Excerpts From Court Order Authorizing Special Counsel

Here are excerpts from the court order issued Friday authorizing independent counsel Lawrence E. Walsh to investigate U.S. arms sales to Iran and the diversion of proceeds from those sales to the contras fighting the leftist Nicaraguan government:

Lawrence E. Walsh . . . is hereby appointed Independent Counsel with jurisdiction to investigate . . . whether any person . . . including Lt. Col. Oliver L. North, other United States Government officials, or other individuals or organizations acting in concert with Lt. Col. North, or with other United States Government officials, has committed a violation of any federal criminal law . . . relating in any way to:

--The direct or indirect sale, shipment or transfer since . . . about 1984 down to the present, of military arms, materiel or funds to the Government of Iran, officials of that government, persons, organizations or entities connected with or purporting to represent that government, or persons located in Iran;

--The direct or indirect sale, shipment or transfer of military arms, materiel or funds to any government, entity, or person acting, or purporting to act as an intermediary (in connection with the Iran arms sales);

--The financing or funding of any direct or indirect sale, shipment or transfer (of arms to Iran).

--The diversion of the proceeds from any transaction . . . or for any person, organization, foreign government or any faction or body of insurgents in any foreign country, including, but not limited to Nicaragua;

--The provision or coordination of support for persons or entities engaged as military insurgents in armed conflict with the Government of Nicaragua since 1984. . . .

The Independent Counsel shall have jurisdiction and authority to investigate other allegations or evidence of violation of any federal criminal law by Oliver L. North, and any person or entity heretofore referred to, developed during the Independent Counsel’s investigation. . . .

The Independent Counsel shall have prosecutorial jurisdiction to initiate and conduct prosecutions in any court of competent jurisdiction for . . . any obstruction of the due administration of justice, or any material false testimony or statement in violation of the federal criminal laws, in connection with the investigation authorized by this order, and shall have all the powers and authority provided by the Ethics in Government Act of 1978.