George Bush: The Unauthorized Biography - Get a Free Blog

Iranian arms dealer Cyrus Hashemi was told by a French arms agent that `` [a]n assistant
of the vice president's going to be in Germany ... and the indication is very clear that the
transaction can go forward '' referring to George Bush's supposed approval of the private
arms sale to Iran.@s5@s1
February 6, 1986:
Responding to the January 15 letter from Richard Brenneke, Bush aide Lt. Col. E.
Douglas Menarczik wrote to Brenneke: `` The U.S. government will not permit or
participate in the provision of war materiel to Iran and will prosecute any such efforts by
U.S. citizens to the fullest extent of the law. 1''@s5@s2
February 7, 1986: Samuel M. Evans, a representative of Saudi and Israeli arms
dealers, told Cyrus Hashemi that `` [t]he green light now finally has been given
[for the private sale of arms to Iran], that Bush is in favor, Shultz against, but
nevertheless they are willing to proceed. ''@s5@s3
February 25, 1986:
Richard Brenneke wrote again to Bush's office, to Lt. Col. Menarczik, documenting a
secret project for U.S. arms sales to Iran going on since 1984.
Brenneke later said publicly that early in 1986, he called Menarczik to warn that he had
learned that the U.S. planned to buy weapons for the Contras with money from Iran arms
sales. Menarczik reportedly said, `` We will look into it. '' Menarczik claimed not to have
`` any specific recollection of telephone conversations with '' Brenneke.@s5@s4
Late February, 1986:
Vice President George Bush issued the public report of his Terrorism Task Force. In his
introduction to the report, Bush asserted: `` Our Task Force was briefed by more than 25
government agencies ... traveled to embassies and military commands throughout the
world.... Our conclusion: ... We firmly oppose terrorism in all forms and wherever it
takes place.... We will make no concessions to terrorists. ''@s5@s5
March 1986:
According to a sworn statement of pilot Michael Tolliver, Felix Rodriguez had met him
in July 1985. Now Rodriguez instructed Tolliver to go to Miami International Airport.
Tolliver picked up a DC-6 aircraft and a crew, and flew the plane to a Contra base in
Honduras. There Tolliver watched the unloading of 14 tons of military supplies, and the
loading of 12 and 2/3 tons of marijuana. Following his instructions from Rodriguez,
Tolliver flew the dope to Homestead Air Force Base in Florida. The next day Rodriguez
paid Tolliver $75,000.@s5@s6
Tolliver says that another of the flights he performed for Rodriguez carried cocaine on
the return trip to the U.S.A. He made a series of arms deliveries from Miami into the air