<![CDATA[Par for the Bush course. But this time there's someone with the power to ask questions.
Robert Gates, the appointee selected to replace Donald Rumsfeld at the Department of the Defense, was an un-indicted coconspirator in the Iran-Contra conspiracy, according to the special investigator, Lawrence Walsh’s Iran / Contra Report – Chapter 16 Robert M. Gates:
Gates’s defense was that he did not recall the Kerr meeting.15 To say the least, this was disquieting. He had been told by a very senior officer that two of President Reagan’s personal priorities were in danger — not something an ambitious deputy director of central intelligence would likely forget. Allen was acting as a whistle-blower in a difficult situation. His concern was for the safety of the hostages and the success of the efforts of the President. His information suggested serious malfeasance by Government officials involved in a clandestine and highly sensitive operation. Even though Gates may have believed Allen to be excessively concerned, could such an expression of concern be forgotten, particularly after it had been corroborated within a few weeks? Logically, Gates could ignore or forget the Allen report only if he already knew of the diversion and he knew that Casey and Poindexter knew of the diversion….
In the spring and summer of 1986, Gates became involved in a debate over what role Vincent Cannistraro, a CIA officer detailed to the NSC, should play in the $100 million contra program that was expected to take effect in October 1986. There was concern that if Cannistraro replaced North, the CIA would be drawn into North’s contra supply activities. Gates discussed Cannistraro’s assignment with a number of CIA and NSC personnel, including Fiers, Clair E. George, and Poindexter. Gates met with Cannistraro himself in an attempt to resolve the situation. OIC’s inquiry focused on whether Gates, in the course of these discussions, learned about North’s role in contra operations….
Independent Counsel found insufficient evidence to warrant charging Robert Gates with a crime for his role in the Iran/contra affair. Like those of many other Iran/contra figures, the statements of Gates often seemed scripted and less than candid. Nevertheless, given the complex nature of the activities and Gates’s apparent lack of direct participation, a jury could find the evidence left a reasonable doubt that Gates either obstructed official inquiries or that his two demonstrably incorrect statements were deliberate lies.
Via the History News Network. Thankfully, we now have a Democratic Congress that can ask about this passage before rubber-stamping the Gates appointment. Welcome back to democracy.
Technorati Tags: accountability, Bush, corruption, Robert Gates, Rumsfeld
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