IRANIAN DEAL LED TO 2,000 MISSILES, A LAWMAKER SAYS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000404630016-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 25, 2010
• Sequence Number: 16
• Publication Date: November 21, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/25: CIA-RDP90-00552R000404630016-9
ON PAGE
IRANIAN DEAL LED
TO 2,000 MISSILES,
A LAYIMAKER SAYS
By STEPHEN ENGELBERG
Special to The New York Times
WASHINGTON, Nov. 20 - The
House majority leader said today that
Israel, acting with the approval of the
United States, had shipped Iran 2,008
TOW anti-tank missiles and at least 235
Hawk antiaircraft missiles, a quantity
of weapons much greater than previ-
ously acknowledged.
The Congressional leader, Jim
Wright, Democrat of Texas, said he
learned of the shipments from Vice
Adm. John M. Poindexter, President
Reagan's national security adviser. He
said there was a series of shipments by
Israel, which was "given to understand
it was carrying out the wishes of the
United States."
The statement by Mr. Wright came
amid a wave of protest that swept
Capitol Hill today over the Reagan
policy on Iran.
Lawmakers Rebut Reagan
NEW YORK TIMES
21 November 1986
The Congressional hearings will cen-
ter on unanswered questions about the
dealings with Iran. Committee mem-
bers want to know how the operation
was arranged and financed, why notice
to Congress was delayed for 11 months
and what persuaded senior policy
makers to send arms to Iran.
They also want to hear from other
Administration officials about how the
secret dealings with Iran, identified by
policy of building an international front
against terrorism.
Mr. Wright, the next Speaker of the
House, was one of several lawmakers
who asserted today that President
Reagan had violated laws in secretly
shipping arms to Iran.
spokeSpeakes. the White sman, said President Reagan head
followed all applicable laws and had
been advised from the outset on legal
Issues ::, ,As Attorney General, Edwin
Meese 3d.
A wide range of lawmakers said they
were concerned that Mr. Reagan had
not followed the law.
Appearing on the CBS program
,.Nightwatch,' Senator John C. Sten-
nis, the conservative Democrat from Senators John
G lien Democrat Ohio, William
roxmire, Democrat of Wisconsin,
ale Bumpers, Democrat of Arkansas,
Patrick J
Leah
D
f
.
y,
emocrat o
Several members, including Senat ermont, in asserting that the Pcesl-
Sam Nunn, Democrat of Georgia, t t was in violation of statutes about
incoming chairman of the Armed Serv- Congressional notification.
ices Committee, issued point-by-point Ca 'r mg a well-marked of
an nn ^~r
rebuttals of comments by Mr Rea
g
fight. Other legislators said the intelli-
ence laws should be rewritten so
rations from Congress for more
han a few days.
William J. Casey, the Director
entry me gence, is to aooear be-
ore the intelli ence committees. Ad-
ira Poindexter, meanw i e, is to dis-
cuss the operation with committee
T members in an informal meeting at the
White House.
The number of weapons described by
Mr. Wright appeared to undercut the
Administration's contention that the
shipments to Iran did not affect the
military balance in the region.
Comment by Regan
Last week, for example, the White
House chief of staff, Donald T. Regan,
said the weapons sent to Iran ,would-
n't be one day's ammunition supply."
At his news conference, Mr. Reagan
said repeatedly that the United States
had not authorized any shipments by
other countries. Shortly afterward, the
White House issued a statement ac-
knowledging that "there was a third
country involved in our secret project
with Iran," without naming the coun-
try.
t have been
L were Sect an 501 of the Nate
01 a r provision ~
that a ow: a lute ence.
money on r =rno
informing the intelligence committer
and Section of e ens- et srt-
ment noropr tion bill, which save no no
funds
d -y transferred or r~
RMa!R for r Intelligence purposes
wltnotn no ce to Congress,
President Reagan has said the ship
menu to Iran were a covert n~tgM.
gene Peration. in a indina he signed
it is i later p - 1a; mev a -I
ion I
Rewriting the Law
Members of Congress have said the
law was never intended to allow an 11-
month delay in notification. Several
said they would push to rewrite the
statute to require that the President
tell Congress about covert activities
within days of their initiation.
The legislators said the White House
might have to accept such legislation:
as a price of blunting demands that the
national security adviser be confirmed
by the Senate.
"We're almost certainly going to ask
for a ffic number of hours or
divs,- id sa senator Leahy. vice if-
man of the t committee on Intelli-
gence adviser
national security
jp~l o safe from confirmaU but
return or t meTY no l e A
on y in f
thinks time y notice is 11 months."
Mr. Wright noted that the Adminis-
tration had on other occasions taken
pains to inform members of Congress
of current operations. He said, for ex-
ample, that the afternoon before the
bombing of Libya, the White House
reached him and told him to find a se-
cure telephone. At 4 P.M. he received a
complete briefing on a phone at a local
office of the Federal Bureau of Investi-
gation. "The law is unambiguous," Mr.
Wright said. "It is completely clear."
National Security Council
Another Issue being discussed by
members of Congress is the possible
misuse of the National Security Council
staff by involving it directly in covert
m
ent of arms
srae
and term
es working at a es
Senator David L. Boren, Democrat of
tlahoma, the next chairman of the In-
would make a "very careful and thor-
ough" study of the National Security
Council staff. He added that "we may
have to look at what we mean by time-
ly" notification.
The National Security Council staff,
which is headed by the national se-
curity adviser, has been exempt from
Congressional scrutiny. But some
legislators have argued that if the Ad-
ministration uses the council staff for
operations, it must be accountable to
Congress.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/25: CIA-RDP90-00552R000404630016-9