PROBE LEADERS IN SENATE URGE DELAY ON GATES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000605090032-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 3, 2012
• Sequence Number: 32
• Publication Date: February 25, 1987
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/03: CIA-RDP90-00965R000605090032-0
S :I`:GTC`: PC5T
Ee~ ruary 108 ,
ROBERT M. GATES
acting CIA director and nominee
Probe Leaders
In Senate Urge
Delay on Gates
By Walter=Pi,,cus~n Dan Morgan
Washington Post Staff Writers
The chairman and vice chairman
of the Senate select committee in-
vestigating the Iran-contra affair
said yesterday that confirmation of
Robert M. Gates as director of the
Central Intelligence Agency should
be delayed until completion of the
congressional inquiries, which could
run at least through August.
Chairman Daniel K. Inouye (D-
Hawaii) said that Gates, the agen-
cy's deputy director, is serving as
acting director following the resig-
nation of William J. Casey and thus
"it is not like a judicial appointment
where there is a vacancy that has
not been filled."
Vice Chairman Warren B. Rud-
man (R-N.H.) agreed that the nom-
ination should be delayed, but em-
phasized that so far he does not "see
anything that would disqualify
(Gates from being head of the
CIA."
Both senators said the Tower
commission report could shed more
light on Gates' role when it is re-
leased later this week: Because
Gates was so close to Casey, he still
will have to explain his involvement
in the affair before the House and
Senate investigating committees,
the senators added.
Gates was also critically dis-
cussed yesterday during a closed-
door Democratic caucus.
Senate Majority Leader Robert
C. Byrd (D-W.Va.), who said in an
interview yesterday that he did not
"know what the bottom fine is on
Gates," raised the question of
Gates' nomination in the caucus,
according to several, of his col-
leagues. According to one senator,
Byrd said he regretted President
Reagan's nomination of Gates and
that voting for the nominee soon
"might come back to haunt you."
After the caucus, Byrd said, "The
administration disserved itself by
sending up the No. 2 man" who was
"so close to the situation he is
tainted by it." Byrd added, "I hes-
itate to vote for a nominee before
all the facts are in .... Maybe
down the road we will find he was
involved, and if I had known I would
have voted differently."
Sen. Bill Bradley (D-NJ.), who
critically questioned Gates during
two days of public testimony last
week before, the Senate Select
Committee on Intelligence, also
voiced concern during the caucus
about the nominee, as did Sen. Paul
S. Sarbanes (D-Md.), a member of
Inouye's select committee, sources
said.
Although the caucus did not
make any decision on Gates, the
mood of those present was to delay
action on his nomination for some
time. The chairman of the intelli-
gence committee, Sen. David L.
Boren (D-Okla.), was not present at
the caucus.
"It is not yet time to say Gates'
nomination is in great difficulty,"
one Senate source said yesterday,
"but there is a great amount of un-
ease about it."
Gates, 43, is a 20-year CIA vet-
eran and only the third, agency pro-
fessional ever nominated to be di-
rector. The other two, Richard
Helms and William E. Colby, were
experienced in the covert opera-
tions side of the agency while Gates
has always worked on the analytical
side.
As part of the confirmation pro-
cess, Gates has been asked to ap-
pear again before the Senate intel-
ligence panel for questioning in a
closed hearing scheduled for March
5, according to Senate sources.
Several! members said yesterday
they expected there could be addi-
tional public hearings, depending on
the Tower commission report.
Questions were raised during the
public hearings about Gates' role in
both the Iran arms operation and in
attempting to find out about the
diversion of funds from that project
to aid the Nicaraguan contras.
Gates countered that he should
be judged on how he has acted since
he took over as acting director fol-
lowing Casey's surgery for a can-
cerous brain tumor.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/03: CIA-RDP90-00965R000605090032-0