From: mtaghavi@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Amir Taghavi)
Subject: Former CIA official says he ''misspoke'' about Iran-Contra affair
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 01:19:22 GMT


	WASHINGTON (UPI) -- Former CIA spy chief Clair George apologized
Tuesday for what he said was an erroneous statement to Congress in 1986
concerning the Iran-Contra affair.
	``I misspoke. I made a mistake. I apologize,'' George told a U.S.
District Court jury about his 1986 statement that he had never met
Richard Secord, a private go-between for secret arms sales to Iran.
	George said his incorrect statement ``has caused a great deal of
agony to a great deal of people.''
	George acknowledged that he had met Secord and shook his hand during
a Jan. 20, 1986 meeting in the White House situation room.
	The former CIA deputy director of operations is charged with seven
counts of perjury, obstruction, and making false statements to Congress
and other investigators looking into the Iran-Contra affair. An earlier
trial ended in a hung jury.
	The Iran-Contra affair involved secret arms-for-hostages exchanges
with Iran. Profits from the sales were diverted to buy arms for the
Nicaraguan Contra rebels, an activity that had been barred by Congress.
	During the second day of his cross-examination, prosecutor Craig
Gillen played tape recordings of George's 1986 congressional testimony
and questioned him about discrepancies.
	Gillen asked why George had not told Congress that Marine Lt. Col.
Oliver North, a National Security Council aide, was coordinating arms
shipments for the Contras.
	George conceded that he knew that North was raising money for the
Contras, but said he had no evidence concerning what the money would be
spent on.
	``I had no evidence then of any single arms deal that Oliver North
was involved in,'' he said.
	Gillen referred to a 1986 incident in which George had called North
and told him about an offer by the South Korean government to donate $2
million to the Contras, and asked if George had assisted North in arming
the Contras.
	George said he was not trying to assist North, but rather had been
attempting to ``advise'' the White House of the offer.
	One issue in the case has been the charge that George withheld from
Congress the identity of a man who used the alias Max Gomez and who was
working in El Salvador as an arms coordinator for North.
	George told Congress in October 1986 that the CIA was still checking
on the man's true identity. The prosecution contends that George knew
who the man was, but was attempting to obstruct the investigation to
prevent it from leading to the White House.
	Gillen asked George about a briefing book that had been found in
George's safe at CIA headquarters. Among other things, the book
contained a document with Gomez' true identity.
	``Why was this the only briefing book you kept in your safe?'' Gillen
asked.
	``I don't remember,'' George said. ``I could have kept it because I
had not read it, and I wanted to read it later when I had more time.''
	The case is expected to go to the jury later this week.


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