https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGdWIwiVMF4
On Monday, February 29, 2016 at 12:36:13 PM UTC-6, KeithInTampa wrote: > > Ironically, President Reagan's testimony regarding Iran-Contra came up in > another (FaceBook) discussion this weekend, and I watched over three hours > of President Reagan's testimony on Saturday. > > Reagan was clear, concise, and by no means suffering from any mental > incompetence during this deposition on February 16, 1990. Although Reagan > didn't remembers some specifics of meetings that were held, specifically > with Admiral Poindexter, Reagan was very clear and again concise regarding > what the purpose and goal was with the Contras and with Iran during this > era. > > Here's the first two hours of President Reagan's testimony, which links to > the next segment: > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4_jTDUhT0A > > Here's President Reagan's explanation to the American People, and taking > full responsibility for any improprieties: > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40YNPwSf9P8 > > https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNl9F8M_cOI > > On Mon, Feb 29, 2016 at 8:52 AM, plainolamerican <[email protected] > <javascript:>> wrote: > >> WASHINGTON — Former President Ronald Reagan, in testimony made public >> Thursday, said he had no recollection of ever being told that profits from >> Iran weapons sales were diverted to the Nicaraguan contras, and that he >> ``never had any inkling`` White House aide Oliver North was secretly >> helping the guerrillas. >> >> But his deposition did reveal startling gaps in the memory of the >> 79-year-old former president. In all, Reagan said ``I don`t recall`` or ``I >> can`t remember`` 88 times in the eight hours of testimony taken Feb. 16-17 >> in Los Angeles. >> >> Reagan, who was subpoenaed by the defense in the upcoming trial of his >> onetime national security adviser, John Poindexter, neither clearly >> exonerated Poindexter nor critically undermined his defense. Nor did his >> videotaped testimony do much to answer questions about who authorized the >> diversion at a time when such aid to the contras was illegal. >> >> At one point, Reagan said he could not identify Gen. John Vessey, who >> served for more than three years as his chairman of the Joint Chiefs of >> Staff. At other times, he said he could not identify a picture of contra >> leader Adolfo Calero, could not recall a shipment of Hawk missiles to Iran >> in November 1985, had no memory of signing one presidential finding >> relating to the shipment of weapons to Iran and had only the slightest >> recollection of signing a second such finding. >> >> He also appeared hazy on the identity of Eugene Hasenfus, an American >> whose shooting down over Nicaragua helped precipitate the unraveling of the >> then-secret Iran-contra operation. And Reagan seemed totally unable to >> recall what the Tower Commission-a panel he appointed in December 1986 to >> investigate the affair-said in its report three months later. >> >> Despite concerns that some material would have to be withheld from the >> public because of national security considerations, the judge released the >> entire transcript of the deposition once the Bush administration said it >> saw no need for deletions. >> >> In defense of his sporadic recollections, Reagan said that he had been >> told by statisticians that he met on the average with about 80 people a day >> for eight years and that 50 million pieces of paper accumulated during his >> presidency. >> >> Reagan was clear and emphatic, however, on his dedication to the >> anti-communist contras, explaining his belief that the Soviet Union planned >> to >> >> ``take Eastern Europe . . . organize the hordes of Asia and . . . move on >> to Latin America. And once having taken that . . . the United States would >> fall into their outstretched hand like overripe fruit.`` >> >> The deposition was the former president`s first testimony under oath >> about his knowledge of the Iran-contra affair. >> >> The testimony also represents the first time a U.S. president has >> testified about his own conduct in office in connection with a criminal >> trial. President Gerald Ford provided videotaped testimony in the trial of >> Lynette >> >> ``Squeaky`` Fromme, who tried to assassinate him, and President Jimmy >> Carter gave videotaped depositions in two criminal trials and a grand jury >> investigation. >> >> Wearing a dark suit with white shirt and dark tie, Reagan looked much >> like his presidential days, his hair grown back from minor brain surgery >> last year but showing a gray patch near the right temple. >> >> Reagan was sworn in and, like any other witness, spelled his last name >> for the court reporter. He looked mildly nervous when U.S. District Judge >> Harold Greene thanked him for appearing despite the inconvenience, but >> seemed to relax when he recounted his background as a former president, >> California governor and actor. >> >> ``Prior to working in the movie business, I was a sports announcer in >> radio,`` he said. >> >> Despite the objections of all parties in the case, Greene ordered the >> release of a 293-page transcript of the deposition and allowed reporters >> and members of the public to view a videoptape of it before the trial. But >> the judge said news organizations could not have copies of the videotapes >> until after they were played at the trial, because premature widespread >> showing could jeopardize Poindexter`s right to a fair and impartial jury. >> >> Poindexter, who testified during the 1987 Iran-contra congressional >> hearings that he never