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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."
In fact, high ranking officials, such as the president and his advisers all managed to steer clear of any major implication in the event. In fact, when the final findings were disclosed in 1994, few people, including the press were interested in what the special prosecutor had to say. Somehow, everyone managed to avoid long prison terms, and the affair has generally been forgotten. Another writer notes, "National polls indicate that many Americans remain confused about the meaning and importance of the Iran/contra affair. Part of this confusion can be attributed to the complexity of the story."
Perhaps the biggest lesson learned from the operation was that the government has much more power to create covert...
When they do, there are many ways they can avoid prosecution and responsibility. The Iran-Contra Affair shows that America is not always the "good guy" and does not always make the right political decisions.
References
Hertsgaard, M. (1990, July 2). The media wrap up: Iran/Contra. The Nation, 251, 9+.
Kornbluh, P. (1987). The Iran-Contra scandal: A postmortem. World Policy Journal, 5(1), 129-150.
Lynch, M., & Bogen, D. (1996). The spectacle of history: Speech, text, and memory at the Iran-Contra hearings. Durham, NC: Duke University Press.
Lynch, M., & Bogen, D. (1996). The spectacle of history: Speech, text, and memory at the Iran-Contra hearings. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 21.
Iran-Contra Affair think everyone knew we were walking a very thin line."(Owen) Not many Americans know the truth that lies behind the Iran-Contra scandals. Most would be surprised to know about the deception of our leaders. Still today, some truth of Iran-Contra lies hidden in the conscience of the people who organized, aided, and completed the operations. The entire affair is an example of the difficult task of balancing political
Iran-Contra Affair Historical Background of the Iran-Contra Affair Events Surrounding the Decision. Nicaraguan context. In the 1970s, dissatisfaction with a manipulative and corrupt government was escalating. All socio-economic classes were impacted and by 1978 the situation deteriorated into a short-lived civil war. Through violent opposition, the Marxist Sandinista guerillas achieved power in 1979. By September of 1980, the Sandinistas had suspended elections and taken control of the media. Leftist rebels in El Salvador
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"). Poindexter testified that he "deliberately withheld the information from President Reagan because 'I wanted the President to have some deniability so that he would be protected,'" ("United States v. John M. Poindexter"). According to the National Security Archives, Poindexter's
Libya and the Iran-Contra Affair: Recent events of American intervention in Libyan affairs have sparked a debate upon whether or not support should include arms. Support for this measure can be found on both sides of the isle in Washington. The white house seems to be ignoring the issue for the present; however, it has come to light the CIA is on the ground, and some arms are coming from Egypt.
Iran Contra Affair is the name commonly given to a secret arrangement that sold arms to Iran in exchange for funds that were given to Contra rebels in Nicaragua under U.S. President Reagan in the 1980s. The Iran Contra Affair had its roots in the President's commitment to help the contra rebels, who Reagan saw as "the moral equivalent of our Founding Fathers" (cited in Wolf). Unfortunately for Regan, Congress,
Iran-Contra Presentation One of the last major events of the Cold War in the Americas was the so-called Iran-Contra affair, which occurred under the presidency of Ronald Reagan. My approach to the Iran-Contra affair is to examine the American domestic ideology and strategy which underlay this late, and complicated, episode in the Cold War. The basic starting point, however, is to look at the investigation of Iran-Contra from the U.S. Senate. When