REAGAN LAYS DOWN LAW FOR SECURITY COUNCIL

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-01448R000301290036-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 16, 2012
• Sequence Number: 36
• Publication Date: March 4, 1987
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/16: CIA-RDP99-01448R000301290036-5
744 PAC* ?412-5W4G,
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
4 March 1987
Reagan lays down law for security council
From Chicago Tribune wires
WASHINGTON?President
Reagan instructed his national
security staff Tuesday that the
rule of law must be respected
and that competing views must
be fully aired in planning and
implementing foreign policy.
Reagan laid down the law in a
meeting with about 50 members
of the newly overhauled Nation-
al Security Council staff in the
wake of the release of the Tower
board report last Thursday.
The panel concluded that the
arms-to-Iran initiative did not
get a serious review in the White
House, was handled in an un-
professional way and that legal
considerations were not pressed.
It said Reagan did not exercise
control over his national security
advisers, was not aware of the
way the Iran policy was being
implemented and did not recog-
nize its full consequences.
Addressing the NSC staff as-
sembled in recent weeks by
Frank Carlucci. his new national
security adviser, Reagan said
that "sound management of the
NSC process ultimately depends
upon the skills and integrity of
each of you here."
Reagan directed that "views
must be fully aired." He said:
"Agency participation should
not be short cut. I want the
range of options developed for
my consideration. Legal issues
must be addressed head-on, and
the rule of law respected. And of
course, recommendations and
decisions must be properly doc-
umented."
The press was not allowed to
cover Reagan's remarks, but
they were ouoted by presidential
spokesman Marlin Fitzwater.
He said no one should infer
from Reagan's remarks that he
had concluded that laws were
broken in the Iran-contra arms
affair.
Reagan is scheduled to address
the nation Wednesday night to
give his response to, the Tower
board's criticism.
Fitzwater said the administra-
tion was pressing its search for a
new candidate to be chief of the
CIA following the withdrawal
Monday of Robert Gates' nomi-
nation. "We are searching for a
candidate, talking to a lot of
people. ... It could come at any
time, he said.
Asked whether former Sen. John
Tower [R., Tex.], head of the
panel that produced the critical
NSC report, had turned down the
job, Fitzwater replied, "I don't
know."
Other candidates reportedly
under consideration included FBI
Director William Webster and re-
tired Air Force Gen. Brent
Scowcroft, a former national secu-
rity adviser under President
Gerald Ford and a member of the
Tower board.
The withdrawal of Gates' nomi-
nation helped avoid a lengthy con-
firmation process in the Senate
that would have prolonged the
controversy over his role and the
CIA's conduct in the Iran-contra
affair at a time when Reagan is
trying to put the issue behind him.
Gates, 43, would have been the
Youngest CIA director i history.
He has served as acting head of
the agency since former CIA Di-
rector William Casey underwent
surgery for removal of a brain
tumor in December. Gates was
nominated to replace Casey last
month.
But Reagan was told by congres-
sional leaders last Friday that
Gates' nomination was in trouble
on Capitol Hill, even though the
deputy CIA director was not di-
rectly implicated in the Tower
board's investigation of the Iran-
contra affair.
His nomination suffered none-
theless because some lawmakers
were angered over several of the
Tower report's revelations about
the CIA's role in the sale of U.S.
arms to Iran at a time when Gates
served as Casey's deputy.
Several members of the Senate
Intelligence Committee also have
closely questioned Gates on allega-
tions that he may have advocated
a U.S. invasion of Libya in 1985
and assisted in a CIA attempt to
cover up aspects of the Iran arms
sales. In addition, Gates was ac-
cused by some lawmakers of
failing to inform Congress of evi-
dence that some proceeds from
the sales may have gone to the
Nicaraguan rebels, or contras.
In a letter Sunday to Sen. David
Boren [D., Okla.], chairman of the
Senate Intelligence Committee,
Gates vehemently, denied the
charges, calling them "outrageous"
and 'false allegations." By then,
however, he had already decided
to ask that his nomination to head
the agency be withdrawn rather
than face a lengthy confirmation
battle. White House officials said.
Gates will continue to serve as
acting CIA director until a succes-
sor to Casey is confirmed, Reagan
said. After that, Gates will return
to his deputy director's position.
Casey, meanwhile, has been re-
leased from Georgetown Universi-
ty Hospital. Casey, 73, was ad-
mitted to the hospital Dec. 15
after suffering a seizure at his of-
fice. He underwent surgery on a
brain tumor three days later and
then received radiation treatment.
He was released Saturday, the hos-
pital said.
Howard Baker, making his pub-
lic debut Monday as chief of staff
three days after replacing contro-
versial Donald Regan, held a spir-
ited press conference on a range of
delicate issues, including the Pre-
sident's capacity to govern at age
76 and the powerful influence of
First Lady Nancy Reagan.
Reflecting concerns about the
Tower report's portrayal of
Reagan as a detached and con-
fused chief executive, Baker re-
peatedly insisted that the President
has never been "more energetic,
more engaged."
"He's never been better," Baker
said. "He was superb. ... I do not
see a hands-off President, or I do
not see an AWOL President; I see
a man who is very much in touch
with the issues before this coun-
try."
Baker said a draft of Reagan's
nationally televised speech on
Wednesday was "marvelous" and
would "go a long way" toward
alleviating concerns about the
President on Capitol Hill.
Baker said he had not yet
spoken to Mrs. Reagan on his first
day on the job. When asked what
they would discuss, Baker indi-
cated he would try to avoid the
widely publicized conflicts his
predecessor had with the First
Lady.
"Whatever she wants to talk
about," he said, laughing.
In other developments:
? The Pentagon announced that
Vice Adm. John M. Poindexter,
the White House national security
adviser who resigned in the
Iranian arms controversy, has de-
cided to accept a reduction in
rank, to two stars, rather than
leave the Navy.
? The New York Times-CBS
Poll, taken after release of the
Tower Board report, found that
President Reagan's popularity is at
its lowest level in more than four
years. '
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/16: CIA-RDP99-01448R000301290036-5