Panel Rejects Request for Immunity : Senators Say It’s Too Early to Grant It to North, Poindexter

The Senate Intelligence Committee today spurned President Reagan’s request that limited immunity be used to obtain testimony from two key figures in the Iran- contra affair.

Leaders of the Senate panel revealed that committee members had reached a consensus against granting limited immunity to Marine Lt. Col. Oliver L. North and Vice Adm. John M. Poindexter, both former White House officials.

Sen. David Durenberger (R-Minn.), the committee’s chairman, told reporters, “We have concluded that it would be premature for this intelligence committee to make this decision on immunity at this time, although we can appreciate the President’s desire to get the facts out.”

Both Durenberger and Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), vice chairman of the panel, said no vote was taken on the question of limited immunity, although they agreed that there was “spirited debate” on the issue.

Earlier in the day, the Senate’s Democratic and Republican leaders expressed opposition to Reagan’s immunity proposal.

“I think immunity should be something of a last resort,” Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-W.Va.) said on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “To grant immunity at this stage, I think, would be to invade the province of the independent counsel, who hasn’t even been appointed yet, and it would, I think, also invade the province of the select committee.”

Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan.), also appearing on ABC, said he thought that Byrd’s view was held by a majority of the Senate.

Even before the committee had reached its decision, White House spokesman Larry Speakes said Reagan was disappointed by the overwhelming opposition in Congress to his plea to grant limited immunity.

“The President is disappointed, certainly, that the (intelligence) committee has not yet decided to give a favorable review of his request that immunity be used as the quickest way to present the facts, all of the facts, in the Iranian matter to the American people,” Speakes said.

Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger testified before the Intelligence committee this morning, and Atty. Gen. Edwin Meese III appeared before the panel in the afternoon.