Aide Says North Suggested Suicide Contra Air Attack : North Proposed Contra Suicide Raid, Aide Says

A former aide testified today at Oliver L. North’s trial that North gave Nicaraguan rebels behind-the-scenes tactical advice after Congress banned U.S. military aid and once suggested that the Contras mount a suicide air raid on the Managua airport.

Robert W. Owen, 35, said he made so many trips to Central America, ferrying information between North and Contra leaders, that he signed memos with the initials “T.C.,” meaning “the courier.”

On at least three occasions, Owen said, he carried maps and photographs from North to Nicaraguan rebel leaders at meetings in Honduras, including one in November, 1984. The documents he carried showed details of the airport in Managua, the Nicaraguan capital, and also included details of terrain and specific Sandinista emplacements.

Among the 12 charges for which North is being tried are allegations that he lied to Congress by denying reports that he was giving tactical and procurement advice to the Contras in defiance of the ban which took effect in October, 1984.

A month after the congressional edict, Owen said North outlined a plan for attacking Soviet Hind helicopters that were being delivered to the Managua airport. Owen said he relayed North’s idea and delivered maps of the airport to rebel leader Adolfo Calero in Honduras.

Owen said North told him “it would be in the best interests of (the Contras) if they could stage an attack on the airport and destroy the helicopters before they became operational.”

North believed that the raid “would be a suicide mission undertaken by the pilots” who would not have enough fuel to return to their base, Owen said.

U.S. District Judge Gerhard A. Gesell said he was puzzled why so many memos that Owen wrote North contained aliases.

“I did not want to put his name or my name on documents I was writing,” Owen said. “For security reasons I just did not want my name floating around.