▁Thomas ▁Pow ers , ▁John ▁R anel agh , ▁William ▁Shaw cross , ▁and ▁Bob ▁Wood ward . ▁ ▁After ▁returning ▁home ▁from ▁Te h ran , ▁Hel ms ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁started ▁an ▁international ▁consult ing ▁company ▁called ▁Sa fe er . ▁The ▁firm ▁was ▁located ▁in ▁dow nt own ▁Washington ▁on ▁K ▁Street ▁in ▁a ▁small ▁office ▁on ▁the ▁fourth ▁floor . ▁Sa fe er ▁means ▁amb assador ▁in ▁Pers ian . Bob ▁Wood ward , ▁The ▁Ve il ▁( 1 9 8 8 , ▁ 1 9 8 9 ) ▁p . ▁ 2 4 . ▁It ▁was ▁" a ▁one - man ▁consult ing ▁firm " ▁set ▁up ▁among ▁other ▁reasons ▁" to ▁help ▁Iran ians ▁do ▁business ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ". ▁Hel ms ▁was ▁back ▁to ▁doing ▁familiar ▁work ▁on ▁the ▁phone . ▁" With in ▁a ▁year , ▁however , ▁Hel ms ' ▁business ▁was ▁reduced ▁to ▁a ▁trick le ▁by ▁the ▁Iran ian ▁revolution , ▁which ▁caught ▁him ▁completely ▁by ▁surprise ," ▁according ▁to ▁Pow ers . ▁The ▁firm ▁then ▁morph ed ▁into ▁acting ▁as ▁" cons ult ant ▁to ▁business es ▁that ▁made ▁invest ments ▁in ▁other ▁countries ." ▁ ▁As ▁a ▁consequence ▁of ▁General ▁West mor eland ' s ▁law suit ▁for ▁lib el ▁against ▁CBS ▁over ▁its ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁document ary ▁The ▁Un count ed ▁En emy : ▁A ▁Vietnam ▁De ception , ▁Hel ms ▁was ▁required ▁to ▁answer ▁questions ▁put ▁by ▁CBS ▁att or