From: harelb@MATH.CORNELL.EDU (misc.activism.progressive Auto-Poster)
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc
Subject: THE OCTOBER SURPRISE -- "The Verdict is Treason (part 2)
Date: 15 Aug 92 06:42:08 GMT
Organization: misc.activism.progressive on UseNet ; ACTIV-L@UMCVMB


    Another defense witness, Israeli Col. William Northrup, testified
    that American-made weapons were shipped to Iran via Israel "within
    a fortnight" of the Paris meetings, implying that they were part
    of the deal not to release the hostages
 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    ...Gregg swore he did not go to Paris on October 18, 1980, but had
    been vacationing with his family at Bethany Beach, Delaware.  To
    prove his point, Gregg presented photographs of himself, his wife
    and their daughter, on a sunny beach that he said were taken on
    the weekend in question.
 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    ...Gregg's claims were easily disproved by Robert Lynott, a
    veteran meteorologist for the National Weather Service, the
    National Forest Service and a Portland TV station
 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    As for Bush and Casey, prosecutor O'Rourke failed to demonstrate
    that they could NOT have been in Paris on the relevant days.  This
    inexplicable lack of accurate record keeping is all the more
    remarkable for a campaign manager and candidate at the height of a
    presidential race.
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            ============================================= 
             T h e   V e r d i c t   i s   T r e a s o n 
            ============================================= 
                  by David Armstrong and Alex Constantine 
                       Z Magazine, July/August 1990 
                               [excerpts] 

==================================================================
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contemporary circumstances; and it aims to assist activist efforts to 
attain a better future."
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Subscriptions: One Year $25; Two Years $40; Three Years $55 
$18 student/low-income  //  Sample issue: $3.00
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Z Magazine, // 150 W Canton St., // Boston MA 02118 // (617)236-5878 
[Some 100 pages per issue, no advertisements]
[Z is a project of the nonprofit Institute for Social & Cultural Change]
==================================================================


		     [ c o n t i n u a t i o n ]



                    ============================= 
                    A   S t a r   i s   S w o r n 
                    ============================= 

     The government's star witness was Donald Gregg, who was flown in
from South Korea to testify.  But Gregg has never been a credible
witness.  During the Congressional Iran-contra hearings, Gregg
testified under oath that despite being vice President George Bush's
National Security Adviser at the time, he had not learned of the
Reagan Administration's efforts to resupply the Nicaraguan Contras
until August 1986.  During his Senate confirmation hearing in 1989,
however, information surfaced that clearly contradicted Gregg's
earlier statements.  An entry in one of Oliver North's notebooks that
somehow escaped the shredder indicates that Gregg attended a meeting
on the illegal resupply operation in September 1985.  In addition, a
memo from Gregg's on office initialed by Gregg himself, reveals that
on May 1, 1986, Gregg met with Vice President Bush to discuss
"resupply of the Contras."  Gregg attributed the discrepancy to a
secretarial error, claiming the meeting had actually concerned
"resupply of the Copters."  A New York Times editorial a the time ran
under the heading "Mr. Gregg Still Lacks Credibility."

     During the Brenneke trial, Gregg swore he did not go to Paris on
October 18, 1980, but had been vacationing with his family at Bethany
Beach, Delaware.  To prove his point, Gregg presented photographs of
himself, his wife and their daughter, on a sunny beach that he said
were taken on the weekend in question.

     Gregg's claims were easily disproved by Robert Lynott, a veteran
meteorologist for the National Weather Service, the National Forest
Service and a Portland TV station.  After comparing the photographs
with reports from the Indian River weather station--ten miles from
Bethany Beach--Lynott concluded that "These pictures were not taken on
those days.  I'm 100 percent sure that they weren't taken on the 18th
and I'm 90 percent sure they weren't taken on the 19th."

     As for Bush and Casey, prosecutor O'Rourke failed to demonstrate
that they could NOT have been in Paris on the relevant days.  This
inexplicable lack of accurate record keeping is all the more
remarkable for a campaign manager and candidate at the height of a
presidential race.

     More damning testimony came from Richard Allen, a former
Reagan-Bush campaign official who later served as President Reagan's
National Security adviser.  Allen told the court that during the fall
of 1980, he had set up a secret committee within the campaign to
monitor the Carter Administration's progress in their hostage
negotiations.  Two internal campaign memos were presented as evidence
to support Allen's testimony.  The first, dated October 15, 1980, was
from Allen to Reagan, Casey, campaign strategist Richard Wirthlin, and
Edwin Meese III, who later became Reagan's attorney general.
According to the memo, a person referred to as "ABC XYZ" had informed
the campaign that the hostages could be freed "at any moment, as a
bolt from the blue."  Allen testified that "ABC XYZ" was in fact
Edmund Muskie, who at the time was President Carter's secretary of
state.  [note Muskie served with John Tower and Brent Scowcroft on the
presidential commission which investigated the Iran/Contra scandal.
--Rich Winkel] A second memo, dated October 24, 1980, named Bob
Garrick, a high ranking campaign official, as the sole spokesperson on
the hostage issue.

     Another defense witness, Israeli Col. William Northrup, testified
that American-made weapons were shipped to Iran via Israel "within a
fortnight" of the Paris meetings, implying that they were part of the
deal not to release the hostages.

     In his closing argument defense attorney Michael Scott stressed
the timing of the hostages release which came on January 20, 1981,
just minutes after Reagan was sworn in as president.

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