Committee Considers Poindexter Immunity

WASHINGTON--A Senate committee investigating the Iran Contra affair could vote within three weeks on immunity for former White House aide John Poindexter, who--according to a published report--maintains he twice told the president that Iranian arms sales generated money for the Nicaraguan rebels.

Some members of the Senate select committee are pushing for a speedy vote on immunity for key figures in the investigation, but other senators say that would be too soon.

One congressional source said the Senate panel is "moving toward a decision one way or the other" on whether to give immunity to Poindexter, the former national security adviser, and fired White House aide Lt. Col. Oliver North, and perhaps North's associate, retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Richard Secord.

But the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it was too soon to say whether the necessary two-thirds majority of committee members would vote for immunity.

Meanwhile, The Washington Post, citing "a well-placed legal source," said Poindexter contends that on two occasions in 1986 he told President Reagan that the arms sales to Iran were generating money for the Contras.

This source, according to the newspaper's editions yesterday, said Poindexter did not tell the president of illegal diversion of the money, but did say the funds contributed by the Iranians or Israelis were a side benefit of the arms sales.

A close Navy associate of Poindexter, who the newspaper did not identify, said Poindexter in December told him his actions followed "the chain of command."

Whith House officials, according to a "source close to the president" quoted by the Post, anticipate that Poindexter "will say he had direction and authority, directly or indirectly" from Reagan, and that the former security adviser's testimony could damage the president's claim that he did not know of any diversion of funds from the arms sales to the Contras.

Richard Beckler, Poindexter's attorney, declined to comment on the report late Saturday as did White House spokesman Dale Petroskey.

The Tower commission, appointed by the president to investigate the Iran-Contra affair, said it found no evidence to dispute Reagan's contention that he had no knowledge of the diversion.

Senate select committee chairman Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) is known to favor immunity for key figures in the affair but wants to avoid contentiousness over the issue and would like to have any decision be unanimous or near unanimous.