[40] Additionally, Reagan's invocation of the 25th Amendment prior to the surgery was a risky and unprecedented decision that smoothly flew under the radar for the duration of the complex situation. Maj. Gen. Avraham Tamir, a high-ranking Israeli Defense Ministry official in 1981, said there was an "oral agreement" to allow the sale of "spare parts" to Iran. The Reagan administration argued that because the constitution assigned the right to conduct foreign policy to the executive, its efforts to overthrow the government of Nicaragua were a presidential prerogative that Congress had no right to try to halt via the Boland Amendments. However, he was overruled by Clair George. This account was confirmed by a former senior American diplomat with a few modifications. In early July 1985, the historian Michael Ledeen, a consultant of National Security Adviser Robert McFarlane, requested assistance from Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres for help in the sale of arms to Iran. The operation was discovered only after an airlift of guns (Corporate Air Services HPF821) was downed over Nicaragua. The Tower Commission Report was published as the Report of the President's Special Review Board (U.S. GPO 26 February 1987). [42] In his 1990 autobiography An American Life, Reagan claimed that he was deeply committed to securing the release of the hostages; it was this compassion that supposedly motivated his support for the arms initiatives. These factors were bound to contribute to psychological distress in the midst of an already distressing situation. [129] Attorney General William P. Barr advised the President on these pardons, especially that of Caspar Weinberger. [69] In September and October 1986 three more Americans Frank Reed, Joseph Cicippio, and Edward Tracy were abducted in Lebanon by a separate terrorist group, who referred to them simply as "G.I. [17] The paper read: Dynamic political evolution is taking place inside Iran. Following the revolution and a national referendum, Khomeini became the country's Supreme Leadera position created in the constitution as the highest ranking political and religious authority of the nationuntil his death. A region of the United States generally considered to stretch across the South and Southwest that has seen substantial population growth in recent decades, partly fueled by a surge in retiring baby boomers who migrate domestically, as well as the influx of immigrants, both legal and illegal. [59] Other members of the NSC were in favor of North's plan; with large support, Poindexter authorized it without notifying President Reagan, and it went into effect. Though Hashemi made a full video confession to numerous serious charges, some observers find the coincidence of his leak and the subsequent prosecution highly suspicious. One was that the leaders of Irans revolution were able to link their cause to the survival of the nation itself. At the debate he is asked how he would handle the communists in eastern Europe and he said there were none and this apparently sealed his fate.

Iranian accounts indicate that the countrys leadership was initially unaware of the student-led plan to assault the embassy (which the students claimed was a response to years of perceived US antagonism dating back to the 1953 coup), but Khomeini was quick to embrace the move for domestic political reasons. This was based on an "understanding" with Secretary Alexander Haig (which a Haig adviser denied). Although current US strategy no longer focuses on some of these ambitious concepts, their impact can be seen in the history of American involvement in the Middle East and continues to be felt across the region. [3] Handwritten notes taken by Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger on 7 December 1985 indicate that Reagan was aware of potential hostage transfers with Iran, as well as the sale of HAWK and TOW missiles to "moderate elements" within that country. [122], In an interview with The Washington Post in August 1987, Bush stated that he was denied information about the operation and did not know about the diversion of funds. He runs again and debates Jimmy Carter. [42] McFarlane met with the Israeli intermediaries;[43] Reagan claimed that he allowed this because he believed that establishing relations with a strategically located country, and preventing the Soviet Union from doing the same, was a beneficial move. The Commission had interviewed 80 witnesses to the scheme, including Reagan, and two of the arms trade middlemen: Manucher Ghorbanifar and Adnan Khashoggi. Although Congress had prohibited aid to the Nicaraguan contras, individuals in Reagan's administration continued to illegally support the rebels. [100] Lawrence Walsh, who was appointed Independent Counsel in 1986 to investigate the transactions later implied Reagan's declining health may have played a role in his handling of the situation. His approval ratings suffered "the largest single drop for any U.S. president in history", from 67% to 46% in November 1986, according to a The New York Times/CBS News poll. On 15 September 1985, following the second delivery, Reverend Benjamin Weir was released by his captors, the Islamic Jihad Organization. [121], On 27 July 1986, Israeli counterterrorism expert Amiram Nir briefed Vice President Bush in Jerusalem about the weapon sales to Iran. As the latest wave of revolutionary uncertainty sweeps across the Middle East, Iran remains one of the regions biggest question marks. Became known as Star Wars and would be able to shoot missiles down from space. For the