<< The ranking Intelligence Committee Democrat decided to let an NBC reporter comb through the committee's confidential draft report on the scandal. The network aired a report based on the inside information on Jan. 11, 1987. >>
So now we have Leahy and NBC.
Who was the NBC reporter to whom Leaky Leahy provided access?
On what show did the report appear on 11 Jan 1987, and who reported the story? Tom Brokaw was already anchor of the NBC Nightly News by that time, having started in 1982.
The leak was of a draft version of the Senate Intelligence Committee's Iran-contra report, indicated to be "considerably different" from the final report. What was different in the draft version, and what exactamente was reported in the story?
Transcript from NBC News? Or a newspaper article on it from maybe 12 Jan 1987?
Saudis' Aid to Contras Called Reagan Request
WASHINGTON, Jan. 11 - President Reagan asked Saudi Arabia last year to contribute money to the Nicaraguan rebels, who then received $31 million because of his efforts, according to a Senate Intelligence Committee report, NBC News reported tonight.
The network, citing a confidential report that it has obtained on the Iran arms sale affair, said the National Security Council decided in a meeting last May that the President should personally seek aid for the rebels from a certain party. The name of the party was blacked out in the version of the report obtained by the network, but NBC said sources identified the donor as Saudi Arabia.
As a result of Mr. Reagan's entreaty, $31 million was donated to the contras.
The funds were given in the following two months, the network said, at a time when Congress had cut off military aid to the contras. The United States had provided $27 million in aid that could be used only for nonmilitary purposes and equipment.
The money from Saudi Arabia was given to the United Nicaraguan Opposition, a political umbrella group for the contras, NBC reported. Contra leaders have said in the past that they believed they had received financing from the Saudi royal family.