Iran-Contra Hearings - Testimony of Colonel Oliver North.
Iran-Contra Hearings - Testimony of Colonel Oliver North.
Iran-Contra Hearings - Testimony of Colonel Oliver North. Representative Dante Fascell (D - Florida) gives a statement to and about North. He mentions the Fall Guy scheme concerning Colonel North.
Iran-Contra Hearings - Testimony of Colonel Oliver North.
Representative Lee Hamilton (D - Indiana). Proceeding under the 15 minute rule now the Chair recognizes the Chairman of the House Select Committee, Mr. Fascell. Representative Dante Fascell (D - Florida). Thank you Mr. Chairman. Colonel North, I wish it was under different circumstances that I saw you again. It been about bow 6 months or more since you first appeared before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives and stated at that time that no one wanted to tell the story more than you did. And we gave you the opportunity then, to take advantage of your Constitutional rights, which you have every right to do, and in my judgment you should have done. Now the Congress has provided you this opportunity in the last several days and your testimony has been remarkable.
Iran-Contra Hearings - Testimony of Colonel Oliver North.
Representative Dante Fascell (D - Florida) continues. You as a Colonel in White House were largely instrumental in implementing President s policy. You were exercising executive authority, clearly. You conducted a major covert operation. Ordinarily it would have probably kept the operations division of the CIA pretty busy. You plaaned and directed major military operations. I wonder if I could get you gentelmen in front of me to move one way and the other way so the witness can see me and I can see the witness. Thank you very much.
Iran-Contra Hearings - Testimony of Colonel Oliver North.
Representative Dante Fascell (D - Florida) continues. As I was saying, you planned and directed major military operations. You acquitted yourself in a fashion that would do justice to the Joint Chiefs of Staff. You arranged for the sale of lethal weapons out of the Department of Defense - a matter which is normally undertaken by a whole division of international security in the Department of Defense. You conducted secret, sensitive, important diplomatic negotiations, which under normal circumstances would have used up a pretty big chunk of the State Department.
Iran-Contra Hearings - Testimony of Colonel Oliver North.
Representative Dante Fascell (D - Florida) continues. Millions of dollars were raised to support and implement the President s policies. Arms were sold. Funds were received from governments. Many patriotic citizens in the United States and elsewhere provided funds and so there had to be an effort some way to keep track of these millions of dollars and make sure that in some way they went to serve the President s policy. In addition to that, there was an enormous effort undertaken in which you played a very important part, to influence the American people in support of the President s policy, to lobby the Congress, to make sure the votes were there for Contra Aid. And in the process Colonel, you probably produced and disposed of more government paper than anybody I ever heard of in my life. As a matter of fact, I think you ought to be in the Guiness Book of World Records on that score. And I don t say any of this disparingly.
Iran-Contra Hearings - Testimony of Colonel Oliver North.
Representative Dante Fascell (D - Florida) continues. Now all of this was done without the slightest knowledge on the part of the Congress. And we wouldn t have known even today, based on your preference, which as I recall your testimony. Because this was a covert operation and should be done that way. And you were doing everything that is legal in carrying out the President s policy. But if it hadn t been for three events, two of which you had absolutely no control over - one of them was the Hasenfus plane was shot down in the resupply operation and that was a sad blow, tragedy. Casey said, well son, or words to that effect, this thing is beginning to unravel, we better start cleaning things up. And he was so right. And then someone, probably our adversaries because they had charged the information, decided to leak a story about the McFarlane trip and it came out in a Lebanese periodical. And then the unraveling gathered up a lot of steam because every media in the world was focused on what happened.
Iran-Contra Hearings - Testimony of Colonel Oliver North.
Representative Dante Fascell (D - Florida) continues. The third event was, in my judgment was a very unusual event Colonel. I was probably as surprised as you were. And that was to hear the Attorney General of the United States get on television and say for the first time, Well folks got to tell you that 30 million dollars, I believe he said don t hold me to the exact amount, but it was a lot of money - residuals, funds whatever - were diverted and used for the Contras . Otherwise nobody would have ever known about that. And I wondered at the time why that was done? I just couldn t believe it myself. As a matter of fact, I made a statement at that time Colonel. I said, It s inconceivable to me that an operation of this magnitude and sensitivity involving many countries, millions of dollars, very sensitive operations on behalf of the United States could be laid on the lap of a Colonel operating out of a phone booth in the White House. Or that in some magic way he got a hold of some bad torpedo juice and just started running crazy and running the government on his own. Anybody believed that would believe in the tooth fairy. But that s not even a good analogy. The tooth fairy is not bad. I just didn t believe that and testimony up to this point, has strengthened my belief even more.
