North, oliver oliver north testifying at the iran contra. Whenever president reagan shows up in the irancontra pop culture, it is always in the context of questioning the credibility of his stated knowledge of actions of his subordinates. The iran contra scandal, as this video illustrates in the beginning, is probably one of the most ignored events of the 1980s. Government operations were publicly exposed, potentially implicating reagan administration officials in illegal activities. Iran contra affair 1983 1988 the iran contra affair began as an internal u. The 1988 film is updated with information from recent court cases and events. It presents a tale of politics, drugs, hostages, weapons, assassinations, covert operations and the ultimate plan to suspend the u. Attorney general edwin meese iii requests that an independent counsel be appointed to investigate the iran contra affairs. At the same time, reagan was looking for a way to circumvent congress and assist. The irancontra affair 20 years on the national security archive.
Behind the iran contra affair loses force as the movie makers run out of. For businessexclusive pricing, quantity discounts and downloadable vat invoices. Nov 25, 2011 the first president bush had publicly portrayed himself as outoftheloop on both the iran and contra operationsand indeed had fostered that image of innocence throughout the 1988. These plans were apparently aborted when the irancontra scandal broke in november 1986. The iran contra cover up marked the restoration of a cold war status quo in which crimes, both domestic and international, could be committed by the executive while the congress and the press. Get premium, high resolution news photos at getty images. Through the eighties, iraq attempted to sue iran for peace, but it wasnt until 1988 that iran accepted a ceasefire, and in 1990 final terms to end the war were agreed upon. North, oliver oliver north testifying at the irancontra.
See the article in its original context from august 26, 1988, section c, page 8. The first president bush had publicly portrayed himself as outoftheloop on both the iran and contra operationsand indeed had fostered that image of innocence throughout the 1988. Behind the irancontra affair 1988 examines reagans alleged deal with iran that delayed the release of american hostages until after his inauguration. Jose bueso rosa reagan administration officials interceded on behalf of jose bueso rosa, a honduran general who was heavily involved with the cias contra operations and faced trial for his role in a massive drug shipment to the united states. The plan was for israel to ship weapons to iran, for the united states to. The irancontra affair american experience official site. This documentary video looks inside the irancontra affair. An investigation account and american history are mostly used to evaluate reagans role. The film takes an obvious conspiracy theory approach, which, although sometimes entertaining, sometime relies too much on documents and information that arent actually seen. Caso iran contra, popularized in iran as the mcfarlane affair, the iran contra scandal, or simply iran contra, was a political scandal in the united states that occurred during the second term of the reagan administration.
The story drew on court testimony in 1990 of fabio ernesto carrasco, a pilot for a major columbian drug smuggler named george morales. On october 31, 1996, the washington post ran a follow up story to the san jose mercury news series titled cia, contras and drugs. Irancontra focuses on the period from fall 1983, when congress first put limits on official u. The tower commission finds that the president had not been told enough about the affair to cover it up michael white in washington thu 27 feb. Behind the iran contra affair 1988 what you saw in the iran contra hearings was the exposure of the beginnings of a national security state which believes it has the right to override the constitution of the united states in the name of national security. That clash continues under the presidency of george w. Many nationalist and neoconservatives would see the entire irancontra affair not as a coverup but a good use of political power, an end that justifies the means. The shadow government of assassins, arms dealers, drug smugglers, former cia operatives and top us military personnel who were running foreign policy unaccountable to the public, revealing the reaganbush administrations plan to. The two policies intersected when profits from the arms sales to iran were used to. Reagans scandal and the unchecked abuse of presidential power by malcolm.
