1 / 28

Iran-Contra Scandal

Iran-Contra Scandal. Q. Was Iran-Contra worse than Watergate?. Reagan’s Foreign Policy. Rejection détente, Realpolitik (publicly) Changed attitudes: Soviets defeatable  no mere containment

rudolpho-calvey
Download Presentation

Iran-Contra Scandal

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. Iran-Contra Scandal Q. Was Iran-Contra worse than Watergate?

  2. Reagan’s Foreign Policy • Rejection détente, Realpolitik (publicly) • Changed attitudes: Soviets defeatable no mere containment • Ignored/overlooked democracy: no action apartheid S Africa (“constructive engagement”) until divestiture movement forces sanctions ‘86

  3. Why not Reagan? • The scandal involved serious legal, constitutional, and moral “improprieties” much greater than the Watergate break in • When scandal first broke out, a majority of Americans called for Reagan’s impeachment • Why did Reagan survive when Nixon had fallen?

  4. I. The Contra End A. Support for Somoza Brutal dynasty of dictators who came to power in Nicaragua in 1934 Pro-US Anastasio Somoza

  5. B. The Sandinistas • 1961: Sandinista National Liberation Front formed (FSLN) • Communist/nationalist • Led by Daniel Ortega Ortega

  6. 1978: US suspends military aid to Somoza regime • 1979: FSLN overthrows Somoza and sets up communist regime (nationalize, redistribute land, etc.)

  7. Carter: fait accompli Rejected request for $75 million in aid (disliked revolutionaries) Moderate regime but no action Reagan: 2nd Cuba Kill the bastards C. American Reaction

  8. D. Bay of Pigs Redux • Reagan orders CIA Director William Casey to plan overthrow

  9. Casey: create and fund (1981: $19 million) counterrevolutionaries Contras • Started small (about 500) but grew (several thousand)

  10. Contras’ small numbers guerilla tactics, assassination, terror • Murdered villagers, nuns • US secretly mined Nicaragua’s harbors World Court rules US in violation international law • Reagan justified support by comparing the Contras to the American Revolutionaries

  11. Increasingly angry, in 1984 Congress prohibits funding to Contras: • Boland Amendment to an appropriations bill • Reagan signed the bill: public, press, Congress believe that US out of Nicaragua • Election year polls showed majority opposition to Reagan’s Latin American policies

  12. E. Ollie North • Reagan decides to secretly evade/break the law • But how to get the money? • Casey delegates to NSC staffer Oliver North

  13. Tactics • Wealthy individuals: “charitable” gifts to Contras • State Department approaches foreign countries for $ aid • Contras sell drugs in US for $ (with CIA assistance?)

  14. Problems • Illegal for administration to promise something for the $ (quid pro quo) • Upsets Constitutional system of checks and balances • Contras still unable to win major military victory

  15. Solution • North combines Contra operation with “The Enterprise”: Iran

  16. II. Iran End A. Anti-Terrorism? • Reagan publicly a hard-line anti-terrorist • Privately a soft touch (met with families) • 1979: Iranian Revolution American embassy hostages (50+) • Released when Reagan was inaugurated and US unfroze Iranian $ in US • Not connected (?)

  17. Iran supported anti-US terrorism • Lebanese kidnappings of American Zionists • 1985: Reagan meets with family visibly shakenobsessed with hostages

  18. National Security Advisor Robert McFarlane approached by Iranian businessman Manucher Ghorbanifar: • Arms for hostages

  19. Problems • Illegal: Congress had passed law against arms sales to Iran • Went against Reagan’s public policy • Major advisors spoke out against it  Do it anyways McFarlane goes to North

  20. B. One Simple Deal • Supposed to be one (1) simple deal: sell weapons (30% markup) for hostages • Iranians up ante: 2 plane loads rather than 1, 1 hostage rather than all 7

  21. Despite failure continue to try (120 for 5) • Continued failure: McFarlane decides to call it off but resigns John Poindexter appointed • ON convinces JP to continue: combine the deals

  22. III. Diversion of Funds • North: profits from arms sales Contras • Problem: unelected bureaucrat funding illegal activity with illegal funds (“Shadow government”) • North deals 2 more times • At end of arms trade there were MORE hostages in Lebanon • The exact reason Bush refuses to deal w/Iraqi kidnappers today

  23. October 1986: Contra end exposed— • Sandinistas shot down American plane carrying arms and soldiers why were they there? • North starts shredding

  24. Four weeks later Iranian government leaks story to Mid East paper to embarrass Reagan • North shreds faster

  25. Senate held hearings to investigate scandal

  26. North, Poindexter, and Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and others convicted of perjury and contempt of Congress • Eventually overturned in court based on the 5th Amendment • George H.W. Bush pardoned the others

  27. IV. Comparison to Watergate • Belief that loss of liberty abroad loss of liberty at home • Contempt of Congress • Reagan’s guys destroyed the evidence • Iran-Contra substantially worse • Revelations help lead to greater support for Saddam Hussein, 1st Gulf War, and 9-11

  28. The Teflon President • Reagan saved by the fact that there was no smoking gun • Either didn’t exist or was destroyed • Reagan remembered as great president • Subordinates go on: North runs for Congress, works for FOX News, Poindexter and TIA, Bush President • Presidential Records

More Related