After nearly five years and some $25 million of essentially wasted taxpayer dollars, Special Prosecutor Lawrence Walsh is still trying to convict somebody, anybody, in the Iran-Contra affair. Isn't it time to finally lay this whole mess to rest?
Having had his cases against White House aide Oliver North and former national security adviser John Poindexter thrown out on appeals, Walsh is now going after some smaller fish in the CIA.But what's the purpose, especially since the charges inevitably will run into the same issues that undercut other Iran-Contra prosecutions - namely, the refusal to release secret CIA documents?
In his latest efforts, Walsh this week obtained indictments from a federal grand jury that accuse retired CIA official Duane R. Clarridge, the former chief of the CIA's European Division, of several felony counts of lying to Congress about arms shipments to Iran. Walsh has also obtained a 10-count indictment on similar charges against Clair George, the CIA former deputy director for operations.
George has already asked for the release of highly sensitive CIA documents for his defense, and Clarridge undoubtedly will do the same. Other requests for those same kind of documents have been flatly rejected by the administration on "national security" grounds.
An earlier Iran-Contra case against a CIA station chief in Costa Rica never came to trial because the Bush administration refused to release certain classified information. The heart of the criminal case against North was dropped for the same reason.
Walsh's efforts long ago passed the point of diminishing returns. His job as Iran-Contra special prosecutor was meant to be a temporary assignment, not turn into a lifetime job.
This is not to justify the actions of North, Poindexter, and company. But, given the futility of the whole investigation so far against higher-ups, it hardly is worthwhile to spend taxpayers' money to pursue equally shaky cases against lesser individuals.