The irancontra affair popularized in iran as the mcfarlane affair, the irancontra scandal. The irancontra affair was a clandestine action not approved of by the united states congress. Twenty years later, the iran contra affair continues to resonate on many levels, especially as washington gears up for a new season of political inquiry with the pending inauguration of the 110th congress and the seeming inevitability of hearings into a range of bush administration policies. Reagan appoints a commission, led by former senator john town rtx, to investigate the irancontra affairs dec. The foreignpolicy scandal known as the irancontra affair came to light in november 1986 when president ronald reagan confirmed reports that the united st. Reagan makes his address to the nation on the investigation of the iran arms and contra aid controversy. Behind the irancontra affair loses force as the movie makers run out of. An excerpt from a new book about irancontra demonstrates that nearly every major player in the reagan administration participated in covering up the clandestine affair. Cover up behind the irancontra affair is a thorough investigation into information suppressed during the iran contra hearings in 1987 where it was found that senior officials in the united states government secretly facilitated the sale of arms to iran. Elizabeth victoria montgomery april 15, 1933 may 18, 1995 was an american film, stage, and television actress whose career spanned five decades. The irancontra affair the making of a scandal, 19831988. Behind the iran contra affair west hollywood premiere on june 24, 1988 at the dga theatre in west hollywood, california. Elizabeth montgomery, jack brooks, barbara honegger, david macmichael, george bush, sam.
Coverup was the first film to reveal the october surprise hostage deal the reaganbush campaigndeal with iran to delay the release of the 52 american hostages until after the 1980 election, and is the only film which presents a comprehensive overview of the most important stories suppressed during the iran contra hearings. Fourteen people were charged with either operational or cover up crimes. They would both see the coverup as a necessary way to preserve the political and economical structure inside and outside america and a necessary way to maintain, in their opinion. Iran contra affair legal definition of iran contra affair. The irancontra affair american experience official. Despite the damage to his image, the president arguably got off easy, escaping the ultimate political sanction of impeachment. Behind the irancontra affair dvd coverup exposes several of the most disturbing chapters in the history of u. Many nationalist and neoconservatives would see the entire iran contra affair not as a cover up but a good use of political power, an end that justifies the means. The iran contra affair involved a secret foreign policy operation directed by white house officials in the national security council nsc under president ronald reagan. In 1984, the boland amendment passed, which said that the cia and department of defense could not give militaristic aid specifically in nicaragua. Congress or violated the stated public policy of the government. Mcfarlane sought reagans approval, in spite of the embargo against selling arms to iran. The irancontra affair of 19841987 was not one affair but two separate covert foreign policy.
To fully understand irancontra, you must know the history behind it. How the reagan white house bungled its response to iran. The iran contra affair, also referred to as irangate, contragate or the iran contra scandal, was a political scandal in the united states that came to light in november 1986. Yet, despite the enormity of the issues, the affair dropped from the public radar due. The united states was the largest seller of arms to iran under mohammad reza pahlavi. Feb 27, 2014 the tower commission finds that the president had not been told enough about the affair to cover it up michael white in washington thu 27 feb 2014 02. Apr 06, 2020 iran contra focuses on the period from fall 1983, when congress first put limits on official u. Reagans role will be looked at while aiding the nicaraguan contras, releasing american hostages, both which led to the irancontra affair, and during the cover up, in america and partly in iran. Jun 24, 2001 the iran contra affair has been characterized by u. During his campaign for the white house, reagan had promised to assist. The irancontra affair, a serious blow to the reagan administration, combines in its name two far removed parts of the world iran and nicaragua, where the contras are conducting a guerrilla war against the sandinista regime. The irancontra affair involved a secret foreign policy operation directed by white house officials in the national security council nsc under president ronald reagan. Behind the iran contra affair is the third featurelength documentary. Behind the iran contra affair a tangled tale of politics, drugs, hostages, weapons, assassinations, covert operations and the ultimate plan to suspend the constitution of the united states.
In 1985, while iran and iraq were at war, iran made a secret request to buy weapons from the united states. President reagan and national security adviser robert mcfarlane. You will need to download and install the free adobe acrobat reader to view. The irancontra affair the tower commission was named after its chair, former senator john tower, and was established by reagan to investigate the irancontra affair. The irancontra affair, 19831988 national security archive. In what became known as the iran contra affair, funds from arms sales to iran were diverted through. Behind the iran contra affair is the third featurelength documentary produced by the empowerment project.
