European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 19, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Tuesday july 19, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 7 compensation plan hotly debated by Steven v. Roberts Washington not after president Reagan decided that compensation should be paid to the families of those killed when an american warship downed an iranian jetliner in the per Sian Gulf the White House described Itas a purely humanitarian gesture. Morally the United states has Al ways met its obligations said Marlin Fitzwater the president s spokesman. Analysis this is the appropriate thing to do Inthis but Bland Public statements often mask turbulent private disagreements in the capital. And the president s Deci Sion was far More complicated and calculated than his spokesman let on according to senior White House official Sand members of Congress. Reagan ignored the advice of the de sense and Justice departments As Well As of vice president George Bush All of whom opposed the plan for different reasons the officials said. And in rejecting their counsel the president was acting on More than just humanitarian motives his aides was accepting an argument advanced by the state department that the compensation plan could promote the administration s Long held of opening relations with the leaders of Iran once the Ayatollah Khomeini leaves the scene. That goal helped plunge the Whitehouse into the Iran Contra affair two years ago and almost crippled the Rea Gan presidency. But it has not lost its lure for either the state department or Reagan. As one White House aide de scribed the payment scheme it is away to signal United states interest when the new leadership forms. It s away of softening that situation but most lawmakers Are More concerned with the political Impact of an Issue than with its Long Range foreign policy implications and the payment proposal has evoked considerable criticism on Capitol Hill. More than any other country in the world today including the soviet Union Iran generates a hostile reaction among the american Public and poll show that a sizable majority opposes pay ing any compensation to the victims of iranian mourners attend a Tehran ceremony for the victims of the Iran air jetliner shot Down by the . Cruiser Vincennes. A photo the airline disaster. The administration clearly underestimated the depth of american antipathy toward Iran said rep. Robert g. Tom Celli d-n.j., who introduced a Resolution opposing payment. Iran represents a Challenge to most of the things that americans think Are special about our country. They question our values our morals what we represent in the the decision to offer compensation provides an insight into Reagan s priorities As he enters his final six months in office. He is ready to Campaign vigorously for Bush but he is also ready to take actions that pursue his own policy goals even if they threaten to harm the vice president politically. A Day or two after the Airliner was shot Down by the guided missile Cruiser Vincennes on july 3, the president raised the question of payment inside the White House and asked people what would be appropriate what form it should take and any reasons it should t be done a staffer recalled. Bush trailing Michael Dukakis in the polls privately expressed some hesitations said one White House aide fearing that any payment plan could cause a political backlash against the administration. Mainly for that reason the aide added Bush later asked to defend the United states action in the persian Gulf at the United nations an appearance that enabled him to denounce the iranians vigorously and counterbalance the unpopularity of the compensation proposal. On july 8, the president convened meeting of the National Security plan Ning group composed of department Heads concerned with foreign policy is sues in the White House to hear arguments from his advisers. The Pentagon led the critics of the plan saying it could damage the morale and effective Ness of american forces still patrolling the persian Gulf. As one official familiar with the meet ing summarized the Pentagon argument Don t Send a signal that would under mine the Confidence of people in the Gulf that would undermine their ability to per form their the Justice department weighed inon the Side of the Pentagon raising concerns that such payments would Seta bad Legal precedent White House officials said. But Reagan was More amenable to views advanced by Michael h. Arma Cost undersecretary of state for Politi Cal affairs. As a White House official described those views in the mind of the state department they were clearly looking at the fact that at some Point there will be a change of leadership in Iran. And they want to be in a position when the Opportunity opens up to havea Channel of the president was open to that argument his aides say because he has often seen Complex policy questions in human and personal terms. Swaggart to preach in Indiana Indianapolis a the Organ Izer of Jimmy Swaggart s first crusade outside his Home state since the evangelist was defrocked said he expects thousands of followers to defy the assemblies of god Church and attend the event. The Rev. Mike Baldock pastor of the Independent new covenant Church and organizer of the july 22-24 crusade at Market Square Arena says he believes about 8,000 people will attend each of the three meetings. Swaggart has not preached outside Louisiana since february when head fitted sinning against god and his family. A prostitute in suburban new Orleans said he paid her to perform lewd acts. The assemblies of god dismissed Swaggart on april 8, after he refused an order to refrain from preaching for a year and receive professional counsel ing. He returned to the pulpit of his Independent ministry May 22. A spokeswoman at the assemblies of god Headquarters in Springfield mo., said individual pastors must decide paper says Paisley s wife was t victim of foul play Jimmy Swaggart whether to support the crusade. Officials of the Northwest Assembly of god Church Here made a decision not to co operate with the crusade in any Way said a spokeswoman. Pastors have had instructions from the National and state offices of the assemblies of god not to have any thing to do with Swaggart activities she said adding she would be surprised if any Church members attended. Seattle a a police investigation into the 1968 death of the second wife of Melvyn Paisley a Central figure in the Pentagon procurement inquiry has found no evidence of foul play a newspaper reported sunday. King county police interviewed nearly three dozen people in their investigation into the death of Mary Lou Paisley which was opened earlier this month the Seattle times reported. Officers May close their inquiry next week if nothing new surfaces the newspaper quoted police As saying. The death was ruled an Accident at the time and there was no formal police investigation. However the autopsy and a separate medical investigator s report that contains Paisley s account include inconsistencies maj. Terry Allman head of the police criminal investigation Divi Sion has said. Paisley was an executive at Boeing when his wife died. He left Boeing in 1981 to become an assistant Secretary of the Navy and later became a defense consultant. A search warrant made Public last week said the Fri suspected that Paisley accepted bribes or gratuities while he was serving at the Pentagon. Paisley found his wife Mary Lou dead at 2 . In her son s bathroom face Down in a pile of towels covered with Carbon tetrachloride a toxic cleaning sol vent. According to the Coroner s report atthe time Paisley told authorities that his wife had a drink took two sleeping pills and went to bed around 10 30 during the night she got up to paint the report said. It cited Paisley assaying his wife was overcome by fumes while cleaning her brushes. Lab tests cited in the Coroner s report showed no Trace of the paint cleaner the sleeping pills or alcohol in her bloods Tream however. The autopsy noted that several of s ribs were cracked and her liver was torn and there were visible Markson both sides of her face in autopsy photographs. However in the investigation police decided that firefighters inflicted the rib and liver injuries while administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation
