McCain Linked To Private Iran-Contra Group

Ties To Group That Supplied Aid To Rebels Re-Examined As Campaigns Probe Candidates' Pasts

(AP)  Barack Obama has his William Ayers connection. Now John McCain may have an Iran-Contra connection. In the 1980s, McCain served on the advisory board to the U.S. chapter of an international group linked to ultra-right-wing death squads in Central America.

The U.S. Council for World Freedom aided rebels trying to overthrow the leftist government of Nicaragua. That landed the group in the middle of the Iran-Contra affair and in legal trouble with the Internal Revenue Service, which revoked the charitable organization's tax exemption.

The council created by retired Army Maj. Gen. John Singlaub was the U.S. chapter of the World Anti-Communist League, an international organization linked to former Nazi collaborators and ultra-right-wing death squads in Central America. After setting up the U.S. council, Singlaub served as the international league's chairman.

McCain's tie to Singlaub's council is undergoing renewed scrutiny after his campaign criticized Obama for his link to Ayers, a former radical who engaged in violent acts 40 years ago. Over the weekend, Democratic operative Paul Begala said on ABC's "This Week" that this "guilt by association" tactic could backfire on the McCain campaign by renewing discussion of McCain's service on the board of the U.S. Council for World Freedom, "an ultraconservative right-wing group."

In two interviews with The Associated Press in August and September, Singlaub said McCain became associated with the organization in the early 1980s as McCain launched his political career. McCain was elected to the U.S. House in 1982.

Singlaub said McCain was a supporter but not an active member.

"McCain was a new guy on the block learning the ropes," Singlaub said. "I think I met him in the Washington area when he was just a new congressman. We had McCain on the board to make him feel like he wasn't left out. It looks good to have names on a letterhead who are well-known and appreciated.

"I don't recall talking to McCain at all on the work of the group," Singlaub said.

McCain has said he resigned from the council in 1984 and asked in 1986 to have his name removed from the group's letterhead.

"I didn't know whether (the group's activity) was legal or illegal, but I didn't think I wanted to be associated with them," McCain said in a 1986 newspaper interview.

Singlaub does not recall any McCain resignation in 1984 or May 1986. Nor does Joyce Downey, who oversaw the group's day-to-day activities.

"That's a surprise to me," Singlaub said. "This is the first time I've ever heard that. There may have been someone in his office communicating with our office."

"I don't ever remember hearing about his resigning, but I really wasn't worried about that part of our activities, a housekeeping thing," said Singlaub. "If he didn't want to be on the board that's OK. It wasn't as if he had been active participant and we were going to miss his help. He had no active interest. He certainly supported us."

On Tuesday, the McCain campaign addressed the resignation by saying that the candidate disassociated himself from "one Arizona-based group when questions were raised about its activities."

Taking an opportunity to attack the Obama-Biden ticket, the McCain campaign added that as a House member and later as a senator, McCain fought against communist influence in Central America while Sen. Joe Biden tried to cut off money for anti-communist forces in El Salvador and Nicaragua.

The renewed attention over McCain's association with Singlaub's group comes as McCain's campaign steps up criticism of Obama's dealings with Ayers, now a college professor who co-founded the Weather Underground in the 1960s and years later worked with Obama on the board of an education reform group in Chicago. Ayers held a meet-the-candidate event at his home when Obama first ran for public office in the mid-1990s.

In McCain's case, he was a House member and a board member of Singlaub's council when the new congressman voted for military assistance to the Nicaraguan Contras, a CIA-organized guerrilla force. In 1984, Congress cut off military assistance to the rebels.

Months before the cutoff, top Reagan administration officials ramped up a secret White House-directed supply network run by National Security Council aide Oliver North, who relied on retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Richard Secord to carry out the operation. The goal was to keep the Contras operating until Congress could be persuaded to resume CIA funding.

Singlaub's private group became the public front for the secret White House activity.

"It was noted that they were trying to act as suppliers. It was pretty good cover for us," Secord, the field operations chief for the secret effort, said Tuesday in an interview.

The White House-directed network's covert arms shipments, financed in part by the Reagan administration's secret arms sales to Iran, exploded into the Iran-Contra affair in November 1986. The scandal proved to be the undoing of Singlaub's council.

In 1987, the Internal Revenue Service withdrew tax-exempt status from Singlaub's group because of its activities on behalf of the Contras.

Peter Kornbluh, co-author of "The Iran-Contra Scandal: A Declassified History," said the Council on World Freedom was crucial to diverting public attention from the Reagan White House's fundraising for the Contras.

Singlaub and the council publicly urged private support for the Contras, providing what Singlaub later called "a lightning rod" to explain how the rebels sustained themselves despite Congress' cutoff.

In October 1986, the secrecy of North's network unraveled after one of its planes was shot down over Nicaragua. One American crewman, Eugene Hasenfus, was captured by the Nicaraguan government. At first, Reagan administration officials lied by saying that the plane had no connection to the U.S. government and was part of Singlaub's operation.

"I resented it that reporters thought it was my plane. I don't run a sloppy operation," Singlaub told The AP.

In an interview last month, Downey, the full-time employee of Singlaub's council, said she has a clear memory of McCain resigning in 1986, but not earlier.

"It was during the time when the U.S. Council had been wrongly accused of being owners of the Hasenfus plane downed in Nicaragua," said Downey. "A couple of days after that, I was in Washington and called home to get messages from my mother. I returned that call and a staff person wanted to ask for the resignation of Congressman McCain."

When Hasenfus was shot down, McCain was in the final month of his first campaign for the U.S. Senate seat he still holds.

McCain's office responded quickly. McCain said he had resigned from the council in 1984. Further, McCain said that in May 1986 he asked the group to remove his name from the letterhead. McCain's office produced two letters from 1984 and 1986 to back his account.

The dates on the resignation letters in 1984 and May 1986 coincided with McCain election campaigns and increasingly critical public scrutiny of the World Anti-Communist League, the umbrella group Singlaub chaired.

In 1983 and 1984 for example, columnist Jack Anderson linked the league's Latin American affiliate to death squad political assassinations.

The Latin American affiliate was kicked out of the league. At the time, Singlaub told the columnist the Latin American affiliate had "knowingly promoted pro-Nazi groups" and was "virulently anti-Semitic."

"That was putting it mildly," Anderson wrote in a Sept. 11, 1984, column on alleged death squad murders, an article that appeared two months before the U.S. election day.

Two weeks after Anderson's column, a letter from McCain addressed to Singlaub asks that the congressman's name be taken off the board because he didn't have time for the council.

Singlaub told AP that "certainly by 1984," he had purged the World Anti-Communist League of extremists. Singlaub complains that American news media wrote that the league hadn't gotten rid of extremist elements and tried to tarnish the league's credibility, "making something evil out of fighting communism."

[xlib]

You media types are such good shills for the messiah. I bet soros is working overtime to get this cr*& out.
And here a lot of us thought the October surprise was the economy meltdown/.
So, this is just ooming out NOW. Funny when mccain ran four years ago and we didn''t hear this. Just ooming out now, strange.

[xlib]

Oh yea, the messiah was "roughly 8 years old" when ayers did his terror stuff BUT, the messiah was an adult when ayers stated that he wished he had done better and MORE. Ayers never denounced his actions and today remains a radical. So, the piece is a bit slanted, surprise, surprise.
The messiah has many assoication TODAY and in the recent past that should raise red flags. I understand his friend rezko is going to do some talking. Should be interesting.
And again, this about mccain is just coming out?? Guess bringing up the keating 5 (4 dems 1 cleared mccain) isn''t enough??

[jockh]

John McCain hates america and supports greedy bankers like Keating who robbed billions from the Amewrican public

[irmcvet97]

The messiah has many assoication TODAY and in the recent past that should raise red flags. I understand his friend rezko is going to do some talking. Should be interesting.
And again, this about mccain is just coming out?? Guess bringing up the keating 5 (4 dems 1 cleared mccain) isn''''t enough??

