1 / 10

The Iran Contra Affair

The Iran Contra Affair. And the Oliver North Trial. Background – Reagan’s Contribution. “Reagan Doctrine” – Unofficial, made the anti-communist insurgencies out to be “moral equivalent to our Founding Fathers” Pledged support to struggling insurgencies, including financial backing

mingan
Download Presentation

The Iran Contra Affair

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. The Iran Contra Affair And the Oliver North Trial

  2. Background – Reagan’s Contribution • “Reagan Doctrine” – Unofficial, made the anti-communist insurgencies out to be “moral equivalent to our Founding Fathers” • Pledged support to struggling insurgencies, including financial backing • Led by CIA, several insurgencies were trained and supplied • Boland amendment: 1982 and 1984 • told NSA Robert McFarlane to do whatever necessary.

  3. Background – Beginning of Iranian Deal • 1985 – Iran and Iraq were at war, Iran secretly requested to buy weapons from the US • Embargo • 7 US hostages • campaign promise to never negotiate with terrorists • support of McFarlane, and William Casey of CIA – despite arguments from SecDef Caspar Weinberger and SecState George Shultz • Only 3 hostages were released, and 3 more were captured shortly after

  4. Deal Goes Wrong • November, 1986 - Lebanese newspaper “Al-Shiraa” printed exposé on the covert ops • Reagan denies on TV, week later retracts statement, said it happened, but not negotiation w/ terrorists • Then, AG Edwin Meese poked a little to far, and found that only $12 mil of supposed $30 mil had reached federal coffers

  5. Where did the Money Go? • Lt-Col. Oliver North of the NSC - the missing $18 mil went to Nicaraguan anti-communist insurgents, the Contras, fighting Sandinistas, w/ full knowledge of NSA Adm. John Poindexter and assumed knowledge of Pres. Ronald Reagan • Poindexter resigned, North was fired, and the press tried Reagan: did he know, and was responisble, or didn’t he know, and was still responsible?

  6. Responsible?

  7. Trial by the Press • Press hounded Reagan, so he created the Tower Commission • Said that it was Reagan’s disconnected stance towards the White house that caused this to be allowed to happen • Independent Counsel Lawrence Walsh investigated the affair for the next eight years – resulted in charging 14 people – of which 6 were pardoned

  8. Trial Problems • Graymail • Congressional Immunity • Who would allow the president to go to jail? • Scapegoating

  9. The National Security Staff

  10. Template Provided By www.animationfactory.com 500,000 Downloadable PowerPoint Templates, Animated Clip Art, Backgrounds and Videos

More Related