American Notes Intelligence

They may not have had the high drama of the Clarence Thomas-Anita Hill confrontation, but the Senate hearings on Robert Gates' nomination to head the CIA offered a similar menu of shocking allegations and wildly divergent recollections. Last week the intelligence committee voted 11-4 to recommend his appointment.

The panel had heard allegations that as deputy director of the agency under William Casey, Gates ignored intelligence reports that did not conform to the political aims of the Reagan Administration. Also, some witnesses claimed that he may have misled Congress about his knowledge of the Iran-contra affair, a charge that Gates denied. Although some Senators shared Democrat Howard Metzenbaum's skepticism about the nominee's "uncanny ability to forget key events," those doubts were not enough to sink him. The full Senate, seeking to avoid another bruising fight over a presidential appointment, is expected to confirm Gates.