President admits Iran blunder, pledges to put house in order

Press, 6 March 1987, Page 6

President admits Iran blunder, pledges to put house in order

By GENE GIBBONS of Reuters (through NZPA)

Washington President Ronald Reagan conceded for the first time yesterday that his secret Iran policy had turned into an arms-for-hostages deal, and said: "It was a mistake.”’

He also acknowledged that he had failed to exert proper management of his National Security Council staff, which hatched the operation, and listed personnel and other changes to put his house in order.

While he did not repudiate his policy of making contact with moderate Iranians, his apologetic tone was a marked departure from his usual upbeat, confident demeanour.

The President said he had paid a price in public trust and confidence, but said: “You take your knocks, you learn your lessons and then you move on.”

Mr Reagan’s televised speech, widely regarded as critical to his hopes of repairing his Presidency, was his first detailed response to last week’s scorching Tower Commission report on the secret sale of arms to Iran and diversion of profits to United States-backed contra rebels in Nicaragua. Polls taken since that report was released show Mr Reagan’s job approval rating has plunged to its second lowest level since he entered the White House in 1981. The commission, headed by a former Republican Senator, John Tower, which Mr Reagan appointed, called his policy unprofessional and unsatisfactory. It also criticised Mr Reagan, aged 76, as a man who who did not know or care much about the wide-ranging, probably illegal activities of his underlings. But Mr Reagan, maintaining that his "hands off” leadership style had

previously served him well, said, “When it came to managing the N.S.C. staff, let’s face it, my style didn’t match its previous track record. I have already begun correcting this.” He accepted the commission’s recommendations on the N.S.C., and added: “I am going beyond its recommendations so as to put the house in even better order.” He had issued a directive barring N.S.C. staff from undertaking covert operations — “no ifs, ands, or buts.” His new National Security adviser, Frank Carlucci, was rebuilding staff "with proper management discipline.” Mr Reagan also noted

he had named Howard Baker as his new Chief of Staff, and said he hoped the former Senate Republican leader would help forge a new partnership with Congress, “especially on foreign and national security policies.” Mr Reagan’s tone yesterday was far different from that of previous statements in which he strongly defended his Iran policy as one of seeking an opening to moderate elements in Teheran.

He stopped short of admitting the policy was wrong from the start, but admitted it had become indefensible. "It is clear from the board’s report . . . that I let my personal concern for the hostages spill over

into the geo-political strategy of reaching out to Iran,” he said. “I asked so many questions about the hostages’ welfare that I did not ask enough about the specifics of the total Iran plan. There are reasons why it happened, but no excuses. It was a mistake.” In initial reaction from Congress, opposition Democrats, who control both houses, said Mr Reagan would now have to match his words with action but Republicans praised him. Senate Majority Leader, Robert Byrd, said: “It is going to take more than speech. It is going to take actions. Actions speak louder than words ... I think he has to show by

his actions that he is involved in his work, that he knows what is going on, that he knows the substance.”

He felt Mr Reagan should have recognised that it was his orders that had authorised arms sales to Iran which became the mistake, but he said he felt better as a result of the speech. “I think that the President has recognised or is willing to recognise, let’s put it that way, that there was a programme of arms sales to Iran and that that was a mistake and it was to secure the release of hostages,” he said.

“He has also indicated a willingness to have a new working relationship with Congress and that is necessary, that is essential if we are going to deal with the problems that confront the country.” Mr Reagan said he had been silent on the scandal in recent weeks while waiting for the truth to come out, and admitted: “I have paid a price for my silence in terms of your trust and confidence.”

He was still upset about the failure to keep records of meetings or decisions during the Iran initiative — a complaint made by the Tower Commission.

Mr Reagan said this had led to his inability to recall whether he approved an arms shipment before or after the fact.

Ending on a nostalgic note, Mr Reagan, whose speech coincided with his thirty-fifth wedding anniversary, said: “You know, by the time you reach my age, you have made plenty of mistakes if you have lived your life properly.

“So you learn. You put things in perspective. You pull your energies together. You change. You go forward.”