President Blames Press for Damage to His Credibility

A peeved President Reagan said Wednesday that any damage his credibility has suffered from the Iran- contra affair can be blamed on “our own . . . Washington press corps.”

“I’m being portrayed as having, behind the scenes, violated the law and done all sorts of shady things to try and violate the Congress’ restriction on aid to the freedom fighters,” Reagan said. “And it just isn’t true.”

Reagan made the remarks in an interview with six foreign television reporters. They were his most sharply worded defense of his position that the congressional ban on contra aid did not apply to the President and that he was legally entitled to promote private efforts to supply the Nicaraguan rebels.

Some legal experts have challenged that view, and Reagan showed his annoyance with the criticism when he was asked if evidence emerging about the Iran-contra affair is damaging his credibility almost beyond repair.

Reagan responded with an explanation of the Administration’s effort to sell weapons and spare military parts to Iran, acknowledging that, although it had greater motives, “the whole arrangement had really kind of degenerated into hostage dealing” to obtain freedom for Americans held in Lebanon.

He then asserted there has been no evidence his encouragement of private aid for the Nicaraguan contras was illegal or improper.

“I know the damage that’s been done to my credibility, but it has not been by anything that has been proven--quite the contrary,” Reagan said, according to a transcript provided by the White House. “It has been the image that has been created by our own, particularly, Washington press corps in describing what took place.

“Now, I hope this will be carried word-for-word in each of your countries and maybe my reputation will be restored,” he told the interviewers from Great Britain, Canada, France, Italy, Japan and West Germany.