Jury Selection Begins in George’s Iran-Contra Trial

Attorneys and U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth began questioning prospective jurors in the Iran-Contra trial of former CIA spymaster Clair E. George on Monday.

Several potential jurors expressed doubts about the CIA, fired National Security Council staff member Oliver L. North and the idea of trading arms for hostages. George is accused of concealing from Congress in late 1986 the CIA’s knowledge of North’s secret weapons supply network for the Nicaraguan Contras.

George, who as CIA deputy director for operations ran foreign spy operations, is charged with three counts of obstructing Congress and a federal grand jury and six counts of perjury and making false statements.

Twelve jurors and six alternates are to be chosen from a pool of 133 prospective jurors. Twenty-three people were questioned Monday and three were excused.

Prospective jurors were asked if they had seen a number of movies, such as “J.F.K.” and “No Way Out,” that included fictional portrayals of the CIA, and whether the movies had affected their opinions about the agency.

A woman who said she is the District of Columbia’s teacher of the year said she believed that North “was left holding the bag” by other officials.

Another woman said that she thought North’s prosecution was “a waste of time” and that George’s trial also might be a waste.

And one woman was excused because she worked as a secretary for former National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski during the Jimmy Carter Administration.