President ronald reagan makes his address to the nation on the iran arms and contra aid controversy nov. It began in 1985, when president ronald reagans administration supplied weapons to irana. This documentary of the iran contra affair consolidates the evidence and conspiracy theories of the incident after the week congressional hearings proved inadequate, acting merely as damage control and failing to show any sincere effort to get to the real truth of the matter. But if fiers is correct, topranking cia officials not only knew about the operation and did nothing to stop it. Covered are the allegations of secret governments, drugs, cia involvement, assassinations and even a plan to suspend the constitution. In 1987, amid the irancontra inquiry, investigators found that the scandal fit within a larger republican scheme for manipulating. Iran and israel the extent of iranianisraeli cooperation that came about as a result of the irancontra affair has been seen by some as even more surprising than the u. This documentary video looks inside the iran contra affair.
The film reveals a shadow government of former cia operatives, drug smugglers, top us military personnel and others, revealing evidence. Congress established another investigation, which issued its more. These operations were the provision of assistance to the military activities of the. Start reading irancontra on your kindle in under a minute. Exposing the affair president reagan, along with robert mcfarlane, john poindexter, and oliver north took the money, and used it to support the contras in nicaragua they tried to get around the boland amendment by. Praise for the iran contra affair, 1983 1988 the national security archive represents an idea so obviousonce you think of itthat it instantly makes the transition from novelty to necessity the desirability of collecting in one location all the declassified documentation on us. The irancontra affair, also referred to as irangate, contragate or the irancontra scandal, was a political scandal in the united states that came to light in november 1986. Draper explains to us that the iranian revolution of 19781979 brought the. What links them is that each is an area where us prohibitions apply.
The film reveals a shadow government of former cia operatives, drug smugglers, top us military personnel and others, revealing evidence of. Reagan announces that profits from arms sales with iran were diverted to support the contras nov. Irancontra summary executive summary in october and november 1986, two secret u. In the end, norths conviction was overturned on a technicality, and president bush issued six. Cover up behind the irancontra affair is a thorough investigation into information suppressed during the irancontra hearings in 1987 where it was found that senior officials in the united states government secretly facilitated the sale of arms to iran.
With elizabeth montgomery, jack brooks, barbara honegger, david macmichael. The irancontra coverup marked the restoration of a cold war status quo in which crimes, both domestic and international, could be committed by the executive while the congress and the press. Irancontras affair legal definition of irancontras affair. Screening of cover up behind the irancontra affair. Caso irancontra, popularized in iran as the mcfarlane affair, the irancontra scandal, or simply irancontra, was a political scandal in the united states that occurred during the second term of the reagan administration. The irancontra scandal, as this video illustrates in the beginning, is probably one of the most ignored events of the 1980s. Behind the iran contra affair directed by david kasper. The iran contra affair the tower commission was named after its chair, former senator john tower, and was established by reagan to investigate the iran contra affair. In 1986, the arms for hostages deal turned into a major scandal in washington and beyond. Senior administration officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to the. Many of these acquisitions are derived from the official bodiesinvestigating the irancontra affair, including the senate intelligence committee, the tower commission, the joint select. Behind the irancontra affair 1988 cast and crew examines reagans alleged deal with iran that delayed the release of american hostages until after his inauguration. Mar 27, 2014 the iran contra affair, also referred to as irangate, contragate or the iran contra scandal, was a political scandal in the united states that came to light in november 1986.
Understanding the irancontra affairs the irancontra. The irancontra affair as seen through american, middle eastern, and soviet news sources in early november 1986 a small local newspaper in lebanon broke a scandal that would cast dark shadows of suspicion on the reagan administration, call into question american global. They would both see the cover up as a necessary way to preserve the political and economical structure inside and outside america and a necessary way to maintain, in their opinion. What we saw in the irancontra hearings, was the exposure of the beginnings of a national security state which believes it has the right to override the constitution of the united states in the name of security. Fourteen people were charged with either operational or coverup crimes. The irancontra affair popularized in iran as the mcfarlane affair, the iran contra scandal. Kris kristofferson and wife lisa meyers attend the screening of cover up behind the iran contra affair on june 24, 1988 at the directors guild theater in hollywood, california. It had limited time, and could not question two key agents, north or poindexter. Congress established another investigation, which issued its. The irancontra affair leila alidoost exposing the affaircont. Under the boland amendment, further funding of the contras by the. Buy irancontra reprint by malcolm byrne author isbn.
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