Reagan Vows Prompt Disclosure

President Reagan today committed himself to notifying congressional intelligence committees “within two working days” of the commencement of covert operations “in all but the most exceptional circumstances.”

The agreement, culminating negotiations between White House officials and congressional representatives stemming from the Iran- contra revelations of a lack of notification of secret U.S. arms sales to Iran, was described in a letter from Reagan to the chairman and vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Asked by reporters if the commitment he made in the letters given to Sens. David L. Boren (D-Okla.) and William S. Cohen (R-Me.) was an outgrowth of failures to notify Congress of secret arms sales to Iran, he said, “I haven’t called them mistakes yet.”