Part of the job of a healthy press is to help the public make connections and contribute to the public's understanding of their government. In this, they have been remiss. The neocon revolving door will be apparent from this short list of Iran-Contra players and where they are now. It's time to start making the connections.
Elliot Abrams - appointed by Reagan in 1985 to head the State Department's Latin American Bureau. He was indicted by the Iran-Contra special prosecutor for intentionally deceiving Congress about the administration's role in supporting the Contras, including his own central role in the Iran-Contra arms deal. Abrams pleaded guilty to two lesser offenses (including withholding information from Congress) to avoid a trial and a possible jail term. He was pardoned by Bush I.
Where is he now? -- Deputy National Security Adviser for global democracy strategy under National Security Council Adviser Stephen Hadley (who we know has also been under the gun in Fitzgerald's investigation).
Michael Ledeen - a Reagan appointee, Ledeen was a consultant to the National Security Council during the same period that Oliver North was on the Council. He was involved in the transfer of arms to Iran and was responsible for setting up meetings between North and the Iranian arms dealer Manucher Ghorbanifar (who by the way is now implicated in the Franklin spy case) during Iran-Contra.
John Negroponte - a Teflon remnant of the Reagan crowd, Negroponte was involved in the covert funding of the Contras and a massive cover-up of human abuses in the Honduras while he was serving there as a diplomat. The abuses were part of the anti-communism obsession that engulfed Nicaragua, Salvador, Colombia and Honduras. He managed to slip through the cracks and was never charged with a crime although his lying to Congress was documented.
Where is he now? -- appointed by Bush II as ambassador to the UN, he probably would not have been confirmed, but the hearings coincided with 9/11, saving him from embarrassing questions and he slipped through. In April 2004, Bush II appointed him as U.S. ambassador to Iraq (basically replacing Bremer) and then in February 2005, Bush II moved him further up the ladder as Director of National Intelligence, where he serves today. It's worth noting that his nominations to the latter positions were overwhelmingly supported by the Senate.
Oliver North - worked in the Reagan administration as a member of the National Security Council member, was the Counterterrorism Coordinator, and later became Deputy Director for Political-Military Affairs. A major player in the Iran-Contra scandal, North coordinated the illegal sale of weapons to Iran. He was indicted on 16 counts of felony, convicted of three counts. He got a three-year suspended sentence and two years probation, plus a $150,000 fine and community service. Technicalities in the trial overturned his convictions.
Where is he now? -- Beside his right-wing talk shows in which he rallies the troops for the Bush cause, he is an "Industry Associate" for United Placements, one of the companies with contracts in Iraq: their specialty - interrogation.
John Poindexter - national security advisor under Reagan, Poindexter was convicted of conspiracy, lying to Congress, defrauding the government, and destroying evidence in the Iran-Contra scandal. He was pardoned by Bush I.
Where is he now? -- Bush II appointed him Director of the Pentagon's Total Information Awareness Office (TIA) in February 2002, a newly created office whose mission is to gather intelligence through electronic sources like the internet, phone, and fax lines. He still holds that position.
Otto Reich -- is a rightwing Cuban-American whose key policy objective is the overthrow of Fidel Castro. Appointed by Reagan to head of the office of public diplomacy, Reich used the office to further his anti-Castro goals illegally using federal funds in the process. He reported directly to Oliver North in his state department position. His office wrote bogus editorial pieces under the names of Nicaraguan contras and got them published in the mainstream media.
Where is he now? -- In January 2002, Bush appointed Reich for the post of assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs, where he served as Bush's chief Latin American envoy and adviser. The appointment drew immediate rebuke across Latin America. Even the timid Senate balked at the appointment, but Bush appointed him anyway during the recess period. Once in office, Reich began an extensive anti-Cha'vez media defamation campaign and some say he had a hand in deposing Aristide in Haiti. Reich resigned in June 04 and has continued his lobbying activities.
© Lynne Glasner 2005
Lynne Glasner is a freelance writer/editor based in New York City. She is the editor of Danny Schechter's book When News Lies (SelectBooks, Jan. 06). Her essays have appeared in OpEd columns and on Commondreams. She may be contacted at lyngla@rcn.com
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