European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - March 7, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 10 the stars and stripes slur Jay March 7,1887 columns James j. Kilpatrick Reigan talk removes taint of Iran arms Deal now can we change the sub decl with the president s so achingly effective speech wednesday evening per haps we can put the whole iranian arms con Ira affair on hold. It s Lime to gel on Wilh Oiler things. The speech was a knockout. True it did t satisfy those Rabid Reagan hater who had nude a Uli manic word out of in the Dan rather View of Domestic affairs the president owed Theroun try a president should have been dealing his breast begging forgive Ness abjectly engaging in Public penance. A Tum Hahl rather instantly seized upon Reagan s failure. He pointedly reminded his lbs audience thai the president had not thursday morning the Washington Post s front Page headline read speech does nol include an apol what rubbish Reagan said everything that needed to be said. He acknowledged thai while he did not Sun out to Trade arms for hostages that was How things turned out. There Are reasons Why it happened but no excuses ii was a he went on to review the specific Steps he has taken to get Back on track. He manfully accepted the severe criticisms of the review Board headed by John Tower. One thinks of other president and Oiher crises did John f. Kennedy publicly apologia for the fiasco at the Bay of pigs at a press conference Kennedy accepted responsibility but no apology appears in his Public papers for april 1961. Did Lyndon Johnson apologize for his tragic ineptitude in Vietnam did Jimmy Carter apologize to he failure of his Mission to Rescue the hostages my recollection is that the White House de scribed that aborted Mission As a limited it is time for critics to get off Reagan s Back. He has now done about All he Possi Bly could do toward getting his House in order he has fired and demoted adm. John who failed so badly As National Security adviser. He has fired the lieutenant colonel whose Devotion was nullified by his Zeal. He has fired the chief of his while House staff Don Regan who failed to keep him informed. He has a cup cd the resignation of Cia director William Casey. For tie time being these changes should suffice Reagan has earned applause for three excellent appointments Frank Carlucci to serve As National Security adviser Howard Baker to serve As chief of Stair and Fri director William Webster to succeed Casey Al the Cia. As he noted in his wednesday address Rea Gan has cleaned House at the National Security Council he has bid Down new guidelines for keeping records and inform ing Congress. Every step he has Token amounts to an acknowledgement of error and a determination to make amends. To be sure we arc nol done with the iranian affair. Two separate committees of Congress will be conducting televised the new per Budr hearings on and off until autumn. The investigation of Independent counsel Law rence Walsh will be going Forward. We can be drearily certain that the Dan rashers of this world will seize upon every contradiction every inconsistency with a kind of slathering glee. Did Mcfarian say some thing happened on a tuesday did Regan say no it happened on a Friday then get it on the evening news play the Story on Page one some serious questions do indeed re main unanswered. The principal uncertainty has to do Wilh the Money diverted from the Sale of arms to Iran. How much Money is missing How and by whom in was diverted whether the Money wound up in the hands of nicaraguan contras these Are questions the Tower Board understand ably was unable to answer. The president reaffirmed on wednesday his statement that be knew nothing of the diversion until this past november. The Tower Board found no evidence to i he contrary it also would be interesting to learn More about the private efforts Ihal we remade to support the contras the nation has a right to learn if Laws were broken if documents were shredded if Oliver North and his Gung to colleagues should be brought to trial. Alt this will provide abundant grist Tor the Mills
