures him As being motivated by intense compassion for the americans held hostage but also being blinded by it. The president did not seem to be aware of the Way in which the arms operation was implemented Ana he full consequences of . Participation the report said. Reagan has made no secret that he sees his role As Akin to that of the chairman of the Board who chooses among policy options he s Given and does t concern himself Wilh details he ticked off his management principles last year in an interview Wilh Fortune Magazine. Surround your self with the bus people you can find Delegate authority and Don t interfere As Long As the policy you be decided upon is being carried out he said. A former Reagan Campaign manager John Sears. Said Thil Way of operating harks Back to Reagan s hol Lywood Days. Actors Are surrounded by people with real authority directors producers scriptwriters. Cameramen lighting engineers and so on yet i heir authority does t detract from the actor s Rote he said. The Star is the Star. And if the show s a hit he gels the the Iran show however was not a hit. With such a Complex High risk operation and so much at slake the president should have ensured that the Csc system did not fail him the panel said at no time did he insist upon accountability and performance review. Had the president chosen to drive the Csc system the outcome could Well have been Reagan has been criticized before for his hands off management but he has neither apologized for in nor made any attempt to change. William Clark a previous National Security adviser failed 10 Wake Reagan when word came in the Middle of the night that american planes had been in a dogfight with libyan planes. There s no record that Reagan complained however. The Raissez Faire method also came into play when Treasury Secretary Donald Tregan and while House chief of staff James a. Baker 111 decided to Swap jobs and then told the president about in and got his approval. The style failed Reagan this time according 10 the Tower commission because his aides failed him. In the end said the commission hammering Home its theme the National Security Council is Only advisory it is i he president alone who Voik tin tit tet so to
