The Iran-Contra Affair :: American America History

The Iran-Contra Affair The tangled U.S. foreign-policy outrage known as the Iran-contraaffair came to light in November 1986 when President Ronald Reagan verbalise yesto reports that the United States had secretly sold arms to Iran. He saidthat the finish was to improve relations with Iran, not to get releases ofU.S. hostages held in the Middle eastmost by terrorists (although he lateragreed that the arrangement had in situation turned into an arms-for-hostagesswap). People spoke out against dealings with the hostile Persiangovernment all over the place. Later in November, Att. Gen. Edwin Meesediscovered that near of the arms profits had been used to aid theNicaraguan contra rebels at a time when Congress had prohibited such aid.An Independent special prosecutor, reason federal judge Lawrence E. Walsh,was appointed to investigate the activities of persons involved in the armssale or contra aid or both, including marine Lt. Col. Oliver North of thetheme Security Counc il (NSC) staff. Reagan appointed a review board headed by originator Republican senatorJohn Tower. The Tower commissions report in February 1987 criticized thepresidents passive charge style. In a field of studyy televised address onMarch 4, Reagan accepted the reports opinion without serious disagreement. Select committees of the Senate (11 members chaired by DemocratDaniel K. Inouye of Hawaii) and the house of representatives (15 members,headed by other Democrat, Lee Hamilton of Indiana) conducted televisedhearings in partnership from may to August. They heard evidence that a fewmembers of the NSC staff set Iran and Nicaragua policies and carried themout with secret private operatives and that the contras true only asmall part of the money. Former national warranter advisor John Poindexterstated that he personally authorized the divagation of money and withheldthat information from the president. William J. Casey, the director of theCentral Intelligence Agenc y, who died in May 1989, was implicated in sometestimony. His testomony still remained in doubt. Clearly however, the weird events shook the nations faith in President Reagan and ruined U. S. prestige abroad. additional prosecutor Walsh continued his investigation. OnMarch 11, 1988 Poindexters forerunner as national security advisor RobertMcFarlane pleaded guilty to criminal charges of witholding information fromCongress on secret aid to the contras. A year later, Peter McFariane wasfined $20,000 and given twain years probation. On March 16, 1988, a federalgrand control board indicted North, Poindexter, and two other persons on a number of