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He refused to take the bad news quietly. "I did not commit any crime," North declared in a press conference at his lawyer's office, his voice trembling with emotion. "I have been caught up in a bitter dispute between the Congress and the President over the control of foreign policy, the power of the President to deter Communism in Central America, and his duty to protect our citizens from terrorist acts abroad . . . I intend to fight allegations of wrongdoing for as long as necessary."
North held another emotional news conference late in the week to announce his resignation from the Marine Corps. True to his sense of theater, he had traded in his olive-green uniform and chestful of ribbons for a business suit, although his resignation will not be effective until May 1. Continued service in the Marines, said North, would be incompatible with defending himself against the charges, particularly since his lawyer may subpoena the "highest- | ranking officials of our Government." The implication seemed clear: if North was to play the fall guy, he intended to drag some big shots down with him. The list of top officials North's attorney may call on to testify could very well include President Reagan and Vice President George Bush.
Richard Secord responded to his indictment with contempt, appearing on TV news shows to denounce Walsh's investigation as a "witch-hunt." "The charges are absolutely ludicrous, and I intend to grind them to dust," he declared. Poindexter and Hakim, the more self-effacing participants in what Secord called the "enterprise," commented only through their lawyers.
At the White House, the President refused to concede that some of his former aides may have violated the law. "I have no knowledge of anything that was broken," said Reagan during a photo session with Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir. Reagan's remarks renewed speculation that he may grant presidential pardons to the accused. White House Spokesman Marlin Fitzwater reacted stonily to such suggestions. "We don't discuss pardons," he said. "Period."
Certainly it would be politically risky for Reagan to exercise his right to pardon before the presidential election. The move could create problems for likely Republican Nominee George Bush, whose role in the scandal remains a campaign issue. But after Nov. 8, Reagan will have more than two months left in office. Then only the judgment of history may prevent the President from protecting the men he still regards as loyal patriots.
Pardon or no, Bush will continue to be confronted by questions about his knowledge of the Iran-contra affair. Discussing the indictment on the campaign trail last week, Bush said, "The American people aren't interested" in the scandal anymore. "They think it's been exhaustively looked into." But Democratic Presidential Candidate Richard Gephardt gave the Vice President a taste of the criticism he stands to receive as the race heats up. "George Bush has already pleaded guilty to exercising bad judgment in what turned out to be the biggest American foreign policy debacle in decades," said the Missouri Congressman. "That's enough for me."