CASEY BRIEFING FAILS TO CHANGE SENSE OF CONGRESS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000404630012-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 25, 2010
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: November 22, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/25: CIA-RDP90-00552R000404630012-3
L11ITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL
22 November 1986
By MICHAEL MYERS
WASHINGTON
Leaders of Congress, most in dismay and some in disbelief, left what they
called a long-overdue briefing on President Reagan's arms deals with Iran even
more critical of the secret operation, calling it ''a national security
disaster."
CIA Director William Casey was sent to Capitol Hill Friday to brief members
Moynihan, D-N.Y. ''It is hard to believe that such things can be planned."
The displeasure, and lingering disbelief in Moynihan's case of the official
explanation, presented more problems for Reagan, who publicly maintained his
belief in the ''correctness'' of the action at his news conference this week.
Reagan insists the arms sales were intended to bolster moderate elements in
Iran in anticipation of a future regime and should not be seen as payments for
the release of American hostages by pro-Iranian captors in Lebanon.
But Sen. Dave Durenberger, R-Minn., outgoing chairman of the Select Committee
on Intelligence, suggested Reagan intended never to inform Congress about the
operation, basing his decision on advice from Attorney General Edwin Meese.
"They were willing to trust the lives of hostages to fanatics and at least
radicals in Iran and they weren't willing to trust the American people and the
Congress of the United States,'' Durenberger said sharply.
"I think it was ill-conceived and ineptly implemented,'' said Sen. Sam Nunn,
-Ga., who will chair the Armed Services Committee come January.
"I can't believe what I heard -- and I don't,'' declared Sen. Patrick
Democratic leader Robert Byrd of West Virginia told reporters.
of the House and Senate intelligence committees on the 18-month operation that
has become a major foreign policy and credibility problem for Reagan.
Casey left the private session saying he had not broken the law by failing
on Reagan's orders -- to previously inform the committees of the covert arms
shipments. He also left many lawmakers denouncing the program as a fiasco.
"I find the whole operation was incredibly clumsy and amateurish, '' Senate
The dealings with Iran began in 1985, and Moynihan said lawmakers were most
upset because the National Security Act of 1947 requires the administration to
inform Congress "in a timely manner" of such covert actions.
Rep. Henry Hyde, R-I11., defended Reagan by saying the law is deliberately
vague. He said the delay in telling Congress, however, was unwise politically.
"This 15 not a public relations disaster; this is a national
t
securi
y
disaster," argued Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt.
Monday, Congress will begin open hearings on the shipments of anti-aircraft
and armor-piercing missiles and other military equipment to a nation Reagan has
condemned as a sponsor of world terrorism. Casey is to testify next month.
CASEY BRIEFING FAILS TO CHANGE SENSE OF CONGRESS HLE ONLY
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/25: CIA-RDP90-00552R000404630012-3
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/25: CIA-RDP90-00552R000404630012-3
House Democratic leader Jim Wright of Texas, who will become speaker when the
100th Congress convenes in January, told reporters Friday that Iran paid at
least $12 million for the U.S. arms and that U.S. officials knew countries other
than Israel were involved in the shipment of weapons.
" It seems clear that those other countries, Israel included, felt they were
doing the wishes of the United States," Wright said.
The Boston Herald reported today the administration sold the arms at greatly
discounted prices in an effort to skirt other disclosure laws - specifically,
the Arms Export Control Act of 1986, which requires all arms sales to foreign
nations of more than $14 million be reported immediately to Congress.
Pentagon sources noted that a single TOW missile
is
usually sold for
$10,000.
and Iran should have paid at least $20 million just
for
the 2,000 TOWs
it got.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/25: CIA-RDP90-00552R000404630012-3