Iran-Contra Affair of the 198Os.

¶ … Iran-Contra Affair of the 198os. Specifically, it will discuss and analyze lessons learned from successes or failures of the Iran-Contra counterintelligence operations. The Iran-Contra Affair galvanized America and made Ollie North a common household name. There were many lessons learned from the Iran-Contra affair, and perhaps the most important was the United States government has more power and intrigue than people had previously imagined or believed.

What lead to the Iran-Contra Affair? There were two distinct parts that came together to create the affair. The first was a civil war in Nicaragua, where the contras were fighting the Sandinistas for control of the government. President Ronald Reagan and his cabinet supported the contras, and wanted to get arms to them to aid in their fight against their rivals. Congress created legislation that prohibited the administration or several other agencies from providing aid to the contras. The National Security Agency (NSA) was not on the list of prohibited agencies, and so the administration provided aid through that agency, including funding. Marine Lt. Col. Oliver North commanded the operation. The agency was also involved in supplying weapons to Iran even though the nation had enacted a trade and arms embargo against Iran. By supplying arms, the U.S. hoped to gain western support in the country and gain the release of American hostages. Thus, both the contra aid and Iran aid came through the NSA and North at some point.

The mission failed for a number of reasons. First, there were so many lies and secrets involved that it was inevitable they would become known eventually. "The Iran-contra story is largely about lies, secrecy, and deception. Oliver North and the other principal characters in the story admitted to withholding evidence, writing false chronologies, and shredding documents."

In addition, there were so many people involved it seems inevitable that information would leak. As another writer notes, "These domestic and international realities challenge the very premise of covert operations -- that they can be kept secret and deniable."

The mission failed because it was impossible to keep it secret, the press found out about it and broke the story, and Congress was forced to investigate it.

In the years following the Iran-Contra scandal, it seems there were many lessons learned. One, the government, when caught, is adept at covering itself and its own. Authors Lynch and Bogan note, "In the years since then, this conclusion was underlined by the fact that no one was impeached, few criminal convictions occurred, and no significant government reforms were enacted."