‘Poindexter, North interfered with investigations’

Press, 21 November 1987, Page 10

‘Poindexter, North interfered with investigations’

NZPA-AP Washington

The National security aides, John Poindexter and Oliver North, interfered with seven criminal investigations when those investigations threatened to expose the Government’s private contra resupply operation, the Congressional Irancontra committees say. Meanwhile, the Attor-ney-General, Edwin Meese 111, the target of strong criticism in the panel’s report, described the study yesterday as “a great job” of after-the-fact criticism.

“There wasn’t anything particularly new,” Mr Meese said of the report. It said he failed to keep records and neglected to seal Colonel North’s office during a week-end inquiry last November that uncovered diversion of funds from the secret sale of arms to Iran to the contra rebels in Nicaragua.

Colonel North continued to shred documents throughout the week-end inquiry. The report, released on Wednesday, also concluded that Mr Meese probably approved the use of private funds for a failed 1985-86 ransom operation for United States hostages in

Lebanon supplied by a Texas industrialist, H. Ross Perot. . ..

Defending his performance during the inquiry a year ago, Mr Meese said “it looks a lot different when you are on the scene.” He declined to discuss the ransom operation.

Asked whether he might resign, Mr Meese replied: “That’s silly.” The Iran-contra report provides some new details of efforts in 1985 and 1986 by Rear-Admiral Poindexter, a former national security adviser to President Ronald Reagan, and the dismissed National Security Council aide, Oliver North, to monitor and in some instances impede criminal investigations. The investigations had the potential for uncovering ttie National Security Council’s role in overseeing the private contra support network at a time when United States military aid for the rebels had been cut off by Congress, the report said. In one instance, the staff tried to persuade the Justice Department in 1986 to reward an official of a Central American country who had been convicted of plotting to assassinate a

Central American leader. The convicted criminal had helped arrange for bases for the contras as ’ well as logistics, training and support and “North • was afraid (he) would ’ disclose facts about the : contras,” the report said, 'th United States officials agreed to transfer the official to a minimumsecurity institution, while turning aside.. Colonel North’s requests for leniency. ' i In another instance, the United States Customs Service suspended for six weeks at Colonel North’s request an investigation into allegations that' the Maule Aircraft Corpora-

tion of Moultrie, Georgia, I had shipped four aircraft r to support the contras in ; possible violation of ; United States Export con-, i trol laws. I Colonel North told the ; Customs Commissioner, ... William von Raab, that > the company’s owner was i a close friend of Mr Reagan, that people in- * volved in the export I s operation were “good ■ guys” who had done nothing illegal and that ! the aircraft were used 5 only to supply the contras : with medical and humani- ; tartan supplies. i He also told the Cuss toms . Service that the in- - quiry could compromise

national security, including an effort to obtain the release of the American hostages in Lebanon, the report said. The Customs Service agreed to postpone issuing a subpoena to the Maule company when Colonel North promised to produce documents and photographs of the aircraft to verity the legality of the transactions. Colonel North failed to produce them and the investigation resumed last November about a week before the Iran-contra scandal broke. “These seven episodes collectively show how the N.S.C. staff, and North in particular, tried to prevent exposure” of the contra support operation by law enforcement agencies, said the majority report by the Congressional committees. . “Suggestions that national security could be compromised, coming from N.S.C. aides, inevitably were given weight by law enforcement officials and led them on occasion to provide information to the N.S.C. staff and to delay investigations.” N.S.C. staffers “tried to compromise the independence of law enforcement agencies by misusing claims of national

security,” the report contended.' The committees also outlined interference in three Customs Service inquiries and, four Justice Department investigations. :'}•>- Among them-were:—• • Colonel North, claiming national security concerns, asked* the Customs Service to narrow a subpoena in an investigation Into the crash of a plane on October 5, 1986. The plane, carried a crewman, Eugene Hasenfus, while resupplying > the contras with weapons. A full-scale investigation would have revealed payment "for both the Iran flights and for arms shipments to the contras,” the report said. The' Customs Service took steps to narrow the focus of the investigation to the airplane itself and whether arms or ammunition were being exported without a licence. • Following the crash of the Hasenfus plane. Admiral Poindexter, claiming national security concerns, succeeded in delaying an FJB.L investigation of Southern Air Transport, a former C.1.A.-owned firm that was involved in t»th resupply of the contras and :the Administration’s secret arms sales to Iran.