Iran-Contra Figure Poindexter Now Heading New Pentagon Office

AP ^ | 14 Feb. '02 | AP

[rdavis84]

Iran-Contra Figure Poindexter Now Heading New Pentagon Office
The Associated Press
Published: Feb 14, 2002

WASHINGTON (AP) - Retired Adm. John Poindexter, who was President Reagan's national security adviser during the Iran-Contra affair, is directing a new Pentagon office that will focus on new kinds of military threats, including terrorist organizations.

Poindexter became head of the Information Awareness Office last month.

The office is one of two created recently by the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, which finances research into new military technology. The office was created following the Sept. 11 attacks.

Poindexter had been a consultant for DARPA for several years before his appointment.

Along with former National Security Council aide Oliver North, Poindexter was convicted as part of a guns-for-hostages deal that prompted a congressional investigation. He was convicted in 1990 on five felony counts of conspiracy, making false statements to Congress and obstructing congressional inquiries into the affair. The convictions against both men were later overturned.

[Toddsterpatriot]

So, are you upset that the Contra's won and there are now free elections in Nicaragua? Or are you glad the Contras won but not happy about how they did it?

I am not exactly elated to know that my tax dollars went to support drug dealers in Nicaragua. Same with the KLA nowdays.

So, besides your lack of elation, were you glad the Contra's won, or do you wish Ortega was still in charge?

[mafree]

What you said!

[Toddsterpatriot]

This is about America and how gangsters like Poindexter, Armitage, et.al. were and are trying to destroy our constitutional republic and turn this country into a fiefdom at the disposal of some royal family.

You never answered my question about the Contras. The fact is we were at war with the Communists.

You may not like that we won, but we did. For all your whining about the unconstitutionality of our fight, I think we're still free, oh yeah, now so are the Nicaraguans.

[mafree]

Thanks for the flag.

[Toddsterpatriot]

So, are you upset that the Contra's won and there are now free elections in Nicaragua? Or are you glad the Contras won but not happy about how they did it?

[Toddsterpatriot]

Good. Black Jade refuses to answer the question. I think he'd be happier if Nicaragua were still under the boot of Ortega.

[185JHP]

The nastiest thing about Iran-Contra was the hubristic idea of running covert ops out of the NSC. We've got stautory people to do dirty/good deeds - they're not the NSC.

[Fury]

This is the difference between Poindexter and Clinton, the former lied for a good cause, Clinton lied to cover his own a$$.

The end justifies the means I see. Poindexter disgraced himself and the oath he took when he became a Commissioned Officer. There is no doubt that he lied to Congress.

Disgraceful.

[Toddsterpatriot]

The end justifies the means I see.

There was a war against the Communist Empire. If there was ever a time where lying was justifiable, this was it.

I'm curious, do you think we should have helped the Nicaraguan people get free of the Communists?

[Fury]

There was a war against the Communist Empire. If there was ever a time where lying was justifiable, this was it.

I guess we will agree to disagree.

I'm curious, do you think we should have helped the Nicaraguan people get free of the Communists?

Absolutely. I would have preferred that the President take his case to the people and put pressure on the Dem controlled House. I think he could have prevailed.

[Toddsterpatriot]

It must be nice to live in such a black and white world. Reagan tried to get the democrats in Congress to continue to support the Contras. They wouldn't.

Between lying to Congress and freeing the Nicaraguan people from Communism, I know which I think is more important.

We're imperfect people living in an imperfect world. It's not always possible to fight for a good cause in a perfect way. You admitted the cause was just. My original posts compared Pointdexters behavior to Clinton's

This is the difference between Poindexter and Clinton, the former lied for a good cause, Clinton lied to cover his own a$$.

I agree, you shouldn't lie to Congress. Ask those freed from Communism if they think the end result was worth the lying.

[ConservativeDude]

and the Boland Amendment is unconstitutional...

[hchutch]

Lawrence Walsh was an out of control independent counsel.

Plain and simple. It was a witchhunt - no two ways about it. And, as Peter Schweizer documented in Reagan's War, some Dems were clearly undercutting the Administration's foriegn policy.

Clearly, in this case, the actions of John Poindexter and Oliver North were NOT worthy of the condemnation heaped upon them.