The president said he listened to Inouye'sremarks on television. "As the program went on, Ilistened to him very carefully and made it plainwhat he was actually saying that, no, I did nothave knowledge of things of that kind. What he hadsaid in the first place was that I was not offsomeplace on an island, not paying any attention."

Giving Orders

Tambs said all his actions were on specificorders from the Restricted Interagency Group, aninformal organization of Washington officials whohelped set contra policy.

Giving orders were Lt. Col. Oliver L. North,Alan D. Fiers, the head of the CIA CentralAmerican Task Force, and Abrams, who was chairmanof the group, assistant secretary of state forinter-American affairs and Tambs' supervisor,Tambs said in Phoenix.

"Now the people who gave us the orders aretrying to paint us as running amok," said Tambs, aprofessor of history at Arizona State University."It's insane."

Spokesmen for Abrams and the CIA denied theallegation, The Times said.

Tambs said he was told to give logistical helpto contras and Americans flying weapons to therebels and to help with the opening of a newcontra offensive on Nicaragua's southern borderwith Costa Rica, the newspaper said.

Officials at the CIA and the State Departmenthave denied connections to the covert aid programfor the rebels in 1985 and 1986. During most ofthose years, federal law prohibited governmentmilitary aid to the contras.

The Reagan Administration has said the program,which involved sending to the contras money fromIranian arms sales, as well as arms purchased withthose funds, was wholly directed by North, formerNational Security Council aide.

A spokesman for Abrams said, "The RIG did notgive instruction. To say the RIG decided that theambassador in any country should give any kind ofsupport to the contras--that just didn't happen.