North Says Poindexter Told Him Not to Reveal Contra Aid Plan

Oliver L. North testified Friday that former national security adviser John M. Poindexter sent him to be questioned by lawmakers about covert aid to the Nicaraguan rebels that couldn’t “be revealed to anyone.”

The former White House aide, testifying as a reluctant leadoff witness at Poindexter’s Iran-Contra trial, admitted that he lied when questioned by House members about whether he was covertly helping arm the Nicaraguan Contras for the Reagan Administration.

The retired Marine lieutenant colonel, declared a hostile witness by the judge, insisted that “no one ever told me to lie to Congress” about the covert operation to help the rebels after Congress shut off money.

But North said that when he told Poindexter his misgivings about attending the meeting he was told: “You can handle it, you can take care of it.”

North said he was “concerned by the kind of questions they might ask” because “I’d been told by two national security advisers and their deputies, by the director of Central Intelligence, that that information was not to be revealed to anyone.”

North said “I didn’t walk into the meeting intending to lie.”

But the former National Security Council aide staff officer admitted that he “did not tell the truth” during Aug. 6, 1986, session with members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

“I recall deceiving them about the full measure of my involvement,” North said.

Poindexter, a retired Navy rear admiral who was national security adviser for President Reagan in 1986, is accused, among other things of putting North up to lying at the meeting.

Compelled to testify by Iran-Contra prosecutors, North conceded few points without a struggle during a day of relentless questioning by prosecutor Dan Webb.

When Congress banned U.S. military aid to the rebels, North said he was told “in so many words” he was responsible for the Contras. North said he kept Poindexter fully informed of his work to help buy and ship arms to the rebels.

North reluctantly admitted that he supervised the arms-supply operation put together by retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Richard V. Secord.

“At no time, as you were running your operation, you never tried to conceal or hide what you were doing from either Adm. Poindexter or Robert McFarlane?” Webb asked, the second reference being to Poindexter’s predecessor.

“I did not,” North said.

“Were you ever trying to direct that operation on you own, independent of your superiors?” Webb asked.

“Never,” North replied.

“Didn’t you keep them apprised of all of your Contra-related activities?” Webb asked.

“Yes,” North said.

Poindexter, who succeeded McFarlane in late 1985, is charged with conspiracy, two counts of obstructing Congress and two counts of making false statements. The charges concern accusations that he tried to cover up North’s military assistance and fund-raising for the Contras as well as White House knowledge of a 1985 shipment of Hawk missiles to Iran.

North testified that Poindexter, while he was McFarlane’s deputy, was among those who told him to work to provide assistance to the Nicaraguan Contras as Congress was shutting off direct U.S. military aid.

Poindexter “told you you were becoming the person who would replace the CIA” as the source of military support for the Contras? he was asked.

“I don’t want to put those words in his mouth,” North said, but “in that general time frame he was one of the persons.”

“You were told, were you not, that you were supposed to go fund and arm the Contras?” Webb asked.

“In so many words, yes,” North said. But he disputed Webb’s suggestion that he set up an “enterprise” with Secord and others to buy and ship arms to the Contras.

“It began as something small, it evolved over time,” North said.

Webb asked North if he could recall the late CIA Director William Casey telling him “the ball is in your hands” after Congress shut off funds for the rebels.

“In words to that effect,” North replied.

North, earlier convicted of aiding and abetting the obstruction of Congress and destroying or altering key Iran-Contra documents, testified under a grant of immunity from prosecution.

But the former Marine was clearly uncomfortable taking the witness stand against his former boss, frequently professing ignorance or forgetfulness of conversations with Poindexter and of key points from testimony North had previously given.

U.S. District Judge Harold Greene frequently overruled defense objections that the prosecutor was asking the witness leading questions, calling North a “hostile witness” trying to be loyal to Poindexter.

Webb repeatedly produced sworn testimony that North had given in the past that he gave orders to Secord, directing the resupply operation from the White House.

North initially resisted the suggestion that he was directly in charge, saying, “Under my direction would be saying a major general worked for a lieutenant colonel--I don’t think that’s correct.”

But when confronted with his own words from a transcript, North admitted that during his trial last year, he said he gave Secord orders and ran the operation from Washington.

“Did you give him direction and guidance?” Webb said.

“I gave him a lot of requests; if you want to call it direction and guidance, I guess that’s what we’re stuck with,” North said.