told Reagan about the diversion scheme to allow the >> president ``plausible deniability,`` sat in the courtroom during Reagan`s >> deposition. >> >> Poindexter, who is charged with lying to Congress, obstruction of >> Congress and conspiracy, is scheduled to go on trial March 5. His defense >> appears to rest on the theory that Reagan either approved of or knew about >> his aides` secret activities on the contras` behalf. >> >> Reagan denied any knowledge of the diversion. But he also emphasized that >> he repeatedly told his staff he wanted to help the contras in any way >> possible as long as no one broke the law. >> >> There was a certain deference throughout the deposition proceedings, with >> Greene and the lawyers addressing Reagan as ``Mr. President >> <http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-02-23/news/9001160156_1_iran-contra-testimony-recall/2#>.`` >> >> Richard Beckler, Poindexter`s lead attorney, who can be combative in court, >> was generally low-key in his questioning. >> >> But Dan Webb, the former U.S. attorney in Chicago who is prosecuting the >> case for the independent counsel`s office, sparred with Reagan several >> times over whether he knew about or approved the diversion of funds to the >> contras or the destruction of government records about the scheme. >> >> At one point, a clearly agitated Reagan said, ``for heaven`s sake, no!`` >> >> when Webb asked if he had approved or authorized a diversion of funds in >> violation of a law banning any such aid. But, he added, ``no one has proven >> to me that there was a diversion.`` >> >> He also said Poindexter should have told him about any diversion ``if he >> knew about it . . . unless maybe he thought he was protecting me from >> something.`` >> >> Reagan said he did not recall the Tower Commission`s reporting that North >> and the National Security Council were providing military aid to the >> contras, who were waging war against Nicaragua`s Sandinista government. >> When asked whether the panel ever explained how the U.S. received more than >> $12.2 million it was owed for a shipment of TOW anti-tank missiles to Iran, >> and how excess profits might have been diverted, he said he didn`t think it >> was explained. >> >> When Webb said the answer was ``completely unresponsive,`` Reagan shot >> back, ``I don`t think it is unresponsive to state what I appointed the >> commission to do and what I tried to get from them, and they could not >> supply that information >> <http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-02-23/news/9001160156_1_iran-contra-testimony-recall/2#> >> until >> this day.`` >> >> Reagan said prosecutors for the first time were bringing to his attention >> the Tower Commission`s reference to a diversion. >> >> ``This is the first time I have ever seen that,`` Reagan said. >> >> President Bush`s national security adviser, Brent Scowcroft, who also was >> a member of the Tower Commission, said Thursday that Reagan had been >> briefed on the report at the time. White House reporters recalled that when >> the report was released in February 1987, Reagan held a copy aloft and said >> he planned to take it to Camp David to study. >> >> As for North`s participating in the illegal scheme to aid the contras, >> Reagan said, ``I never had any inkling`` such a thing was going on. >> >> He also said he and North ``did not meet frequently or anything of that >> kind, nor do I remember ever having a single meeting with him, as has been >> hinted at times by others.`` >> >> In trying to explain his faulty memory, Reagan said at one point that his >> administration was concerned with more than ``this Iranian issue.`` >> >> ``That was just one of many things that were going on,`` he said. ``The >> government was involved in things of great import, not only having to do >> with domestic problems, but with the Cold War and things of that kind, and >> trying to arrive at treaties with regard to nuclear weapons and so forth.`` >> >> Perhaps the most startling lapse in Reagan`s memory involved Vessey, who >> was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff >> <http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-02-23/news/9001160156_1_iran-contra-testimony-recall/2#> >> from >> 1982 to 1985. >> >> His name arose when Beckler referred to a Central American trip made by >> Vessey and then asked Reagan to explain who Vessey was. >> >> ``Oh, dear,`` the former president said. ``I could ask for help here. The >> name I know is very familiar . . .`` >> >> At Vessey`s retirement in 1985, Reagan said to the army general, ``A >> career like yours, combining >> <http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-02-23/news/9001160156_1_iran-contra-testimony-recall/2#>as >> >> it does heroism, patriotism, competence, wisdom and kindness, doesn`t need >> elaboration from commanders in chief or presidents. It speaks enough all by >> itself, and today I`ll let history be your valedictorian, not me.`` >> >> >> >> On Sunday, February 28, 2016 at 7:54:27 AM UTC-6, Travis wrote: >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> [image: Description: cid:[email protected]] >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> __._,_.___ >>> ------------------------------ >>> Posted by: "Beowulf" <[email protected]> >>> ------------------------------ >>> >>> >>> Visit Your Group >>> <https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/grendelreport/info;_ylc=X3oDMTJmN2VsaGgwBF9TAzk3MzU5NzE0BGdycElkAzIwMTk0ODA2BGdycHNwSWQDMTcwNTMyMzY2NwRzZWMDdnRsBHNsawN2Z2hwBHN0aW1lAzE0NTY2MTQ1Mzk-> >>> >>> >>> >>> [image: Yahoo! 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