Iran-Contra Hearings - Testimony of Colonel Oliver North.
Representative Dante Fascell (D - Florida) continues. Now, having said all of this and applauding your sterling character and patriotism which millions of people around the country have done, propperly so, because you have been a very direct, sincere believer. You carried out your orders and did it in a fashion which people understand. But I keep asking myself, how come I don t feel good? And it s not because of anything you said. It s got nothing to do with your testimony. Except in laying out the mosaic of this giant jigsaw puzzle, which under ordinary circumstances might have taken elements of the United States government to put it together and make it successful. But here was a man with determination and skill doing the job. And it occurred to me one of the things I didn t like. I don t think any individual in uniform of the military services of the United States should ever again be put into the position you were in, or that Admiral Poindexter was put in, or that Bud McFarlane was put in. That s one of the things that struck me immediately. Because it does a discredit to you as an individual, to the service you represent, and the uniform on which you wear.
Iran-Contra Hearings - Testimony of Colonel Oliver North.
Representative Dante Fascell (D - Florida) continues. I haven t reached a total conclusion yet. This puzzle is so gigantic we re just beginning to put the pieces together. And you ve been extremely helpful in doing that. And of course, as you know, that is the main purpose of these hearings. It s simply to get the facts officially on record. All this stuff has been printed, most of it. It s out there, the media got it a long time ago. Congress is way behind the curve. But for reasons historical, for reasons that effect the jurisdiction of United States in playing its role as a coequal branch of government so that we don t distort the Constitution of the United States and wind up with only two branches of government, it s important for the Congress to analyze what happened. And decide if there is anything we want to do about it. Or should do about it? It s also important for the American people to look at all of this and make up their own minds. It goes far beyond Colonel Ollie North in other words.
Iran-Contra Hearings - Testimony of Colonel Oliver North.
Representative Dante Fascell (D - Florida) continues. And so, I begin to feel right now that we the People in order to form a more perfect union, Colonel North, have instead adopted the values, at least temporarily, of a totalitarian government. In an effort to do what we feel is proper and right and that is to encourage and enhance democracy. But you know I hate to think as many of my colleagues have already expressed themselves that in the process we have shredded our own democratic fabric. None of us what to do that. You don t want to do it. And I don t want to do it. The American people don t want to do it. This committee and the Congress don t want to do it. Now that s our job to try to rectify everything from what we have learned in which you played such a major role. And again I say this is in no derogation to you, Sir, whatever.
Iran-Contra Hearings - Testimony of Colonel Oliver North.
Representative Dante Fascell (D - Florida). Now I got a little time left. And there s some questions thats still buzzing around in my mind so let me ask a couple of questions in the time I have left. The time left Mr. Chairman? Colonel Oliver North. Before you ask that Representative Dante Fascell (D - Florida). Sure as long as they don t take it out of my time it would be great Colonel Oliver North. Very briefly. There are just two points that I think are deserve mentioning. First of all, I do not believe that we have adopted, in pursing the activities that I have come here to testify about, the philosophy or the values of a totalitarian society. Representative Dante Fascell (D - Florida). No I meant the methods, you re absolutely right. Colonel Oliver North. But Sir, I beg to differ. I honestly believe that we carried out those activities within the constraints of the law, as they were described and put up on that board a few days ago. Representative Dante Fascell (D - Florida). Colonel, I wasn t talking about violating the law. Colonel Oliver North. If the government of the United States did not want us to act to support the Nicaraguan resistance. Then the Congress should have passed a law to forbade it and I would not have done it sir. Representative Dante Fascell (D - Florida). No I understand that. I supported a Contras notwithstanding. Colonel Oliver North. I know you have have, Sir. Representative Dante Fascell (D - Florida). So you know always, Maybe that was a strong phrase, but it still means that we have to adopt tactics. If the only thing we can do is adopt tactics used by the other side I m not so sure we won anything, ever if we won. Now that is a philosophical statement and there s no point to us getting into that discussion. But I appreciate your comment. I mean you re right, I was not talking about substitution of values as such.