University Daily Kansan / Friday, January 16, 1987
9
Arms dealer warned North, report says
United Press International
WASHINGTON — An Iranian weapons dealer warned L.I. Col. Oliver North and CIA Director William Casey they would have a bigger problem than Watergate if he was cut out of arms-for-hostages negotiations. ABC News reported yesterday
A source who attended the negotiations between the United States and Iran provided the network with a chronological account of the five-day maneuver, leading direct quotations from the conversations.
North, who was fired Nov. 25 for his involvement in the Iran arms-contra aid scheme, told Iranian arms dealer Manucher Ghorbanian in March that top U.S. officials would travel to Iran to secure the release of the hostages and the body of slain William Buckley, the CIA station chief in Beirut.
Former national security adviser Robert McFarlane led the American team and Dr. Najafadabi, an Iranian government official, was the pivot
man on the Islamic side. ABC said.
McFarlane flew to Tehran May 29 with the expectation that all the hostages would be released and he balked when the Iranians offered to release two immediately and free the remaining captives when another arms shipment arrived, the network said.
Officials who attended the negotiations at the top-floor suite of the Tehran Hilton included McFarlane, North, Howard Teicher, North's boss, and Amirian Nir, Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres' terrorism expert. The network said retired Maj. Gen. Richard Secord stayed in Israel to coordinate details.
on the third day of discussions the two sides appeared to reach agreement on the release of the hostages.
But the negotiations hit a snag on the arms that would be shipped before the hostages would be released. Najafadabi agreed to release two hostages immediately and offered to free the remaining captives when a second plane arrived with the
McFarlane confirmed to ABC in a written statement that when Iran refused to release all the hostages, he declined to negotiate new terms and terminated the mission.
rest of the arms.
But by July, the Americans gained direct access to Iranian Parliament leader Hashemi Rafsanjani, who talked with the CIA.
But the NSC and CIA continued to talk to Rafsanjani, and additional weapons were delivered to Iran at half the price the United States was charging Ghorbanifar.
Ghorbanfarian, who was upset that he had been cut out of the negotiations, warned North and Casey. "If your people do this to me, you will have a longer problem than Watergate," the network said.
An adversary of Rafsanjani, who opposed any relations with the United States, published 500 pamphlets detailing the secret negotiations and their role, and distributed them all over the country.
Senator says Iran inquiry could surpass Watergate
United Press International
WASHINGTON — A Democrat on the Senate panel looking into the Iran arms-contrast aid scandal said yesterday that the investigation would be tougher than Watergate because it was all about it and was willing to trivially
Sen. Howell Heflin, D-Ala., said that because the affair was global in its scope, the select panel faced more obstacles than any congressional investigation had ever faced.
However, one encouraging sign, Helfin said, comes from reports of the existence of computer messages from Lt. Col. Oliver North to former National Security Adviser John Poindexter that detail the sales to
Iran.
Last week, select committees were *established in the House and Senate* to investigate the secret sale of arms to Iran and the diversion of profits from those sales to the contrasts in Nicaragua.
Heflin, a former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, said he believed there were many obstacles confronting the congressional panels and independent counsel Lawrence Walsh.
Those accounts apparently were set up to funnel money to the contras, a CLA force fighting to overthrow Nicaragua's Sandinista government.
Americans lack interest in arms deal, poll says
United Press International
WASHINGTON — Americans are paying scant attention to news coverage of the Iran-contra aid controversy, but the scandal has lowered public opinion of President Reagan, Congress and the press, a poll released yesterday said.
The Times Mirror poll, conducted by the Gallup Organization, showed 42 percent of Americans doubt Reagan's ability to run the country, 46 percent say he is "not believable" and 38 percent feel he is withholding information to protect himself.
Slightly more than half of the 1,500 people surveyed between Dec. 27 and Jan. 4 still believe in Reagan's leadership and credibility, but just 28 percent said he was doing all he could to solve the controversy.
Although other polls have shown a
'His critics are more critical than his supporters are supportive.'
scandal. Only 20 percent of those participating in the poll said they were closely following the story, with most of them strong Reagan supporters or critics.
Andrew Kohut President of the Gallup Organization
By comparison, 80 percent closely followed reports on the Challenger disaster, and 46 percent closely followed reports on the Carbromyl nuclear accident, Kohut said.
Of those following the Arms arms story, only one in five rated the news coverage excellent. Fifty-seven percent gave that rating to the Challenger coverage.
The study found a lack of public attentiveness to news reports of the
"There's a fair amount of 'shoot the messenger' in this finding," Kohut said. "It's a story Americans don't like. It's a story they feel is being over-reported. It's a complicated story — not nearly as simple a melodrama as a hostage-taking or the Challenger exploding."
The poll found 46 percent believed press coverage of the story is bad for the country and damaging to America's image in the world. Forty-four percent said there has been too much coverage overall.
Although support for television news and the print media has dropped, 47 percent of those polled said journalists had done the most to uncover the controversy.
Twenty percent said Congress had done the most, 14 percent said Reagan and 6 percent said the White House staff had done the most.
The poll found 60 percent to 70 percent believed the media was telling the truth, while 52 percent believed Reagan, 41 percent congressional Democrats, 41 percent congressional Republicans and 30 percent Meese.
To Phi Delta Theta
Thank you for all your cooperation during rush. We really appreciate it. We are looking forward to being your neighbors.
The Women of Sigma Delta Tau
ALL YOU CAN EAT
TACOS
make your own TACOS
from a multitude
of ingredients
4.30-6.30
52 servings
SAT: $1.00 KAMAKAZIS 11 a.m.-3 a.m. $1.00 cover
GET SMART!
ATVE 20%----25% ON TEXTBOOKS At the K.U. Bookstores we have this areas largest selection of used textbooks and that means a savings of 20% to 25% on your textbook costs. Don't throw your money away, get smart and buy used textbooks from the K.U. Bookstores.
SAVE 20%—25% ON TEXTBOOKS
---
GET A "D" THIS SEMESTER
- New faster speed
- Word proc. incl.
- $1295 complete
* 15 month warranty
The best way to get an "A" is to get a "D"- a Leading Edge Model "D". For $1295, the "D" provides a fast (8mhz), flexible (using IBM software and boards) and friendly (word processing is included) microcomputer. KU and its students and staff have bought hundreds of Model "D"'s from COMPUTER OUTLET. Come in to see why our "D" has brought so many "A"'s.
COMPUTER OUTLET Downtown Lawrence 804 New Hampshire 843-PLUG (7584) Your computer
M-Sat.
10-6
Your computer connection at 843.PLUG • 804 N.H
(BM is a trademark of [n1] Bus Machines
SPECIAL SALE
9' X 12' rug
$44
"Comes with its own pad!"
COMPARE at $90 CHOICE OF COLORS
ROOM-SIZED RUGS
“Roll End Specials”
40%—70% off
Manufacturer's sugg. price