CIAbase: A Computerized Data Base on the CIA.

• Author: Landau, Saul
• Position: U.S. Central Intelligence Agency - Evaluation

Situation Room, White House, June 25, 1984. Cast of characters: The President, the Vice President, and assorted other high-level members of the Administration.

Problem: How to get around Congressional cutoff of funds for the Nicaraguan contras.

U.N. Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick: "If we can't get the money [from Congress] for the anti-Sandinistas, then we should make the maximum effort to find the money elsewhere."

Secretary of State George Shultz: "I would like to get money for the contras also, but another lawyer, Jim Baker, said that if we try to go out and get money from third countries it is an impeachable offense."

CIA chief William Casey: "I am entitled to complete the record. Jim Baker said that if we tried to get money from third countries without notifying the oversight committees, it could be a problem and he was informed that the finding does provide for the participation and cooperation of third countries. Once he learned that the funding does encourage cooperation from third countries, Jim Baker immediately dropped his view that this could be an 'impeachable offense,' and you heard him say that, George."

Secretary Shultz: "Jim Baker's argument is that the U.S. Government may raise and spend funds only through an appropriation of the Congress."

Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger: "I am another lawyer who isn't practicing law, but Jim Baker should realize that the United States would not be spending the money for the anti-Sandinistas program; it is merely helping the anti-Sandinistas obtain the money from other sources. Therefore, the United States is not, as a government, spending money from other sources."

Secretary Shultz: "I think we need to get an opinion from the Attorney General on whether we can help the contras obtain money from third sources."

Edwin Meese: "As another nonpracticing lawyer, I want to emphasize that it's important to tell the Department of Justice that we want them to find the proper and legal basis which will permit the United States to assist in obtaining third-party resources for the anti-Sandinistas. You have to give lawyers guidance when asking them a question."

President Ronald Reagan: "There are persons now meeting with the Nicaraguans; and without aborting anything, we do want to keep getting a good Contadora treaty as the focus of our negotiating process."

When historians a hundred years from now make interactive videos - or maybe even write - about the Cold War, they will puzzle over such...