October 19, 1986:
Eugene Hasenfus, interviewed in Nicaragua by Mike Wallace on the CBS television prograMinutes, '' said that Vice President Bush was well aware of the covert arms supply operation. Hem 60 felt the Reagan-Bush administration was backing this 100 percent. '' Wallace asked Hasenfus why
he thought that Gomez/Rodriguez and the other managers of the covert arms resupply had the blessing of Vice President Bush. '' Hasenfus replied, They had his knowledge that he was
working [on ido not know--Mr. Gomez, Mr. Bush, I believe a lot of these other people. They know how this ist] and what was happening, and whoever controlled this whole organization--which I
being run. I do not. ''@s8@s1
Iran-Contra Characters Fall In and Out
November 3, 1986:The Lebanese newspaper Al-Shiraa revealed that the U.S. government was secretly dealing arms to (^)
the Khomeini regime. This was three weeks after the Eugene Hasenfus expose@aa of George Bush
made world headlines. Yet the Bush administration and its retainers have since decided that the
Iran-Contra affair began '' with the Al-Shiraa story! November 22, 1986:President Reagan sent a message, through Vice President George Bush, to Secretary of State George Shultz, along the lines of Support me or get off my team. ''@s8@s2
December 18, 1986:
CIA Director William Casey, a close ally of George Bush who knew everything from the inside,
was operated on for aVice President George Bush said that Bush believed White House Chief of Staff Donald Regan brain tumor '' and lost the power of speech. That same day, associates of should resign, but claim Bush had not yet broached the issue with the President. Donald Regan said that he had no intention of quitting.@s8@s3 February 2, 1987: CIA Director William Casey resigned. He soon died, literally without ever talking.February 9, 1987: Former National Security Director Robert McFarlane, a principal figure in the Reagan-Bush administration's covert operations, attempted suicide by taking an overdose of drugs. McFarlane survived. February 26, 1987 (TThe President's Special Review Board, commonly known as the Tower Commission, issued itshursday): report. The commission heavily blamed White House Chief of Staff Donald Regan for the chaos
that descended upon the White House '' in the Iran-Contra affair. The Commission hardly
mentioned Vice President George Bush except to praise him for his vigorous reaffirmation of U.S. opposition to terrorism in all forms ''! The afternoon the Tower Commission report came out,George Bush summoned Donald Regan to his office. Bush said the President wanted to know what (^) his plans were about resigning. Donald Regan blasted the President: What's the matter--isn't he
man enough to ask me that question? '' Bush expressed sympathy. Donald Regan said he would
leave in four days.@s8@s4
February 27, 1987 (FCable News Network televised a leaked report that Donald Regan had already been replaced asriday):
White House chief of staff. After submitting a one-sentence letter of resignation, Donald Regan
said, There's been a deliberate leak, and it's been done to humiliate me. ''@s8@s5 George Bush, when President, rewarded the commission's chairman, Texas Senator John Tower, by appointing him U.S. Secretary of Defense. Tower was asked by a reporter at the National PressClub, whether his nomination was a payoff '' for the clean bill of health '' he gave Bush. Tower (^) responded that the commission was made up of three people, Brent Scowcroft and [Senator] Ed
Muskie in addition to myself, that would be sort of impugning the integrity of Brent Scowcroft and
Ed Muskie.... We found nothing to implicate the Vice President.... I wonder what kind of payoff
they're going to get? ''@s8@s6 President Bush appointed Brent Scowcroft his chief national