Shades of Oliver North using his own leaks to justify his lying to Congress

[JHB]

Newsweek Says North Was a Source of Leaks
July 20, 1987

In his testimony before the Congressional committees investigating the Iran-contra affair, Colonel North said that he had lied to Congress about his actions because he felt its members often leaked sensitive information. As one example, he discussed the hijacking by Arab terrorists of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro in October 1985, in which an American tourist, Leon Klinghoffer, was killed.

After the ship's passengers were freed, United States planes intercepted an Egyptian plane carrying the men believed to be the hijackers. Newsweek printed an article about the incident that contained many behind-the-scenes details of the interception.

In its latest issue, Newsweek noted that Colonel North testified at the Iran-contra hearings that ''a number of members of Congress'' made revelations about the Achille Lauro operation ''that very seriously compromised our intelligence activities.''

''But the colonel did not mention,'' the Newsweek article continued, ''that details of the interception, first published in a Newsweek cover story, were leaked by none other than Colonel North himself.''