The Iran-Contra Affair
On May 5, 1987 (25 years ago today) Congressional hearings began into something which became known as the Iran-Contra Affair.
The hearings concerned an operation to free seven American hostages being held by a terrorist group with Iranian ties. A plan was concocted by which Israel would ship weapons to Iran, and then the U.S. would resupply Israel and receive the Israeli payment. The Iranian recipients promised to do everything in their power to effect the release of six U.S. hostages. The plan became an arms-for-hostages scheme, in which members of the executive branch sold weapons to Iran in exchange for the release of the American hostages. Much of the plan was devised by Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North of the National Security Council in late 1985, including a scheme by which a portion of the proceeds from the weapon sales was diverted to fund anti-Sandinista and anti-communist rebels, or Contras, in Nicaragua.
President Ronald Reagan was a supporter of the Contra cause, but despite accusations to the contrary, no conclusive evidence has been found showing that he authorized the diversion of the money raised by the Iranian arms sales to the Contras. After the weapon sales were revealed in November 1986, Reagan appeared on national television and stated that the weapons transfers had indeed occurred, but that the United States did not trade arms for hostages. An investigation into these allegations was hampered when large volumes of documents relating to the scandal were destroyed or withheld from investigators.
On March 4, 1987, in a nationally televised address, Reagan accepted full responsibility for his own actions and for those of his administration, including activities undertaken without his knowledge. In the same broadcast, he stated that "what began as a strategic opening to Iran deteriorated, in its implementation, into trading arms for hostages."
Several investigations ensued, including those by the United States Congress and the three-man, Reagan-appointed Tower Commission. Neither of these groups found any evidence that President Reagan himself knew of the extent of the multiple programs. In the end, fourteen administration officials were indicted, including then-Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger. Eleven convictions resulted, some of which were vacated on appeal. The rest of those indicted or convicted were all pardoned in the final days of the presidency of George H. W. Bush, who had been vice-president at the time of the affair.
Following is a portion of President Reagan's televised address of March 4, 1987.
The hearings concerned an operation to free seven American hostages being held by a terrorist group with Iranian ties. A plan was concocted by which Israel would ship weapons to Iran, and then the U.S. would resupply Israel and receive the Israeli payment. The Iranian recipients promised to do everything in their power to effect the release of six U.S. hostages. The plan became an arms-for-hostages scheme, in which members of the executive branch sold weapons to Iran in exchange for the release of the American hostages. Much of the plan was devised by Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North of the National Security Council in late 1985, including a scheme by which a portion of the proceeds from the weapon sales was diverted to fund anti-Sandinista and anti-communist rebels, or Contras, in Nicaragua.
President Ronald Reagan was a supporter of the Contra cause, but despite accusations to the contrary, no conclusive evidence has been found showing that he authorized the diversion of the money raised by the Iranian arms sales to the Contras. After the weapon sales were revealed in November 1986, Reagan appeared on national television and stated that the weapons transfers had indeed occurred, but that the United States did not trade arms for hostages. An investigation into these allegations was hampered when large volumes of documents relating to the scandal were destroyed or withheld from investigators.
On March 4, 1987, in a nationally televised address, Reagan accepted full responsibility for his own actions and for those of his administration, including activities undertaken without his knowledge. In the same broadcast, he stated that "what began as a strategic opening to Iran deteriorated, in its implementation, into trading arms for hostages."
Several investigations ensued, including those by the United States Congress and the three-man, Reagan-appointed Tower Commission. Neither of these groups found any evidence that President Reagan himself knew of the extent of the multiple programs. In the end, fourteen administration officials were indicted, including then-Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger. Eleven convictions resulted, some of which were vacated on appeal. The rest of those indicted or convicted were all pardoned in the final days of the presidency of George H. W. Bush, who had been vice-president at the time of the affair.
Following is a portion of President Reagan's televised address of March 4, 1987.
Click to view