Posted by Xlib at 07:10 AM : Oct 07, 2008

NONE of this is going to matter... absolutely NONE of it. People are concerned about ONE thing and ONE thing only, the ECONOMY! They are LIVING with a LOSER of a President who was elected with this Personal Attack approach and NO ONE that I have talked to cares in the least about this mud slinging.

[john43218]

OBAMA SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN A CANDIDATE.

THE FACT PEOPLE SUPPORT THIS PERSON MAKES THEM REALLY CRAZY

NOONE KNOWS MUCH ABOUT OBAMA AND HE HAS NO EXPERIANCE NOR ANY QUALIFICATIONS TO LEAD A COUNTRY, BUT YET IT IS OK FOR PEOPLE TO SUPPORT HIM..
WOW, THAT IS REALLY NUTS.

[runningralph]

The Iran-Contra affair was an effort to thwart the spread of communism in the western hemisphere. Although denounced by leftists in the US press it was successful. It was seen by many as a good way to resolve a mess in Iran which the Carter administration had got into and aiding anti-communist forces in Central America at the same time.
George Soros is a leftist political organizer and strategist.

Posted by jockh John McCain hates America and supports greedy bankers like Keating who robbed billions from the American public.-----------------------------------------------------------------
Are you aware of the fact that only the Democrat''s were found guilty in the Keating case? John McCain and John Glenn were found not guilty.

[thinkharder-]

NOONE KNOWS MUCH ABOUT OBAMA AND HE HAS NO EXPERIANCE NOR ANY QUALIFICATIONS TO LEAD A COUNTRY, BUT YET IT IS OK FOR PEOPLE TO SUPPORT HIM..
WOW, THAT IS REALLY NUTS.


Posted by JOHN43218 at 07:43 AM : Oct 07, 2008

Obama has been in the national spotlight for a couple of years now...if you know nothing about him, then clearly it is you who are in the dark. His biography is easily accessible, as are two books HE WROTE HIMSELF! Imagine that...a politician who can actually write! As far as his qualifications are concerned, you are right...he is a relative rooky. but, so what? Do you expect every great leader to have been born experienced? Obama is thoughtful, generous, intelligent and pragmatic. His judgment is sound and his actions deliberate. McCain on the other hand is well connected, this is true, but to what? He has a history laced with scandal and flaring temperament. The man called a timeout on his campaign for heavens sake for absolutely no appreciable reason!! He is a grandstanding, mudslinging bully...and as his first presidential decision his choice for VP is...(drumroll) Sarah Palin!! The Alaskan barracuda lipstick wearing bulldog. And, in one fell swoop he undermined his entire message about Obama''s lacking experience. This country has been kicking it''s own a$$ long enough...we don''t need a leader prone to self destruction.

[kevinjaegers]

.

[chimpyout]

We can see what a great success funding the contras and meddling in Latin American countries was. Today we have leftist/unfriendly governments in Nicaragua, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Venezuela; Argentina, Brazil, and Chile are doing as they please without Yankee "guidance," and "stabilization" plans. In other countries leaders are very vigilant about Republican administration schemes. I guess we haven''t even heard about them, YET!

[stevemccoy7]

Yawn....This is not anywhere close to how bad Obama is in trouble.

[stevemccoy7]

IF OBAMA WAS WHITE OR A REPUBLICAN HE WOULD BE GONE AS QUICKLY AS BOLT OF LIGHTNING...

[socaldude2]

JOHN43218, People like you who voted for Bush in the last two elections is what got this country into the financial mess that we''re into today.

[heartlandjim]

McCain part of a group sending weapons to Iran? Now Iran is our greatest threat!!

[stevemccoy7]

Wrong the Dems cleary played a role in the economic mess we are in today.

Obama didn''t know that Ayers was an American Terrorist. When Ayers went to trial it was in 1980, Obama would have been 18 years old. There is no way he would not have known about Ayers. That trial was in the news and I''m sure people in Obamas circle of friends knew and would have told him. He and his campaign sure know how to lie.

[antoniof123]

Posted by stevemccoy7 at 08:05 AM : Oct 07, 2008

You know between you and the rigth wing pundents this is getting stupid. All of these charges you cliam have been disproven.

