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.
In Studio: Judy Woodruff-Standing by outside the hearing room, Congressman Lee Hamilton -Democratic Course Chairman of the House Select Committee. Congressman Hamilton was it unanimous view among the committee members that Colonel North continue testimony tomorrow? Or did a number of the members want him to finish up tonight? On Location: Congressman Lee Hamilton. After we discussed it, I think it was a strongly held view about members for both panels that we ve gone a long time today. We still have about two and a half hours more we ve estimated in questions. And we thought it would be better to go over till tomorrow morning. In Studio: Judy Woodruff-Alright Congressman Hamilton, we re having some audio, some microphone problems there. If you would just hang in there for a moment with us we are going to try and get those straightened out and we ll come back to you. I will keep an ear out just in case they do fix it and we ll come right back to you. Elizabeth, would it be to North s advantage to wrap it up today and not come back tomorrow? In Studio: Elizabeth Drew-I don t think it makes very much difference in the long run. They will start to complain that the committee is taking too long but when people look at these hearings for what they really are and what they re about. All of these questions of scheduling I think will fade.
Iran-Contra Hearings - Testimony of Colonel Oliver North.
In Studio: Judy Woodruff-What about some of the other testiness we saw their at the end between Brendan Sullivan, North s lawyer, who of course was very vocal at certain points during the early part of last week s testimony. For example, with Democratic Congressman Jack Brooks, when they got into a discussion of what North had or hadn t done in terms of being granted immunity. In Studio: Elizabeth Drew-Well Brooks is a peppery figure and he often tangles with witnesses. And I think that clearly Sullivan just thought that he went too far. And probably he got some sympathy for that point of view, when Brooks said he pointed out that he never had thought he should get immunity. He hadn t voted for it and since he didn t think he had broken the law why did he need immunity? And Brendan Sullivan erupted about the Fifth Amendment. It was quite a predictable exchange.
Iran-Contra Hearings - Testimony of Colonel Oliver North.
In Studio: Judy Woodruff-Okay we ve gotten Congressman Lee Hamilton back. We hope his sound system is working properly. Thank you for your patience Congressman. Tell me do you feel that at this point, the committee has gotten the information that it needed from Colonel North? On Location: Lee Hamilton-Well I think Colonel North has been an extremely important witness. He has given us an awful lot of information. It s going to take us a while to digest it. Yes we ve gotten a much more comprehensive understanding of events with his testimony. In Studio: Judy Woodruff-What about the fact that you ve decided to call back tomorrow morning Former National Security Advisor, Robert McFarlane? What is the significance of that? Are you going to try to decide whose telling the truth after you hear from him? On Location: Lee Hamilton-I m not sure we will be able to decide all of the conflicts in testimony. But Mr. McFarlane felt that on several points, and I don t know what all of those points are, that he wanted to comment on Colonel North s Testimony. We thought it only appropriate since he testified early. And since he did so without knowing what Colonel North would say that he have that opportunity.
Iran-Contra Hearings - Testimony of Colonel Oliver North.
In Studio: Judy Woodruff-Is it a given that any witness that wants to come back and set the record straight is going to be able to do so in public? On Location: Lee Hamilton-I don t think we re going to be able to do that. We are way out of the precedent that we are creating here. But these two witnesses, Mr. McFarlane and Colonel North are clearly very important witnesses. And so we do want to try and get as complete understanding that we can about the events. In Studio: Judy Woodruff-Congressman, just in general, what we ve heard from Colonel North of course paints a picture of a President who was not informed about certain specifics of these covert operations but did know in general what was going on. Do you ultimately think that, that is the most these committees are going to be able to determine about the President s role? Or what more can you learn? On Location: Lee Hamilton-I think Colonel North has pushed the problem up in a sense. And I mean by that, that he has clearly indicated he thought he was authorized to do all that he did. And he believes that very sincerely. I think he persuaded all of us that he sincerely felt that way. Now if that s true, the question becomes who authorized him to do the things that he did? That means the problem is pushed up to Mr. McFarlane and to Admiral Poindexter and to the President.
Iran-Contra Hearings - Testimony of Colonel Oliver North.
In Studio: Judy Woodruff-What is the significance of this memo which came out over the weekend? And which Senator, in no way was referred to over the weekend about whether or not and what aspects of another memo aside from the diversion. A memo that referred to the diversion that Poindexter apparently briefed the President on? What is explaining for us what the significance of that is? On Loaction: Lee Hamilton-Well I don t think we can really judge the significance of it until we hear from Admiral Poindexter. Nor do I think we should try to judge the significance of it. What Admiral Poindexter says with respect to that memo will make all the difference it seems to me. In Studio: Judy Woodruff-Do you know now what Mr. Poindexter is going to say when he comes before the committee later this week? On Location: Lee Hamilton-I have an idea of what Admiral Poindexter will say in general terms. I did not attend the deposition. It went on for several days. I ve had a rather brief report on the highlights of it. But I do not know in great detail what Admiral Poindexter will say. In Studio: Judy Woodruff-Will he say that the President was aware of the diversion? On Location: Lee Hamilton-I will not comment on that. In Studio: Judy Woodruff-Well can you shed any other light on what he is going to say without divulging any tales of any? On Location: Lee Hamilton-I really do not think it s appropriate for me to try to tip if you would the Admiral s testimony. Let s hear from him on that.
Iran-Contra Hearings - Testimony of Colonel Oliver North.
In Studio: Judy Woodruff-Well let me ask you about the little bit of dissention that surfaced on committee late this morning. That is when your Republican colleague of the House Committee Congressman Richard Cheney criticized the Democratic Chairman of the Senate Committee Senator Inouye for raising this over the weekend. Do you think Senator Inouye was out of line in what he said? On Location: Lee Hamilton-I have not seen Senator Inouye s comments. I have not seen the transcript. I did not see the program yesterday. I did see the newspaper articles this morning. I was traveling in Indiana over the weekend and I simply take the word of Senator Inouye and Senator Rodman, who indicated that his comments were appropriate. In Studio: Judy Woodruff-Congressman do you feel that by the end of the Poindexter testimony, let me put it this way, that you will have a pretty good sense of how high up this goes? On Location: Lee Hamilton-Well I keep thinking every time that the next witness will clear up a lot of the problems. And the pattern of these hearings seems to be that the next witness raises questions for the next witness after that. So I don t want to say that things will suddenly become clear with Admiral Poindexter s testimony. We still have to hear after all from the Secretaries of Defense and State and the Attorney General and Mr. Eagan and others. Who certainly will be able to shed additional light on these events? In Studio: Judy Woodruff-And do you expect that by the time you heard from them you ll have the whole story? On Location: Lee Hamilton-Well I can t judge that at this point in the hearings. In Studio: Judy Woodruff-Well Congressman Lee Hamilton we thank you for joining us.