Reagan appoints a commission, led by former senator john town rtx, to investigate the irancontra affairs dec. The final report on irancontra, which has rarely been seen but was found in the crest archive, makes this explicitly clear. Each of these dubious activities, both the original policies and the subsequent coverup, in its way laid bare assumptions by key officials about the scope of presidential power. The irancontra affair, 19831988 national security archive. John kerrys 1988 senate foreign relations subcommittee report on the ways that covert support for the nicaraguan contras in the 1980s undermined the u. Although this diversion may be the most dramatic aspect of iran contra, it is important to emphasize that both the iran and contra operations, separately, violated united states policy and. 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. The irancontra affair american experience official site. Jun 24, 2001 the iran contra affair has been characterized by u.
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. Reagan announces that profits from arms sales with iran were diverted to support the contras nov. The senates final report on irancontra showed extent to. 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. How the reagan white house bungled its response to iran. 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. The iran contra scandal, as this video illustrates in the beginning, is probably one of the most ignored events of the 1980s. Reproduces on microfiche over 20,000 pages of documentation, much of it highlyclassified, pertaining to the iran contra affair,1983 1988. This documentary video looks inside the iran contra affair.
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. North, oliver oliver north testifying at the iran contra. The irancontra affair american experience official. The film takes an obvious conspiracy theory approach, which, although sometimes entertaining, sometime relies too much on documents and information that arent actually seen. With elizabeth montgomery, jack brooks, barbara honegger, david macmichael. In what became known as the iran contra affair, funds from arms sales to iran were diverted through. It began in 1985, when president ronald reagans administration supplied weapons to irana. Apr 06, 2020 iran contra focuses on the period from fall 1983, when congress first put limits on official u.
Why the russia investigation could be more like iran. It is the only film that puts the entire iran contra affair into a meaningful political and historical context. Mcfarlane sought reagans approval, in spite of the embargo against selling arms to iran. The irancontra affair demonstrated the true nature of democracy in the united states. At the same time, reagan was looking for a way to circumvent congress and assist. The iran contra affair the iran contra affair was an underground operation within the cia that was interwoven between two foreign policy issues that were unlikely to connect had the players in the ordeal not utilized one to benefit the other.
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. The constitution had established the idea of checks and balances, which limits the amount of power one branch has over another, but the irancontra affair squashed this principle, by bypassing the legislative branch it created a one body government. President ronald reagan makes his address to the nation on the iran arms and contra aid controversy nov. The irancontra scandal embodied a number of speculative foreign policy ventures. Behind the iran contra affair or read the iran contra connection. Behind the iran contra affair loses force as the movie makers run out of. 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 irancontra affair loses force as the movie makers run out of evidence that a shadowy rightwing group has been. That clash continues under the presidency of george w. Under primary consideration are the efforts to secure the release of hostages in.
Knowledge of drug trafficking and the contras the national security archive obtained the handwritten notebooks of oliver north, the national security council aide who helped run the contra war and other reagan administration covert operations, through a freedom of information act lawsuit filed in 1989. According to hartwell and others, aquino, gunderson, and white were, likewise, involved in the iran contra affair under ronald reagan, trading arms for drugs. The irancontra affair, also referred to as irangate, contragate or the irancontra scandal, was a political scandal in the united states that. Behind the iran contra affair west hollywood premiere on june 24, 1988 at the dga theatre in west hollywood, california. But if fiers is correct, topranking cia officials not only knew about the operation and did nothing to stop it. Understanding the irancontra affairs the irancontra.
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. Elizabeth montgomery, jack brooks, barbara honegger, david macmichael, george bush, sam. Reagan makes his address to the nation on the investigation of the iran arms and contra aid controversy. The united states was the largest seller of arms to iran under mohammad. This documentary video looks inside the irancontra affair. Iran contra affair 1983 1988 the iran contra affair began as an internal u. In the end, norths conviction was overturned on a technicality, and president bush issued six.
Many of these acquisitions are derived from the official bodiesinvestigating the irancontra affair, including the senate intelligence committee, the tower commission, the joint select. Despite the damage to his image, the president arguably got off easy, escaping the ultimate political sanction of impeachment. There was a power struggle between the two bodies of government, the executive and the legislative branch. Draper explains to us that the iranian revolution of 19781979 brought the. To expedite president reagans preferred antisan dinista policy. The constitution had established the idea of checks and balances, which limits the amount of power one branch has over another, but the iran contra affair squashed this principle, by bypassing the legislative branch it created a one body government. While some of the inherent problems in the tower commission, such as senator towers conflict of interest and family ties to cia, have been documented, the fact is that none of the governments investigations into the matter were able to proceed without obstruction.
