Dukakis Blasts Bush for ‘Tragic’ Iran Arms Trade

Michael S. Dukakis said today that as President he would consider military strikes and covert activity to combat terrorism, but he would never trade weapons for American hostages and submit the United States to blackmail.

“One of the worst things we ever did in this country was to trade arms to the ayatollah for hostages,” the Democratic presidential nominee, said in an interview on NBC-TV’s “Today” program. “I think we all know what a tragic mistake that was. (GOP candidate George) Bush supported that decision.”

Emerging from NBC headquarters, Dukakis told reporters: “I want a victory . . . and I think we’re going to get it. We’re working on it.”

During the interview, Dukakis repeatedly referred to the Iran-Contra scandal in which the Reagan Administration sent arms to Iran in an attempt to secure the release of American hostages being held by various radical factions in Lebanon.

Profits from the weapons sales then were funneled to the Contras’ rebel effort in Nicaragua.

“You never make concessions to the hostage-takers,” the Massachusetts governor said. “If you do . . . what you’re saying to every potential terrorist in the world is, ‘You blackmail us and we’ll collapse under that kind of blackmail.’ We should never, ever do that. It was a terrible, terrible mistake.

“A number of hostages were taken after that incident, after that trade. It’s one of the worst things that’s ever happened.”

Currently, nine Americans are held captive in Lebanon. Four of the Americans were taken after the Iran-Contra scandal was revealed in November, 1986.

Dukakis said he would combat terrorism with “tough police work, with undercover operations, (and) if necessary, with military strikes against terrorist base camps.”