Hey how is the search for WMD''s going.

[dinkydog1]

Wrong the Dems cleary played a role in the economic mess we are in today.



Posted by stevemccoy7 at 08:04 AM : Oct 07, 2008

...............

Your right, they didn''t do enough to stop republicans.

[wync]

This election year should titled "Who wants to be President of the United States" the ultimate reality show which features two politicians who will say or do anything to get elected.

Watch how two seemingly rational men who initially promises a respectable campaign degenerate into mudslinging heathens!

[checkthepast]

JOHN43218, People like you who voted for Bush in the last two elections is what got this country into the financial mess that we''''re into today.

Posted by socaldude2

Wrong. The greed on wall street is not party specific.

[longtree-2009]

GOP needs to demand a probe into this latest tie of McCain with known terrorists in another country. These terrorists apparently actually killed people which Ayers and the SDS did not do. As for Obama being Black, believe that only 12% of the nation''s 300 million, or so, population is Black, another 13% is Hispanic. Thus, Obama is gaining much support from White America. As for Palin/McCain, they need to address the real issues confronting American voters and its citizens. Enough with the name calling, mud slinging and horse manure. Lead, follow, or get the hades out of the way!

[feedback3-2009]

Spin it any way you want. From the British point of view Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Franklin were terrorists. McCain''s candle wouldn''t even light next to them. While I don''t personally agree with violent tactics, the activities of the Weather Underground, the SDS, the Panthers, and others lit the big spotlight that led directly to the end of the Viet Nam war and McCain''s release from prison where apparently he was able to solidify his qualifications to imprison others in Guantanamo. Not to mention a myriad of other social reforms that the latte and hockey mom sets take for granted while driving their SUVs and mini-vans. How does McCain''s support for a group selling weapons to Iran, using the profits from the booming cocaine trade, compare to Obama serving breakfast to kids with a 30 year ex-radical, you decide. To the Republican sympathizers, don''t let reality hit you in the a$$ on your way out.

[hhroams]

It doesn''t suprise me that McCain was connected to a group that had former Nazis involved at all. Bush''s grandfather was doing business activities thru Switzerland with the Germans at a time that we were at war with them and indeed his own son--George I was serving in our military.

I wouldn''t be surprised if McCain or Bush was making money from Iran on oil at this point in time!!

[ozonmojo]

Maj.Gen. John Singlaub seems to have been baptized by Rev.Jeremiah Wright Jr.

[stevemccoy7]

Google Obama and acorn...Senator Obama shouldn''''t even be a candidate.

[pjc27]

I enjoyed the videos of McCain/Palin spreading the light of America by getting the crowds to chant Terrorists and kill him. Just warmed my soul. BARF. What a couple of losers. If they are elected we''ll be at war with the entire world.

[liberal4sure]

If republicans supporting mccain and palin knew how bad they have been lied to by the rnc and mccain and palin they would be horried. Go to independent websites and check the facts if you care. stopthesmears.com is independent but find your own. It is truly criminal they way they have played you. Some don''''t care what the truth is and that is fine but for the enlightened thinker that does, go find the truth.

[babooph]

If this keeps up few in the States or the rest of the world will have any faith in the elected president-it can end up as bad as Bush.[WELL ALMOST]

[walt1944-2009]

Yesterday, Pope Benedict said that the recent financial meltdown shows how "fleeting" wealth and power really are.

Naturally the Roman Catholic Church should talk, being the wealthiest and powerful religion on the planet.

If Benedict wanted to talk about the failings of human nature, why didn''t he address all the lies, deceit, scandals and everything else going on in our political system? With the election only weeks away, the neocons Fascist Nazi Republicans haven''t exactly been "angels", especially the last week.

It all comes down to Greed, Wealth, and Power as it always seems to.

One wonders what Jesus would have said about that???

SIG HEIL, I WANT MORE MONEY!!!, BUSH!!!
sig heil, I''VE GOT MY FLAK JACKET AND HELMET ON!!!, McBush!!!
sig heil, ALASKA SHOULD BE ITS OWN COUNTRY!!!, Palin!!!

