Responsibility to the Hostages
" [Ronald Reagan] become frustrated at his inability to secure the release of the seven American hostages being held by Iranian terrorists in Lebanon. As president, Reagan felt that "he had the duty to bring those Americans home," and he convinced himself that he was not negotiating with terrorists. While shipping arms to Iran violated the embargo, dealing with terrorists violated Reagan's campaign promise never to do so." |
"By then, of course, the hostages had become the chief cause. With Reagan, they had been the chief cause all along. He had become president largely because his predecessor and opponent, Jimmy Carter, had failed to resolve a hostage crisis, and he did not forget it." |
-Address to the Nation on the Iran Arms and Contra Aid Controversy, March 4, 1987, History Commons
"Fearing that the hostages would be killed, Reagan illegally authorized the sale because he had to do something to save these American lives." |
"Polls showed that only 14 percent of Americans believed the president when he said he had not traded arms for hostages." |