Administration officials said conservative hard-liners, most notably John R. Bolton, the under secretary of state for arms control and international security, were highly skeptical that Iran would carry out the accord without cheating.

Mr. Menges has kind words for his fellow conservative hard-liners, including Caspar Weinberger, Jeane Kirkpatrick, William Clark and William Casey.

Mr. Weinberger was widely considered one of the Administration's conservative hard-liners.

Instead, they heard themselves lambasted by conservative hard-liners, whose visions made even the sternest among them blink.

Mr. Chirac appointed a conservative hard-liner, Nicolas Sarkozy, 47, to the new security post - minister of interior and domestic security and local freedoms.

The judiciary, which is controlled by conservative hard-liners, has continued to jail activists and liberal politicians, and the hard-line watchdog, the Guardian Council, has blocked major legislation approved by Parliament.

It is evident that the recent developments in Iran reflect the internal power struggle between moderate reformists and conservative hard-liners.

Ms. Rice has come under criticism from conservative hard-liners, both in and out of the administration.

Mr. Gorbachev's efforts to loosen up the system are meeting resistance from conservative hard-liners, headed by Yegor K. Ligachev, a member of the Politburo.

Reagan was certainly much more than a conventional conservative hard-liner.