[dnsallday]

Let''s also hear the full story about John McCain''s very good buddy, G. Gordon Liddy, domestic terrorist, crook and would be murderer (by his own admission).

[dnsallday]

You just agreed, the media promotes their own agenda. If you don''''t realize that CNN, CBS, NBC and ABC are promoting Obama you are not paying attention. Or you are of extremely limited mental capacity. Probably the latter. There is also a third possibility that many libo-Demos fall into which is deceit. They know there is massive bias but vehemently deny the fact as they love the advantage it gives their party. Without the constant Obama promotion by the media, Obama would be six or more points behind McCain. Polls show that 70% plus of voters are well aware of the bias.

Posted by whatwhy001
**************************************************************
You can''t fault intelligent people for having well informed opinions !

[cruzn66]

And I guess Fox doesn''t support McMental and Puppet, oh sorry, McCain and Palin! Get Real!! It''s time Americans learned to think for themselves. It''s no wonder Republicans have not been big supporters of education. It''s easier to lead the sheep when they can''t think for themselves. The whole political process in this country has become a farce and we Americans do not have the stomach or the will to change it. Over 300 million Americans, and Obama and McCain is the best we could come up with to lead this nation. It''s the American people who should be ashamed, not the politicians, the media, of anyone else. We get what we pay for!!!

[notmudrose]

mcinsane linked to nazis. well, palin will fit right in with nazis.

you can put lipstick on a nazi like palin but you still have a nazi like palin.

Oh, by the way, presdient elect obama is now ahead in north carolina, virginia, ohio, florida, colorado, nevada, new mexico and missouri. Mr. Obama is now tied in Indiana. F''n tied in Indiana.

It''s all over nazis!

[notmudrose]

Someone get the gasoline to pour on the poor little nazi mcinsane followers on this web site just like they did to their furher.

[idnnsg]

"Without the constant Obama promotion by the media, Obama would be six or more points behind McCain. Polls show that 70% plus of voters are well aware of the bias."

HA!!! You are delusional.

If 70% of voters are "well aware of the bias" then why do 70% of the people say this country is "on the wrong track" and why is Obama in the lead?

What guarantees that McCain and his bimbo will lose is... McCain and his bimbo! McCain is a constant liar and flip-flopper who has pi$$ed off almost everyone in his own party. He has an uncontrolable anger problem and he is dying from malignant melanoma. By his own admission, he knows nothing about the economy and he has spent his whole political life pushing for DEregulation, just what created the current crisis.

Palin is the wife of an enemy of the United States of America who wants Alaska to seceed from the nation, a woman who "speaks in tongues" (i.e., babbles incoherently in church), a woman who believes that a witch hunter from Africa got God Himself to make her governor of her state of corruption, a woman who, despite her obvious igno.rance about nearly everything that is happening in this world, has ambitions of becoming president so she can nuke the world "to bring back jesus".

McCain/Palin are responsible for McCain/Palin''s failure, NOT the "media".

[notmudrose]

Good morning President elect Obama. You are now tied in Indiana but you are way ahead in North Carolina, Virginia, Florida, Missouri, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico.

It''s going to be a landslide for Obama.

[notmudrose]

O BAMA! O BAMA! O BAMA! O BAMA! O BAMA! O BAMA! O BAMA!

[joker1944-2009]

McCain opened a whole can of whup-a$$ with his decision to go after Obama''s ''associates.''

And the irony here is that the S&L scandal and now the Iran-Contra connection the connections aren''t ''associates'' but rather McCain himself!

Well, OH, FL, PA and most of the other swing states are moving towards Obama. It''s not like he had a choice I suppose.

[joker1944-2009]

Are you a pinko??
Posted by NObama_SUX

Posted by jh6379 at 09:27 AM : Oct 07, 2008

Pink? Ok, grampa, it''s 2008 not 1958. What''s wrong? Did the paperboy throw your copy of ''Sun City weekly'' on the roof again?

[joker1944-2009]

My goodness, Americans are just so gullible, it is really sickening.

