Reagan Denial of Arms OK Reasserted

Faced with a contradictory account, the White House today stuck by its assertion that President Reagan did not approve an indirect arms shipment to Iran late last year.

“I’ve interviewed a number of people and they don’t recall that,” said presidential spokesman Larry Speakes. However, he added, “Recollections of meetings by different individuals may differ.”

He would not say whether he had asked Reagan about his own recollection.

“I’m just not going into who I talked to,” Speakes said.

Testifying under oath Monday, former national security adviser Robert C. McFarlane repeated his assertion that Reagan gave his oral authorization in August, 1985, for the indirect shipment of “small levels of arms to Iran for the purpose of strengthening elements against terrorism.” (Story on Page 22.)

McFarlane did not mention any other country by name, but Israel has been identified as having sent American arms to Iran during the summer of 1985.

Speakes told reporters today, “Generally as a practice, findings of covert activity, covert operations, have been written. I do not know of any that other individuals on other occasions have construed as an oral, a statement by the President that was construed as a finding.

“I have not found anyone that can say that the President gave approval to a third country shipment in August or September. No one recalls that,” Speakes added.

“But Bud (McFarlane) indicates that he does. Bud indicates that he feels like it was equivalent to a finding. That would be his recollection and his judgment,” he said.