Secord Says He Wants to Rebut Other Witnesses
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WASHINGTON — Retired Maj. Gen. Richard V. Secord wants to reappear before Congress to rebut criticism he used money from the Iran- contra deal for his benefit, insisting: “I’m not a profiteer,” the New York Times reported Sunday.
Secord was the first witness called by the congressional committees investigating the scheme to sell arms to Iran and divert the profits to the Nicaraguan rebels.
Since Secord’s appearance, witnesses have given testimony at odds with his, particularly Albert A. Hakim, a business partner who controlled Swiss bank accounts used in the Iran-contra dealings.
Members of the congressional committees have attempted to establish that Secord made money on the arms sales.
‘Trying to Do a Job’
In an interview with the newspaper, Secord said: “I don’t see how they can call me a profiteer. I’m not a profiteer and to keep on claiming that is simply false. We were trying to do a job for the President, and we did the best we could.”
Some members of the committees have said Secord should be recalled in light of testimony that he used money from the arms sales for personal purposes, including the purchase of a Porsche automobile and an airplane.
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