Posted by john43218 at 09:31 AM : Oct 07, 2008

They certainly were in 2000 and 2004. Let''s hope after the WORST president in the nation''s history we''ve wised up a little bit.

[notmudrose]

Today''s Rasmussen''s poll, (yes, Scott Rasmussem, that former azz kissing acolyte of Bush) even he has Presdient Elect Obama up by 8 points nationally for the 10th consecutive day. He also has Obama up in Misouri, Colorado, North Carolin and he has now pushed Florida over to a "Leans Obama" from a toss-up.

It''s all over Nazis.

[joker1944-2009]

The debates tonight should be fun (unless you''re a Republican of course.) Obama will probably have shaken off the nerves from the 1st debate, whereas McCain knows his campaign is sliding into the dumpster.

Look for an angry, aggressive McCain who will likely go ''too far'' in his attacks on Obama. Look for Obama to hold steady, be respectful but firm.

If things go this way, as I imagine they will, it will be a daggar in the heart of the McCain campaign. Game, set, match.

[notmudrose]

Good morning loser nazis, I mean republicans,. Now, nazi class, you all need to start practicing the proper way to address your new president.

Now repeat after me: Good morning President Obama.

President Obama: "Just call me Barack. After all, you''ll be re-electing me in another 4 years so we''ll have a long relationship together until January 20, 2017".

"See you all at the inauguration".

[joker1944-2009]

Now, as to the question you have clearly plucked from between your butt cheeks

Posted by NObama_SUX at 09:37 AM : Oct 07, 2008

What is it with rightwingers and their obsession with all things a.nal? Call me crazy, but I like to think I could post all day and not once have to make a nether regions reference.

Is this a Larry Craig thing?

[joker1944-2009]

I neither care, or have an ounce of interest in anything you booger munchers might offer.

Posted by NObama_SUX at 09:42 AM : Oct 07, 2008

Now, really, what would the others in the retirement community think if they heard you using that language?

What''s wrong Methusula? No visits from the grandkids lately?

[stevex47]

"McCain Linked To Private Iran-Contra Group"

Ouch.

Speaking of ties to terrorist. Ever see the pics of boosh kissing and holding hands with the muslims?

Better check into that princess sara.

[notmudrose]

Speaking of all the dumb little good nazis this morning, where are our old friends gophockeymon (formerly known as gopwillwin, gopforever) and stormytexan (formerly known on this site as rowdytexan) and last but not least, that good old boy mudrose (now known as nobamasux).

[notmudrose]

And just as I mention where are all the good little nazis, here comes Hiway71So from his slumber.

Good morning Herr Highway71south. Apparently, you didn''t take your cyanide pill last night like all the good little nazis.

[lochlan-2009]

"McCain Linked To Private Iran-Contra Group"

HE''S LINKED TO A LOT MORE THAN THAT. TRY THE PREVIOUS S&L SCAM WITH THE KEATING AFFAIR (APROX. 150THOUSAND MILLION DOLLARS). JUST LIKE WITH THE CURRENT BANK LENDING SCAM WITH ECONOMIC ADVISOR PHIL GRAMM AND OUR "NATION OF WHINERS" IN A "MENTAL RECESSION" (APROX. AS OF RIGHT NOW 2MILLION, MILLION DOLLARS AND EXPECTED TO BE MUCH MORE)!!!!

THIS TIME THEY MIGHT HAVE FINALLY COLLAPSED THE COUNTRY. I GUESS WE''LL SEE IN THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS.


TREASON!!!!!!!!

[joker1944-2009]

This is no where near the equal to the Ayers OR Wright goings on in Obama''s dealings.

Posted by Hwy71So at 09:46 AM : Oct 07, 2008

Oh really? What ''dealings'' are we talking about here? Please be precise and explain what you mean.

The reality is that the rightwing slime machine could find nothing on Obama, so they had to resort to trying to smear him with ''associates.''

Now that the McCain campaign has joined in with the sliming, Obama is free to question McCain''s direct involvement in two massive government scandals. And we''re not talking about ''associates'' we''re talking about MCCAIN HIMSELF.