AFTERMATH OF IRAN NEGOTIATIONS/DIRECTOR CASEY TESTIFIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000404630018-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 25, 2010
• Sequence Number: 18
• Publication Date: November 21, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

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RADIO N REPORTS, INC.
4701 WILLARD AVENUE, CHEVY CHASE, MARYLAND 20815 [phone]
CBS Evening News
DATE November 21, 1986 7:00 P.M.
WUSA-TV
CBS Network
Washington, D.C.
Aftermath of Iran Negotiations/Director Casey Testifies
DAN RATHER: President Reagan's aides today began trying
to convince Congress that secretly sending missiles to Iran was a
good idea. Some of what they said conflicted with what Mr.
Reagan has told the public.
One of Ayatollah Khomeini's main mullahs boasted today
that the deal was his biggest victory in the world's political
arena.
Our coverage begins with Phil Jones on Capitol Hill.
PHIL JONES: CIA Director led the shuttle from one side
of the Capitol to the other today, trying to salvage the Reagan
Administration's credibility. But it didn't appear to work.
SENATOR DANIEL PATRICK MOYNIHAN: May I say about this
morning, I can't believe what I heard, and I don't.
JONES: From one of those briefed today came the further
disclosure contradicting the President's claim that the U.S. and
Israel were the only countries associated with arms shipments.
REP. JIM WRIGHT: We have learned about people who are
citizens of other countries and residents of other countries who
have been involved in shipments, with the condoning of the United
States.
JONES: But the congressional outrage continued over the
question of whether the Administration had broken the law by not
notifying Congress.
REPORTER: Have you broken the law?
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DIRECTOR WILLIAM CASEY: No, no.
SENATOR DAVID DURENBERGER: Whether they broke the law
or not, they intended not to inform the American people, they
intended not to inform the Congress of the United States about
something that they knew would become public knowledge.
'' JONES: Senators Durenberger and Leahy, head of the
Intelligence Committee, fired off a letter to the President this
afternoon referring to the meeting between American and Iranian
officials, saying, "The committee cannot accept a logic in which
such a high-risk meeting is accepted, while there was compara-
tively minor risks by informing Congress."
Attorney General Meese was identified today as the one
who had told the President he could legally avoid notifying
Congress. But CBS News was told that this was an opinion that
Meese did not put in formal writing.
Senate Democratic leader Byrd announced plans to tighten
the law. And ridicule of the mission itself intensified.
SENATOR ROBERT BYRD: That there is a need for Congress
to broaden the law to cover all covert operations that are
carried out.
P SENATOR SAM NUNN: I think that it was ill-conceived and
ineptly implemented.
JONES: The message from here tonight is loud and clear.
'?lembers will demand to hear more than they did today, and
Congress is ready to tie Ronald Reagan's hands, if necessary, to
make sure it doesn't happen again.
TERENCE SMITH: Turning his back on reporters' ques-
tions, President Reagan left for Camp David amidst public
backbiting among his aides and calls for a shakeup of the White
House staff.
Earlier, Senate leaders emerged from a meeting with the
President expressing concern over the impact of the bickering.
SENATOR BYRD: This situation is really creating a
creeping paralysis that is going to continue to sap the energies
and the time of the Administration.
SENATOR ROBERT DOLE: The longer we stay on this, it
could hurt the President's credibility.
SMITH: Most of the shakeup speculation centers on
National Security Adviser John Poindexter, who orchestrated the
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overture to Iran. Secretary of State Shultz has been privately
critical of Poindexter, but today he denied a published report
that he had urged the President to fire him.
Adding to the appearance of disarray, another architect
of the plan, Robert "Bud" McFarlane, now calls the arms shipments
a mistake.
Chief of Staff Don Regan, himself a target of criticism,
is said to be infuriated at McFarlane's public statements,
reportedly telling a White House meeting, "It was Bud's idea.
When you give lousy advice you get lousy results."
And McFarlane is also at odds with Secretary Shultz, who
says he had only fragmentary information about the Iran opera-
tion.
ROBERT MCFARLANE: It was not kept from the Secretary of
State, for I told him repeatedly and often of every item that
went on in this enterprise.
SMITH: A former Secretary of State warned that the
discord needs to end.
ALEXANDER HAIG: I would be very concerned that in the
weeks and months ahead that we not cripple the institution of the
presidency.
SMITH: The President's men admit that all this public
infighting makes a messy sight. They're anxious to get it behind
them, and they're already casting about for another issue, a
domestic initiative, a renewed push on arms control, anything
that will distract attention from Iran.
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