CONGRESS EXPECTED TO PROBE CIA' S REPORTED IRAN ROLE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000403940004-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2010
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: November 20, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/24: CIA-RDP90-00552R000403940004-9
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BOSTON GLOBE
20 November 1986
Congress expected to probe
CIA's reported Iran role
By Adam Pertman
Globe Staff
WASHINGTON - The House
and Senate intelligence commit-
tees, during hearings tomorrow
probing the administration's deci-
sion to send arms to Iran, are also
expected to discuss reported CIA
efforts to court both the govern-
ment of Ayatollah Ruhollah Kho-
meini and its exiled opponents.
The CIA initiative, according to
yesterday's Washington Post. be-
gan during the Carter administra-
tion to gather intelligence about
Iran and support those who want-
ed to overthrow the Khomeini re-
gime. An administration source
told the Post that the intent also
was to punish Iran for having
held 52 Americans hostage.
In 1983, the paper reported, the
covert operation included giving
Iran a list of Soviet KGB agents
and collaborators. 100 to 200 of
whom were then executed. The
plan. which also led to the closure
of the Communist Party head-
quarters In Iran. apparently was
meant to undermine Moscow's in-
fluence while increasing that of
Washington.
Since the activities of the intel-
ligence committees are secret. nei-
ther their members nor staff
would comment directly on the de-
tails In the Post report. One source
seemed to confirm its validity,
however: asked in an interview
yesterday whether the CIA had in-
formed the panels of its operation,
he replied: "Were I in your posi-
tion, that is the conclusion that I
would draw."
It is in part because the admin-
istration did not inform key legis-
lators about the secret change of
arms policy toward Iran that some
in Congress are so irate, contend-
ing that Congress was deliberately
circumvented. The intelligence
panels' hearings are the first of a
series of probes planned in the
House and the Senate to get infor-
mation about the policy of ship-
ping weapons and spare parts to
Iran while asking for Iran's help
in getting American captives freed
from Lebanon.
Both Republicans and Demo-
crats maintain that the law stipu-
lates that they be notified when
the White House undertakes a co-
vert activity. Had they been con-
sulted, they say, they would have
opposed the plan because it ran
counter to President Reagan's
policy of not bartering for the re-
lease of hostages and not sending
weapons to nations that support
terrorism.
Violation alleged
Rep. Jim Wright (D-Texas),
who will become speaker of the
House in January, yesterday said,
"The president violated the law"
by not informing key congression-
al leaders of the covert action.
Wright also provided new de-
tails on the weapons deliveries
that were made before the release
of three American hostages from
Lebanon. based on information
provided to him at a White House
briefing last week. He said the
shipments included 1.000 anti-
tank missiles and equipment for
240 antiaircraft missiles, both of
which Iran needs for its war
against Iraq.
Regarding the CIA operation
repo_ e in yesterday s Post.
House an Senate intelligence
committee stall mem rs said the
activities would probably be
raised during discussions with the
u witness a 1 -
am case y. the director of Central
intelligence,
wou not rule out any facet
of this story being included."
teve Patterson, an aide to Rep.
ave McCurdy (D-Okla.). chair-
an of the subcommittee on over-
t t an eva uation.
e su rise would be if it
idn't come u a e avid ol-
i ay, a spokesman for n. David
oren (D- a.), the Incoming
hairman of the Senate panel.
ore Casey es es, a ar-
chitect of the new Iran c ,
John Poindexter, the resident's
national security adviser. is
scheduled to brief both House
members and senators. Adminis-
tration officials ac nowledge that
Poindexter is being Included, al-
beit Informally rather than under
oath, as part of an effort to ap-
pease legislators, some of whom
contend that he masterminded
the major policy failure of the Rea-
gan presidency.
Policy called "consistent"
In an interview yesterday with
USA Today. Poindexter asserted
that the initiative had helped the
administration make "significant
progress" In getting hostages re-
leased and in furthering the fight
against international terrorism.
The policy, he said, was "com-
pletely consistent with our objec-
tives, with the other techniques
that we are using to combat ter-
rorism.-Skepticism is running high on
Capitol Hill and in diplomatic cir-
cles about whether that is the
case, and much of the questioning
tomorrow Is expected to focus on
that issue. Sources in both the
Senate and the House said the le-
gality of the administration
program. as well as the procedure
used to Implement it, would be ex-
amined.
Some committee members are
planning to expand the question-
ing in order to determine how ex-
tensive the arms shipment oper-
ation was. At least two other
countries, one of them Israel. have
been cited in news reports as hav-
ing participated with the United
States in the program.
Patterson, the McCurdy aide,
said the congressman "wants a
full and complete disclosure of ev-
ery US action pertaining to any
foreign government in the last 18
months.... We want the whole
layout."
be
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 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/24: CIA-RDP90-00552R000403940004-9
A potential complication
Some of those interviewed said
that asev c o u come Icate mat
ters if he does not answer ues
Mn-s-T _Y an can
hUlu
is testimony. The urtn
aid ~~h_ev
ear t a s Instructio
ns from
T _H f e e ouse wou In Tine
with an order Rea an sent him
last Jan. tel in him not to in-
form the intelligence committees
e cove_ opra on
The secret Dresidential direc-
tive reportediv was designed to ab-
S1Ve aa res nsibility for
not Informing Conress
since In writin in 1984 to to tn
or
m e n e gence committees
Mthln
I cove c-
Indications are that some pro-
cedure like that was followed on
the seven-year-old program re-
ported by the Post about the CIA
currying favor with Khomeini and
his detractors, mostly groups of
exiles based to France.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/24: CIA-RDP90-00552R000403940004-9