European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 28, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday. June 28, 1991 the stars and stripes Page 13 commentary Tom Wicker get to despite democrats tears of the political result they can hardly avoid a formal congressional inquiry into the charge that Ronald Reagan a aides conspired with Iran in 1980 to hold up release of american hostages until after the election. That charge bandied about for years and vigorously denied by Reagan has taken on weight recently owing mainly to support from Gary sick a member of president Carter s National Security staff. Sick now teaches at Columbia University. An authority in Iran sick has written that Long study of the matter overcame his original scepticism. He now believes a meeting in Madrid Between senior iranians and William j. Casey the director of the Reagan Campaign May have arranged a delay of the hostages release to Benefit Reagan selection chances. Quot a congressional inquiry obviously is the Best Means either to validate this serious allegation a which sick is not alone in making a or to Lay it to rest. If it were sustained the political problems created for the republicans and president Bush probably would be substantial. But some democrats including speaker Tom Foley worry that if the charge can to be proved they la suffer a political backlash for looking into it. These political considerations important As they May be arc secondary to the questions whether democracy a most vital function a a National election or As Well As a presidents conduct of foreign policy were illicitly distorted for partisan political advantage. And a deliberate two or three month delay in the release of the hostages for any reason would have been a despicable tactic. A congressional inquiry need not be a big. Showy Al fair As were the watergate hearings or those on Iran Contra in 1987, then a president in office and his lieutenants were being investigated generating great pub lie interest. Impeachment of Nixon or Reagan was at least a possibility. Now a historical matter of far less immediacy Quot is at Issue. And while president Bush a political prospects might be affected nothing suggests his possible impeachment. What happened in 1980, if anything did not elect George Bush in 1988. At most it helped him eight years later and probably without his complicity Bush has strongly denied any knowledge of the alleged 1980 Deal. And it hardly seems possible that while a vice presidential candidate very much in the Public Eye he could have travelled in secret to Europe to help make that Deal a As has been alleged. The very fact that some democrats Are reluctant to open an inquiry for fear that it might backfire on them is further reason that it probably would not be a a show trial.�?T�?T. A a a a a a a. A a Small select committee with adequate Republican Leslie h. Gelb representation could conduct a discreet investigation without televised hearings at least until a Prima Facie Case was established or repudiated. Certain circumstances beyond the findings of sick and others suggest the need for such an inquiry1.-this is the second Case for example in which Republican campaigners have been accused of tampering with foreign policy for political purposes. In 1968, Nixon aides were charged with persuading the South vietnamese to delay their participation in peace talks to deny possible advantage to democrats in that years elections. A. Some allegations suggest moreover that the proven later dealings of the Reagan administration with Iran grew out of the alleged hostage Deal in 1980. Bush in denying that he knew of such u Deal did not insist that it never happened Reagan As usual Only said he knew of no such arrangement. But he never knew much of what went on around him. The overriding reason for a congressional investigation is the possibility that the truth might be established. The death of Casey who  been the key witness and the unavoidable political aspects of an inquiry May make that possibility Remote. But such it search is necessary a As rep. Butler Derrick , put it a because the charge a goes to the foot of what democracy is All  an investigation might end in political advantage for the democrats or possibly do them damage. It might remove an alleged blot on the reputations of Casey and the republicans or it might confirm it. Either Way Congress has a historical imperative and an ins Titu Tio Nal responsibility to seek the  Tho new York Olmos funds for nuclear arms research need scrutiny even As the administration moves to Cut the nuclear weapons stockpile almost by half Congress continues to vote billions annually to fund nuclear warheads programs. The program exceeds $7 billion when the White House and congressional leaders Are saying they have no new Money for children and cities. And at the very time when extra Energy department dollars should be going to clean up the dangerous pollution from past nuclear weapons production a Pivotal Senate subcommittee has taken $108 million away from cleanup programs and added these funds to weapons research and development programs already exceeding $2 billion. To be sure substantial sums Are necessary to design new warheads maintain production facilities ensure safety and hold onto scientific Talent. But in the Small Community that follows these affairs the feeling mounts that perhaps billions Are being squandered in what. Amounts to a full employment program for the nuclear weapons laboratories. These labs Are scrambling to find new justifications to live and spend in the old cold War style. Lab leaders Are particularly Well connected in Congress to pow Erful figures such As sen. Fete Domenici the top Republican on the appropriations committee who knows How to protect new Mexico a weapons making jewels in los Alamos and Sandia. Even a Little probing will show that these legislators a and Many Pentagon officials who determine nuclear warhead requirements and key department of Energy officials in whose budget All these monies reside a have no Clear picture of How these billions of dollars Are being spent or Why. The . Nuclear now totals about 20, Pmj missile warheads and bombs. The joint chiefs of staff project that reductions will be about 12,him a not counting further cuts from arms control treaties under negotiation with Moscow. That decline alone should be driving costs Way Down but the budget. Reveals no dramatic savings. Domenici weapons stockpile in years past the Energy and defense departments designed about 10 new warheads at any one time. Now about two new ones Are under -.development. Yet the number of lab personnel i Down by  20 percent from cold War highs. And the labs continue to resist designing Standard warhead models to fit any new weapon. As John tuck a senior Energy department official told me a building each warhead uniquely has meant much greater expense than Nee Essary a the Pentagon he added has a no hesitancy about paying the extra Bill since it. Is an Energy department expenditure. But Pentagon officials say they Are not sure what the Energy department and labs do with the Money. To read the report of the Senate appropriations subcommittee on Energy and water development does not clarify much. The subcommittee added nuclear cleanup funds to the administrations relatively Small request. Instead it skilled More than $ Khz million from Environ mental management to an already heats  War research and development Effort. The subcommittee gave weapons safety As one justification without citing How  of millions Are already devoted to that task another was to maintain a a Strong labs but it did not discuss How big and Strong the labs need to be when new warhead development is sharply decreasing. T he labs eat up a Fortune in a overhead a and no one seems confident what that Means. The third and Juiciest justification was a new opportunities for strengthening lab support of generic pre competitive technology research deemed critical to future . Economic  t translated that Means Federal help for private Industry. But the report does not cite specific technologies or suggest what nuclear weapons labs might know about civilian Market needs. It also fails to consider the risks of potential a nuclear mercenaries spreading nuclear weapons technologies to private Enterprise. The labs Are understandably eager to divine new missions and bolster old Oges. But billions of tax dollars Are at stake and it is Lar from Clear that the administration and Congress have taken a hard look at w hat is going on. C the new York times