Sailing The Sea of Lies

By SOPHFRONIA SCOTT GREGORY

FORMER CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF ADMIRAL WILLIAM CROWE is angrily denying that he approved a massive "sea of lies" cover-up in connection with the 1988 downing of an Iranian commercial airliner with 290 people aboard. Crowe, who will testify before the House Armed Services Committee next week, has already torpedoed a major contention in the conspiracy case having to do with a secret war in which the U.S. allegedly seized not only the Iranian minelayer Iran Ajr but also "several others," including a second vessel, the Rakish. Photos released at the time by the Pentagon, however, show that the Rakish and the Iran Ajr are actually one and the same. One official says no other ships were captured, casting doubt on the secret-war charge.