Besides, Senator Dole and others well knew that Iranian arms were going to Bosnia.

Ollie was concerned that I was very upset about (the Iranian arms deals), and he said basically, Rich, don't worry.

"Iranian arms were already going through in some measure," he said.

The Clinton Administration has encountered sharp criticism for its decision in 1994 not to object to the flow of Iranian arms despite an international arms embargo.

But he controlled the flow of Iranian arms to Hezbollah, and he never provided Syrian weapons directly.

While calling last December for an end to violence, he was approving delivery of a boatload of Iranian arms.

The secret was not that the Iranian arms were flowing; the C.I.A. soon found that out, and so did the press.

For keeping the President in the dark about the diversion of proceeds from the Iranian arms deals to the contras?

No wonder; the bungled Iranian arms affair exposed his lackadaisical attention to duty while calling into question his knowledge and his judgment.

The agent was thought to be Iranian arms dealer Manucher Ghorbanifar.