Iran-Contra Hearings - Testimony of Colonel Oliver North.
Iran-Contra Hearings - Testimony of Colonel Oliver North.
Iran-Contra Hearings - Testimony of Colonel Oliver North.
Iran-Contra Hearings - Testimony of Colonel Oliver North.
Senator Howell Heflin-And then in another exhibit, exhibit 8 which has already been mentioned which is a memorandum that you have prepared along with Mr. Bercout that went to Admiral Poindexter and then was to be used with another National Security planning group. You state there in the beginning the resistance itself is increasingly desperate as available supplies have depleted as of May 1. No further medical supplies or clothing are available. By mid-June, the outside support the resistance has received will be consumed and no further support appears readily available. Now in that memo it was for the purpose of bringing to the National Security Planning group various options including the options of trying to convince congress that you might take 15 million from the appropriations, the DOD and give it to the CIA for the humanitarian assistance to the resistance group. And on page two it states that an immediate reprogram of 15 million from DOD to the CIA for the humanitarian assistance to the DRF funds would reduce our subsequent request from one hundred million to eighty five million. This action would require approval in the House, Senate Central Intelligence committee, armed service committees and defense appropriations sub committees. We can make a good case that this humanitarian assistance and in (5 million per month) through August of 1986 is essential to maintain the option of BRRF pressure and so on.
Iran-Contra Hearings - Testimony of Colonel Oliver North.
Senator Howell Heflin-Now reading all of that, and at the time in your statement is it fair and accurate to state that after the humanitarian aid of 27 million dollars ran out that the Contra s were in dire circumstances as to the need for food, clothing, medical supplies, arms, ammunitions and all other necessities to carry on a resistance movement. Oliver North-That is the facts, the facts in there are those facts as I knew them as supported by intelligence that we were receiving and as reviewed by my colleagues. Senator Howell Heflin-Now did Mr. Abrams go with you on this trip that you mentioned in exhibit 4 to Central America in mid-April 1986? Oliver North-I do. I don t recall sir. Senator Howell Heflin-You don t recall.