CIA NOMINATION IN TROUBLE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-01448R000301290052-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 16, 2012
• Sequence Number: 52
• Publication Date: March 3, 1987
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/16: CIA-RDP99-01448R000301290052-7
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ON PAGE .._vwi
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE MONITOR
3 March 1987
CIA NOMINATION IN TROUBLE
Iran affair shadows Gates appointment
By Warren Richey the secret Iran initiative. Gates has
Stan writer of The Christian Science Monitor said he knew nothing of the contra
wasiangton diversion scheme until he received
The nomination of Robert Gates to hints of it last October
replace William Casey as director of Nonetheless, Gates is viewed by
the Central Intelligence Agency has some in the Senate, and the White
run into trouble over the issue of Mr. House as having been too close to Mr.
Gates's integrity and the lingering Casey to be able to shield the adminis-
taint of the Iran-contra affair. tration and the CIA from future tar-
An increasing num- nish in a year that
ber of senators are rail- promises to be domi-
ing questions about the senators are nated by Iran-contra
suitability of the cur- investigations.
rent CIA deputy direr- wondering whether Former Nevada sen-
tor to take over as the Gates acted ator and Reagan friend
nation's top intelli- forcefully in Paul Laxalt said Sun-
gence official. day that Gates's nomi-
The Washington investigating the nation has been tainted
Post, citing "well-in- contra scheme. with the "smell of
formed administration Irangate."
and congressional Last week, the chair-
sources," reported yesterday that Mr. man and vice-chairman of the Senate
Gates would withdraw his name this select committee investigating the
week. Gates said the story was Iran-contra matter asked that Senate
inaccurate. consideration of the Gates nomination
Yesterday White House spokesman be postponed until after both the
Marlin Fitzwater said the President House and Senate special committees
stood behind the nomination, but that complete their investigations. The
the withdrawal of his name "is a mat- move would delay the nomination vote
ter for Mr. Gates to decide." Gates met until late summer
with new chief of staff Howard Baker The delay was sought to allay the
Jr. for about 30 minutes yesterday. concerns of some members of Congress
Heightened concern about the Gates that confirmation of Gates without a
nomination comes in the wake of the thorough investigation might leave a
release last week of the Tower Com- cloud of suspicion over the CIA.
mission report. The report harshly Senate Intelligence Committee mem-
criticized top Reagan administration bers are wondering whether Gates
officials - including the President - for acted forcefully enough in investigat-
allowing its National Security Council ing the contra diversion scheme when
staff to conduct covert operations, in- he first learned of it last October.
eluding arms sales to Iran and funding In addition, questions have been
the Nicaraguan: contra rebels. raised about Gates's involvement in
The report mentioned Gates in only providing the intelligence to support a
a few references, suggesting that he 1985 Reagan administration plan for a
played only a minor,. supportive role in joint. Egyptian-US invasioq of Libya.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is
reported to have rejected then na-
tional-security adviser John Poin-
dexter's proposal of a joint military
operation designed to oust Libyan
leader Muammar Qaddafi.
On Friday Gates provided the Sen-
ate committee with materials intended
to ease members' concerns about his
role in planning the proposed invasion.
The materials are said to show that
Gates had opposed the invasion plan.
Gates's role at the CIA is not a sub-
ject of extensive examination in the
Tower Commission report. But the re-
port does make serious criticisms of
the CIA, and by implication of Gates,
for failing to uphold the "integrity and
objectivity of the intelligence process."
The panel's report criticizes the CIA
for apparently permitting NSC staff
members to become involved in the
preparation of a key intelligence analy-
sis of the situation in Iran in May 1986.
The analysis "contained the hint that
the United States should change its
existing policy and encourage its allies
to provide arms to Iran." The docu-
ment was later used by NSC staff mem-
bers to support plans to begin the se-
cret Iran arms initiative.
At the time, Gates was deputy direc-
tor for intelligence at the CIA and
oversaw the drafting of US intelligence
reports. Gates was subsequently pro-
moted by Casey and became the CIA's
deputy director in April 1986.
"It is critical that the line between
intelligence and advocacy of a particu-
lar policy be preserved if intelligence is
to retain its integrity and perform its
proper function," the Tower Commis-
sion report says. It adds, "In this in-
stance, the CIA came close enough to
,the line to warrant concern."
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/16: CIA-RDP99-01448R000301290052-7