next twenty-five years, Mohammad Reza Shah remained in power and made significant contributions to the interests of his superpower patron. [69] In August 1986, the Americans had established a new contact in the Iranian government, Ali Hashemi Bahramani, the nephew of Rafsanjani and an officer in the Revolutionary Guard. On the same day, John Poindexter resigned, and President Reagan fired Oliver North. These and other organizations of the Christian right opposed federal interference in local affairs; denounced abortion, divorce, feminism, and homosexuality; defended unrestricted free enterprise, and supported a strong American posture in the world. [15] Walsh submitted his final report on August 4, 1993,[16] and later wrote an account of his experiences as counsel, Firewall: The Iran-Contra Conspiracy and Cover-Up. [42] Reagan initially rejected the plan, until Israel sent information to the United States showing that the "moderate" Iranians were opposed to terrorism and had fought against it. [29][30][28] The Pia Vesta led to a small controversy, as the Panama and Peru governments in 1986 accused the United States and each other of being involved in the East Germany-originated shipment. However, Walsh did note that he believed President Reagan's "instincts for the countrys good were right". [82] Canham-Clyne argued that for the "national security state", the law was an obstacle to be surmounted rather than something to uphold and that the IranContra affair was just "business as usual", something he asserted that the media missed by focusing on the NSC having "gone operational. The Communist threat has disappeared, for instance, but the menace of international terrorism has strengthened. The main objectives of the commission were to inquire into "the circumstances surrounding the IranContra matter, other case studies that might reveal strengths and weaknesses in the operation of the National Security Council system under stress, and the manner in which that system has served eight different presidents since its inception in 1947". The coup in August 1953 was carried out at US and British instigation but relied on a variety of Iranian groups and individuals for its eventual success. And as frustrating as the waiting has been, I felt it was improper to come to you with sketchy reports, or possibly even erroneous statements, which would then have to be corrected, creating even more doubt and confusion. The first arms sales to Iran began in 1981, though the official paper trail has them beginning in 1985 (see above). Retired National Security Advisor McFarlane conducted another international voyage, this one to Tehran bringing with him a gift of a Bible with a handwritten inscription by Ronald Reagan[64][65] and, according to George Cave, a cake baked in the shape of a key. There's been enough of that.[92]. Instead, it was a sign of the rise of another factor in international politics that would have implications beyond the Cold War: Moslem fundamentalism, which not only incorporated the concept of national sovereignty (captured in the phrase neither East nor West) but was animated at its core by the ambition of creating a theocratic state and spreading Islam across the region. Critics claimed it could never be perfected. [69] Following this, William Casey, head of the CIA, requested that the United States authorize sending a shipment of small missile parts to Iranian military forces as a way of expressing gratitude. [94], Domestically, the affair precipitated a drop in President Reagan's popularity. [68] At one point, an angry McFarlane shouted: "As I am a Minister, I expect to meet with decision-makers. In late 1985, Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North of the National Security Council diverted a portion of the proceeds from the Iranian weapon sales to fund the Contras, a group of anti-Sandinista rebels, in their insurgency against the socialist government of Nicaragua. "[68] The Iranians requested concessions such as Israel's withdrawal from the Golan Heights, which the United States rejected. It is unclear exactly what Reagan knew and when, and whether the arms sales were motivated by his desire to save the U.S. hostages. They arrived in Tehran in an Israeli plane carrying forged Irish passports on 25 May 1986. Few outside countries have more at stake in the evolution of Irans political situation than the United States, which has been in a state of open enmity with the Islamic Republic for more than three decades. (1977-1981), Created the Department of Energy and the Depatment of Education. This did not necessarily bode well for Washington, however. Still another outcome, of direct relevance to US standing in the region, was the cementing of the perception among the countrys hardliners of Washington as an irreconcilable enemy of the Islamic Republic. Enthusiastically. For centuries, Persia, as the country was once known, attracted the attention of rival great powers from the ancient Greeks to the Mongols, and from the Arabs to the Ottomans. Reagan authorized the shipment to ensure that those potential events would not occur. [128] They were: Bush also pardoned Caspar Weinberger, who had not yet come to trial. Evacuated nearly 500,000 Americans and South Vietnamese from Vietnam, closing the war. meeting, Israel requested permission from the United States to sell a small number of BGM-71 TOW antitank missiles to Iran, claiming that this would aid the "moderate" Iranian faction,[42] by demonstrating that the group actually had high-level connections to the U.S. From 1980 through 1988, Iran