European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 8, 1991, Darmstadt, Hesse Monday july 8, 1991 the stars and stripes b Page 9iran-Contra probe nears Climax sex Cia Fiers May plea bargain by George Lardner or. And Walter Pincus the Washington Post Washington a prosecutors investigating attempts to cover up the Iran Contra scandal Are concentrating on the former chief of the Ciao scentral american task Force and what he knows of the roles played by other Cia and administration d. Fiers considered one of the most promising younger officials in the Agency until being reprimanded for withholding information from Congress and his lawyers have been discussing a possible plea bargain with Independent counsel Lawrence e. Walsh according to informed sources. Sources said that under one arrangement being discussed that Fiers would plead guilty perhaps this week to a Misdemeanour charge stemming from past testimony. In turn he would be compelled to cooperate fully with Walsh a office in the final phase of the 4>/2-year investigation. Such a move by one of the highest ranking Cia officials involved in the Reagan administration s worst scandal could have widespread repercussions. One government official said that among others Fiers reported directly to the late Cia director William j. Casey then Deputy director Robert m. Gates and Clair George then Deputy director for operations. Senate confirmation hearings for Gates who has been nominated As Cia director Are expected to begin later this month. Fiers who headed the Ciao scentral american task Force from 1984 until 1988, also dealt directly with former White House aide Oliver l. North and former assistant Secretary of state Elliott Abrams. The three served together As the key members of a restricted inter Agency group that set administration policy for dealing with Contra rebels in Nicaragua both overtly and covertly. The Iran Contra scandal became Public in november 1986 after disclosures that the Reagan administration had secretly sold to Iran in Exchange for help in obtaining the release of american hostages in Lebanon and had used profits from the sales to pay for Covert military assistance to the nicaraguan contras. As the Cia official who gave regular briefings to Congress at a time when lawmakers had banned military Aid to the contras Fiers took special to be precise about what he said without saying too much. But later when confronted in 1987 with incomplete 1986 testimony he gave about the shooting Down of a Contra resupply plane Fiers acknowledged he had been a a cute in previous testimony about How much he knew about North a secret resupply . Poet laureate Dies of cancer a St. Louis apr pulitzer prize winning poet Howard Nemerov who served two years As poet laureate of the United states has died of cancer. He was 71. Nemerov died Friday night at his Home said Washington University vice Chancellor Fred Volkmann. Nemerov was poet laureate from 1988 to 1990, when he returned to Washington University where he had taught since 1969. Nemerov a poetry ranged from the profound to the poignant to the comic. Among his 26 books were five novels. He won a pulitzer prize and the National Book award in 1978 for his collected works. As poet laureate Nemerov wrote verses commemorating the 200th anniversary of Congress and the launch of the space shuttle Atlantis. He was the third Man to hold the position which was established by Congress in 1985. He followed Robert Penn Warren and Richard Wilbur. In 1987, Nemerov was one of 10 americans awarded the National medal of the arts. Among his collections Are image and the Law guide to the ruins mirrors and windows and stories. Nemerov grew up in new York City so icing As others who knew the details As much As i who knew More than i were keeping their silence on this i was going to keep my a Alan do Fiers Fiers justified his Lack of Candor by saying that he kept silent because higher had done so too. A i could have been More forthcoming a he told the House Senate committee investigating the Iran Contra scandal in 1987, a but i frankly was not going to be the first person to step up and do that. So Long As others who knew the details As much As i a who knew More than i a were keeping their silence on this 1 was going to keep my questions have been raised As to whether Cia personnel such As Fiers gave full and Complete responses to investigators including the Agency s own inspector general about the Ciao a role in the Covert Supply network that was run by North. Walsh a prosecutors have summoned dozens of past and present Cia officials in recent months frequently startling them with transcripts of Ultra secret communications concerning their work. T Fiers testified before the Tower review Board set up by president Reagan to investigate the Iran Contra affair and also before several congressional panels. One source said he is expected to be charged on a Misdemeanour count of unlawfully withholding information from appropriate authorities. Fiers who re Sigried from the Cia in Early 1988 and now works for . Grace and co., could not be reached for comment. Fiers recently retained lawyer Stanley Arkin of new York who refused to say anything about his clients status. Walsh also declined to comment. Congress first investigated the secret Contra Supply network in october of 1986 when nicaraguan sandinista forces shot Down a resupply plane and the surviving american aboard