Iran Contra the Iran-Contra Affair

Iran Contra

The Iran-Contra Affair created a global fiasco that stained the reputation of the Reagan administration. Although the affair reflected poorly on the President, no one emerged as much a celebrity villain as Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North. A member of the National Security Council, North emerged if not as the mastermind of the scheme than of one of the affair's premier participants.

The Iran-Contra Affair created a strange connection between Central America and the Middle East. On the one hand, President Reagan remained steadfastly committed to his foreign policy program of obliterating communism around the world by whatever means necessary. Known as the Reagan Doctrine, the administration's interventionist foreign policy focused a great deal of its attention relatively close to home in Central America. In Nicaragua, the Sandanista insurgency backed by the Cubans presented a big enough perceived threat to democracy to inspire the President to action. The President intended to support the Nicaraguan Contras in their counter-insurgency efforts.

However, in 1982 a Democratic-dominated Congress passed the Boland Amendment. The Boland Amendment "restricted CIA and Department of Defense operations in Nicaragua specifically," (Wolf 2000).

In 1984, "a strengthened Boland Amendment made support almost impossible," (Wolf 2000).

The Boland Amendment did not deter President Reagan. He told his National Security Adviser Robert McFarland, "I want you to do whatever you have to do," (cited by Wolf 2000).

According to Walsh, the President "ordered McFarlane...to hold the Contras together," (xiv).

McFarlane then appointed Oliver North to coordinate support for the Contras. North "directly advised the Contra leaders on military strategy and tactics, raised money for the Contras...organized a supply network with funds in Swiss banks...and a small fleet of aircraft for transporting the weapons to Nicaragua," (Walsh 1997, xiv).

In the meantime, a war waged between Iraq and Iran. "In spite of the embargo against selling arms to Iran, McFarlane" convinced the President to do so" (Wolf 2000).

Colonel North was again selected to coordinate a clandestine arms deal. Reagan "authorized the CIA to sell arms directly to Iran" in spite of the illegality of the transaction (Walsh 1997, xv).

According to the Federation of American Scientists, "the sale of U.S. arms to Iran" was "in contravention of stated U.S. policy and in possible violation of arms-export controls," (FAS).

It later emerged that the weapons were sold to Iran in exchange for the release of American hostages being held in Lebanon. The affair became exposed when, "while probing the question of the arms-for-hostages deal, Attorney General Edwin Meese discovered that only $12 million of the $30 million the Iranians reportedly paid had reached government coffers," (Wolf 2000).

Because of his direct involvement in both the illegal support of the Nicaraguan Contras and the illegal sale of weapons to Iran, Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North "was the White House official most directly involved in secretly aiding the contras, selling arms to Iran, and diverting Iran arms sales proceeds to the contras," ("United States v. Oliver L. North").

Oliver North emerged as the key villain in the Iran-Contra Affair even though he occupied a "middle-level position on the NSC staff" and had "no statutory power to command and control activities within the NSC, much less other areas of the vast government," ("United States v. Oliver L. North").

In 1985, Navy Vice Adm. John M. Poindexter succeeded Robert McFarlane. Like McFarlane, Poindexter supervised Oliver North during key phases of the Iran-Contra Affair. Poindexter resigned, and North was fired but an investigation ensued (Wolf 2000).

A total of 14 persons were charged with criminal offenses, eleven of whom were convicted including both Poindexter and North. North's convictions were vacated in 1990, and Poindexter's convictions were overturned on appeal in 1991 ("United States v. John M. Poindexter").

Both North and Poindexter were key figures in the Iran-Contra Affair. Both literally shredded evidence that might have been used against them or the President, and both managed to weasel their way out of justice due to a combination of legal technicalities, government corruption, and clever cover-ups (Walsh 1997).

Yet North's name is more closely connected with the Iran-Contra Affair than Poindexter's or arguably any other figure except for President Reagan.

The difference between North's and Poindexter's testimonies had to do largely with how they addressed President Reagan's involvement in the scandal. Whereas Poindexter defended the President staunchly, North did not. North genuinely believed that his orders were issued by the President, via Poindexter and McFarlane before him ("United States v. Oliver L. North").