and Iraq fought a horrific war initiated by Saddam Husseins opportunism but fueled by historical animosity, among other factors. Find GCSE resources for every subject. This includes provision of selected military equipment. ", washingtonpost.com: Hall Testifies of Necessity 'To Go Above Written Law', "Poindexter and North Have Limited Options", "15 Years Later, the Remaking of a President", "Weinberger charged in IranContra matter", "Bush Pardons Weinberger, Five Others Tied to IranContra", "North, Poindexter and 2 Others Indicted on IranContra Fraud and Theft Charges", "Civil Liberties Union Asks Court To Quash IranContra Indictment", "United States of America v. John M. Poindexter, Appellant, 951 F.2d 369 (D.C. Cir. [120][14][15], The IranContra affair and the ensuing deception to protect senior administration officials (including President Reagan) was cast as an example of post-truth politics by Malcolm Byrne of George Washington University. The actions of the United States were seen as a sign of genuine respect for the rights of sovereign stateshighly unusual for a major powerand made a powerful impression on the Iranian people. [63] Poindexter told Reagan that Ghorbanifar had important connections within the Iranian government, so with the hope of the release of the hostages, Reagan approved this plan as well. On 24 November 1985, 18 Hawk anti-aircraft missiles were delivered. It was also published as The Tower Commission Report by Bantam Books (.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-free a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-registration a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a,.mw-parser-output .citation .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:linear-gradient(transparent,transparent),url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#3a3;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}ISBN0-553-26968-2). [37] The idea behind the plan was for Israel to ship weapons through an intermediary (identified as Manucher Ghorbanifar) to the Islamic Republic as a way of aiding a supposedly moderate, politically influential faction within the regime of Ayatollah Khomeini who was believed to be seeking a rapprochement with the United States; after the transaction, the United States would reimburse Israel with the same weapons, while receiving monetary benefits. [17] After Iraq invaded Iran in September 1980, Iran desperately needed weapons and spare parts for its current weapons. Until the press reported on the existence of the operation, nobody in the administration questioned the authority of Poindexter's and North's team to implement the president's decisions". My heart and my best intentions still tell me that's true, but the facts and the evidence tell me it is not. Another was the elevation of the status of the Revolutionary Guards, eventually rivaling even the power of the clerical leadership. [33], Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger was highly negative, writing on his copy of McFarlane's paper: "This is almost too absurd to comment on like asking Qaddafi to Washington for a cozy chat. [21] The broader constitutional question at stake was the power of Congress versus the power of the presidency. government. Though staunchly opposed by Secretary of State George Shultz and Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, the plan was authorized by Reagan, who stated that, "We were not trading arms for hostages, nor were we negotiating with terrorists". This information is brought to the public and this whole event is known as? Copyright The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History 2009-2019. [18] The Reagan administration's policy towards Nicaragua produced a major clash between the executive and legislative branches as Congress sought to limit, if not curb altogether, the ability of the White House to support the Contras. The two Senate Intelligence Committee reports are online: Congressional committees investigating the IranContra affair, Joint Committee of the United States Congress, Congressional Committees Investigating The IranContra Affair, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, CIA involvement in Contra cocaine trafficking, List of federal political scandals in the United States, United States involvement in regime change in Latin America, United States and state-sponsored terrorism, "Address to the Nation on the Iran Arms and Contra Aid Controversy", "Excerpts From the IranContra Report: A Secret Foreign Policy", "Pardons Granted by President George H. W. Bush (1989-1993)", "Secord Is Guilty of One Charge in Contra Affair", "Ortega, Faulting Reagan, Warns of Coming War", "Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega's complex US ties suggest lessons for Trump era, historians say", "Apartheid, guns and money: book lifts the lid on Cold War secrets", "The Chinese and Soviets had a bigger role in supporting apartheid than we previously knew", "Danish Ship Caught Carrying Soviet-Made Weapons", "The Pia Vesta Caper: A New Dimension To Contragate", "U.S. Said to Have Allowed Israel to Sell Arms to Iran", "Military history of the IranIraq War, 19801988", "From the Archives: Ronald Regan first invoked the 25th Amendment in 1985", "Arms, Hostages and Contras: How a Secret Foreign Policy Unraveled", "Letter Accepting the Resignation of Robert C. McFarlane as Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs", "Understanding the Iran-Contra Affairs - The Legal Aftermath", "Irangate: IranContra affair, 19851992", "McFarlane Took Cake and Bible to Teheran, Ex-C.I.A.