Eugene Hasenfus claimed it was a Cia operation. Administration officials from Reagan Down claimed there was no government connection with the flight. Fiers Abrams and George were called before the House intelligence committee in a closed session on oct. 14, 1986, to testily about the crash. According to a transcript released later during the 1987 congressional investigation of Iran Contra. Fiers volunteered that the Cia knew resupply missions were being flown a but As to who was flying the flights and who was behind them we do not Quot a and you still done to a committee member asked. _ a no a Fiers replied. Three months later in a Jan. 8, 1987, appearance before the Tower review Board Fiers said he had no information and no relationship with North concerning the resupply operation which was based at to tango Airfield in Al Salvador according to sources familiar with the record. But North a notebooks made Public last year contain repeated references to conversations with Fiers in 1985 and 1986. On aug. 6, 1985, for example North wrote that he had a Call from Fien at 10 a.m., during which they discussed the Ciao a deployment of a a new team to work with the rebels. Jim Adkins the note said would be going to Honduras. Adkins who reported directly to Fiers was the chief Cia Liaison with the Contra rebels in Honduras. He was subsequently found to have violated Cia rules by using Cia helicopters on missions Over Nicaragua where both military and nonmilitary Aid was dropped to the contras. In december 1987, Adkins was forced to retire from the Agency by director William h. Webster. Fiers received his reprimand at the same time. North called Fiers on nov. 16, 1985, according to North a notes and told him that a face is Ace was a Dummy company set up in Panama to handle aircraft used in the resupply operation. On Jan. 9, 1986, North wrote of a Call from Fiers in which a a overflights were discussed and pilots who would handle drops were mentioned by name. Other topics North listed from the conversation were a logistics at ild Pangot and a logistics at c.r.,�?� meaning Costa Rica where North was trying to organize a Southern front against the sandinista. The Jan. 9 note also referred to a Felix talking too much about up connection a a reference to Felix Rodriguez a former Cia operative who was assisting the resupply network at i Lorango and causing problems by repeated references to his Friendship with Donald Gregg then National Security adviser to vice president George Bush. A Jan. 13, 1986, Call listed by North As coming a from Fierst included discussion of a Airdrop into Honduras and a air overflights for Nicaragua drops China seeks to smooth american Trade policy Howard Nemerov the son of a prosperous businessman. He graduated from Harvard in 1941 and immediately joined the Royal Canadian air Force. As a Canadian and later an american Pilot he flew More than 100 combat missions in world ii. After the Nemerov taught at Hamilton College Bennington College the University of Minnesota Hollins College and Brandeis University before joining the faculty at Washington University. He is survived by his wife and three sons Alex David and Jeremy. Funeral arrangements were incomplete. Beijing up chinese officials Are calling for new efforts to ease Trade disputes with the United states. But they Are also warning that China can turn to other Western trading partners if necessary a government newspaper reported sunday. The article in the English language China daily also reported figures showing imports of . Goods have risen this year buying officials concerned about american criticism of the ballooning . Trade deficit with China. Their key immediate concern is legislation pending in the . Congress to revoke China a most favored nation Trade status or impose conditions on its renewal demanding improvements in China a Trade proliferation and human rights policies. Sun Zhenyu director of american and oceanian affairs for the ministry of foreign economic relations and Trade told the China daily that the . And chinese governments Are working a to arrange further meetings Between senior Trade a a this needs concerted efforts from both sides based on understanding and sincere cooperation a Sun said. He added that China is considering sending another Trade delegation to the United states this year for talks on current disputes. A frequent official contacts May help both sides to Iron out differences and work on new projects a he said. He called on Washington to revive annual meetings of the sino-. Joint commission on Commerce and Trade. The meetings have been suspended since the chinese government violently suppressed pro democracy demonstrators in june 1989 at Beijing a Tiana men Square. A but the newspaper also quoted chinese economists As urging the . Government to a take a More positive attitude to encourage american participation in the chinese Market and warned China could turn to european and other trading partners. A it is also possible that chinese firms would Retreat from the u. S. Market and shift their attention to other sources of imports and investment a the newspaper said citing deals already signed this year with Italy Spain Britain and Japan. The Bush administration and Congress have expressed increasing concern Over Trade barriers widespread pirating of copyright material and other problems plus a Trade deficit with China that could swell to $15 billion this year