In 1984, the boland amendment passed, which said that the cia and department of defense could not give militaristic aid specifically in nicaragua. The film reveals a shadow government of former cia operatives, drug smugglers, top us military personnel and others, revealing evidence. President ronald reagan holds up a copy of the tower commission report on the irancontra affair, while posing for photographers after his nationally televised speech from the oval office on. Secret teams and covert operations in the reagan era by peter dale scott and judge for yourself. 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. 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. 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. Under the management of the same few officials, both the iran and the contra policies intersected at certain important points giving rise to. Irancontra affair legal definition of irancontra affair.
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. Why the russia investigation could be more like irancontra. Behind the iran contra affair is the third featurelength documentary. Fourteen people were charged with either operational or coverup crimes. Congress or violated the stated public policy of the government. Special activities division under the command and control of the cias ncs. 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. Oliver norths diaries, email, and memos on the kerry report. To fully understand irancontra, you must know the history behind it. Cover up behind the iran contra affair trailer youtube. Discuss whatever else may be said of ronald reagan, he quickly showed that the reports of the death of the presidency were greatly exaggerated, no president has used the office of the executive in a more regal, imperial and ordained manner than ronald reagan. 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. Irancontra affair larry gilman in october and november of 1986, it was discovered that for several years, agents of the united states government had been running an illegal operation to sell weapons to iran and funnel the profits to the contras, a military organization dedicated to overthrowing the leftist government of nicaragua.
President ronald reagan holds up a copy of the tower commission report on the iran contra affair, while posing for photographers after his nationally televised speech from the oval office on. The irancontra affair of 19841987 was not one, but two separate covert foreign policy issues concerning two different problems, in two separate countries, that were dealt in two very different ways. Behind the irancontra affair 1988 examines reagans alleged deal with iran that delayed the release of american hostages until after his inauguration. The irancontra affair popularized in iran as the mcfarlane affair, the irancontra scandal. 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. Irancontras affair legal definition of irancontras affair. Irancontra summary executive summary in october and november 1986, two secret u. Irancontra focuses on the period from fall 1983, when congress first put limits on official u.
The irancontra affair 20 years on the national security archive. While much of irancontras obfuscation and maneuvering took place behind closed doors, the full force of the deceptions. Get premium, high resolution news photos at getty images. Covered are the allegations of secret governments, drugs, cia involvement, assassinations and even a plan to suspend the constitution. North, oliver oliver north testifying at the irancontra. The irancontra affair was a clandestine action not approved of by the united states congress. Irancontra was one of the many clandestine operations under the guise of s. 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.
The film reveals a shadow government of former cia operatives, drug smugglers, top us military personnel and others, revealing evidence of. Attorney general edwin meese iii requests that an independent counsel be appointed to investigate the iran contra affairs. In 1986, the arms for hostages deal turned into a major scandal in washington and beyond. In may 1989, aquino was again questioned in connection with child abuse investigations, steinberg continued. In what became known as the irancontra affair, funds from arms sales to iran were diverted through. In 1985, while iran and iraq were at war, iran made a secret request to buy weapons from the united states. The 1988 film is updated with information from recent court cases and events. 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. President reagan and national security adviser robert mcfarlane. Of course, this defence also served as a cover for participating officials to. You will need to download and install the free adobe acrobat reader to view. From the phoenix program, secret teams, ncs and more there were many illegal and horrible things that happened inclucing the mystery death of my associate jerry hog daniels, whom. Fourteen people were charged with either operational or cover up crimes. Behind the iran contra affair is the third featurelength documentary produced by the empowerment project.
The irancontra affair, also referred to as irangate, contragate or the iran contra scandal, was a political scandal in the united states that. 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. The iran and contra operations were merged when funds generated from the sale of weapons to iran were diverted to support the contra effort in nicaragua. 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.
These plans were apparently aborted when the irancontra scandal broke in november 1986. 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. Senior administration officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to the. The irancontra scandal, as this video illustrates in the beginning, is probably one of the most ignored events of the 1980s.