The Iran-Contra Affair
The Iran-Contra Affair, also known as the "Irangate" affair, was a scandal that consisted of four countries, each having playing a role in one of the most infamous scandals in American history. There were two parts to the Iran-Contra Affair: the sale of arms in exchange for US hostages and using the profits gained from the sale of arms to supply money to the Contras rebels.
"In October and November of 1986, it was discovered that for several years, agents of the United States government had been running an illegal operation to sell weapons to Iran and funnel the profits to the Contras, a military organization dedicated to overthrowing the leftist government of Nicaragua." |
"...factions of the Iranian government proposed to secure the release of several American hostages in exchange for the sale of military equipment. The problem, for President Reagan, was that the Congress of the United States had specifically found Iran to be a sponsor of terrorism and, therefore, passed a resolution denying the sale of any military equipment to Iran. " |
"The Iran-Contra Affair began as an internal U.S. confrontation between Ronald Reagan and the Democratic Congress...Reagan had hopes that if he were to supply Iran with United States military supplies and weapons, then the relations with Iran may be strengthened, and in turn would lead to improved relations with Lebanon and a stronger U.S. position in the Middle East. Reagan was also hoping that if he were to place the U.S. in good standings with Iran, he may be able to release seven American hostages who were being held captive by Iranian terrorists."
-Cold War Museum
"During the 1980s, human rights violations by the Contras, including attacks on civilians, were widely reported in the United States and elsewhere. They were not secrets. However, the socialist Sandinista government in Nicaragua, which the Contras were trying to destabilize, was not popular in Washington, DC, so some people in the United States were willing to overlook the ugly stories about the Contras, including a lot of reporting about their involvement with international cocaine trafficking. "
-Professor Doug Rossinow (in a personal interview)
Conflict
Reagan's Administration helped the Nicaraguan Contras with millions of dollars. Congress passed the Boland Amendments, which limited the United States' ability to help the Contras.
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"Congress prohibited contra aid for the purpose of overthrowing the Sandinista Government in fiscal year 1983, and limited all aid to the contras in fiscal year 1984 to $24 million." |
the iran-contra affair
President Reagan decided to circumvent the Boland Amendment by using the National Security Council (NSC), which wasn't restricted by the amendment.
Despite the strong opposition of the Reagan administration, the Democratic-controlled Congress enacted legislation, known as the Boland amendments, that prohibited the Defense Dept., the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), or any other government agency from providing military aid to the contras from Dec., 1983, to Sept., 1985. The Reagan administration circumvented these limitations by using the National Security Council (NSC), which was not explicitly covered by the law, to supervise covert military aid to the contras... the NSC raised private and foreign funds for the contras."
-Infoplease
the iran-contra affair exposed
In November 1986, Ash-Shiraa, a Lebanese magazine, exposed the Iran-Contra affair. Later, the news spread and exposed the affair to the American public. Congress made a committee called the Tower Commission to investigate the scandal, but could not find enough information to pin President Reagan and Vice President H.W Bush to the scandal.
"In October and November 1986, two secret U.S. Government operations were publicly exposed, potentially implicating Reagan Administration officials in illegal activities. These operations were the provision of assistance to the military activities of the Nicaraguan contra rebels during an October 1984 to October 1986 prohibition on such aid, and the sale of U.S. arms to Iran in contravention of stated U.S. policy and in possible violation of arms-export controls. In late November 1986, Reagan Administration officials announced that some of the proceeds from the sale of U.S. arms to Iran had been diverted to the contras."
-Federation of American Scientists
The Iran-Contra affair cover-up
The cover-up began when the Reagan Administration withheld information, lied in court, and shredded documents. When George H.W Bush became president, he pardoned six people involved in the Iran-Contra Affair, leading for the investigation to fall apart.
"The question of whether the President, in the discharge of his constitutional office, is criminally liable for false statements and obstruction of congressional inquiries regarding his activities is not a ready field for criminal prosecution. The President is quite different from any subordinate in his relationship with Congress. But the fundamental reason for lack of prosecutorial effort was the absence of proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the President knew that the statements being made to Congress were false, or that acts of obstruction were being committed by Poindexter, North and others." |
"The Congressional committees on the Iran-contra affair blamed President Reagan in their final report today for failing to live up to his constitutional mandate to 'take care that the laws be faithfully executed' and said he bore 'the ultimate responsibility' for wrongdoing by his aides." |
"The Iran-contra cover-up, which has continued for more than six years, has now been completed with the pardon of Caspar Weinberger."
-Lawrence Walsh, main prosecutor in the Iran-Contra Affair trial