Irancontra affair scandal that erupted after the reagan administration sold weapons to iran in hopes of freeing american hostages in lebanon. Kept from the public domain, therefore, was the draft chapters explosive. This book benefits from access to a number of previously unavailable irancontra documents. If youre old enough to remember the iran contra affair, this book will either seem incredible or a validation of what you suspected. C in the case of nicaragua, the focus was on destabilizing the government and engineering the. Irancontra hearings closing statement ladies and gentlemen, the public phase of our hearings is now over. A book published in 2008 by israeli journalist and terrorism expert ronen bergman asserts that. Irancontra hearings oliver north testimony 1987 youtube. Rarely seen report uncovered in cia archives lends credence to coverup. Cia involvement in contra cocaine trafficking wikipedia. During a senate hearing on march 26, 1985, senator christopher dodd, dconn.
One staffer told eir that the kimmitt hearings might. Joint hearings before the senate select committee on secret military assistance to iran and the nicaraguan opposition and the house select committee to investigate covert arms transactions with iran u. Government operations were publicly exposed, potentially implicating reagan administration officials in illegal activities. President ronald reagan addresses the nation after congressional hearings on iran contra affair. The opportuneness of this book by jonathan marshall, peter dale. Cia involvement in trafficking is usually alleged to be connected to the contra war in nicaragua and the irancontra affair during the reagan administration. Full text transcript and audio of oliver north opening statement at iran contra hearings lieutenant colonel. Twenty years later, the irancontra 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. How americans challenged the media and seized political initiative during the iran contra debate hardcover. The irancontra affair is subjected to hermeneutical discourse analysis to uncover. This electronic briefing book is compiled from declassified documents obtained by the national security archive, including the notebooks kept by nsc aide and irancontra figure oliver north, electronic mail messages written by highranking reagan administration officials, memos detailing the contra war effort, and fbi and dea reports.
Deaver convicted on perjury counts resulting from lobbying activities. Irancontra revisited new book places reagan at center of 1980s scandal. Notes from north describe meeting on contra support. Case studies in presidential foreign policy making since 1945. This report and more than two dozen appendix volumes was issued by the joint congressional committee which conducted a far more extensive investigation of the sales of arms to iran and the use of that money to fund the nicaraguan contras. The congressional committees investigating the irancontra affair were committees of the united states house of representatives and of the united states senate formed in january 1987 to investigate the irancontra affair. The senates final report on irancontra showed extent to.
According to staff members of the senate foreign relations committee, which will oversee kimmitts con firmation hearings, a dossier is being prepared by the general counsel. Iran contra the former attorney general, nominated to return to run the justice department, backed president george h. The iran contra 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. The irancontra scandal, 1991 confirmation hearings, and excerpts from new book safe for democracy. Irancontra summary executive summary in october and november 1986, two secret u. Thought control in democratic societies paperback by. Iran contra hearings closing statement ladies and gentlemen, the public phase of our hearings is now over. National security archive electronic briefing book no. Newsweek interactive, llc irancontras untold story authors. The irancontra affair 19861987 the washington post. I had just graduated high school when the iran contra hearings began, and i voted in my first u. After the irancontra scandal broke in late 1986, no issue or controversy more captivated the nations attention. The irancontra affair popularized in iran as the mcfarlane affair, the irancontra scandal.
In the first day of testimony before the joint housesenate iran contra committee see may 5, 1987, general richard secord see september 19, 1986 testifies that cia director william casey was one of the driving forces behind the illegal sales of arms to iran, and the equally illegal diversion of profits from those arms to the nicaraguan. The irancontra affair was the product of two separate initiatives during the administration of president ronald reagan. In either case, it almost pales in comparison to nixons sabotoge of the viet nam peace agreement so he could get elected and carry on the war for two more bloody years. Not only was it completed after the irancontra hearings, it used information that had been denied to. It may interest you to know that we have concluded our hearings in 41 days of testimony, which includes one day of executive session, and this was in accordance with our. Were going to push and push and push until some larger force makes us stop. Nov 24, 2006 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. The iran contra scandal, 1991 confirmation hearings, and excerpts from new book safe for democracy.
Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1, 2, or 3 months new customers receive 15% off your first box. I wrote a series of articles, later gathered into book form, based on several. Joint hearings on the irancontra investigation keywords. William barr and the irancontra scandal the millennium. Senator inouye, the committee chairman, twice intervened, ruling that the question was highly sensitive and classified, and should only be discussed in executive session. Popular iran contra affair books goodreads share book. The robert gates file the national security archive. In october 1982, the israeli ambassador to the us stated publicly that israel. Representative thomas foley discussed testimony from the iran contra hearings. How iran and contra came to be said in the same breath was the result of complicated covert activities, all carried out, the players said, in the name of democracy.
Operation garden plot is a subprogram of rex 84 program, short for readiness exercise 1984, the militarys plan to impose martial law and intern dissidents and others in an undisclosed number of concentration camps. At the center of the discussion of the irancontra scandal in the three decades since. The existence of rex 84 was first revealed during the irancontra hearings in 1987 and reported by the miami herald on july 5, 1987. Mar 15, 2017 the senates final report on irancontra showed extent to which the investigation had been stonewalled. This electronic briefing book is compiled from declassified documents obtained by the national security archive, including the notebooks kept by nsc aide and iran contra figure oliver north, electronic mail messages written by highranking reagan administration officials, memos detailing the contra war effort, and fbi and dea reports. The congressional hearings on the irancontra affair will be televised live beginning at 9 a. Articles such as this one were acquired and published with the primary aim of expanding the information on with greater speed and efficiency than has traditionally been possible. Viewers made comments about the hearings they have seen so far. If youre old enough to remember the irancontra affair, this book will either seem incredible or a validation of what you suspected. Nov 18 congressional committees report on irancontra affair places blame on rwr for wrong doing of his aides. Thats right, all we need is the price of a paperback book to sustain a nonprofit website the whole world depends on. Liman is also well remembered for his role as chief counsel for the senates investigation of the iran contra affair, known as the united states senate select committee on secret military assistance to iran and the nicaraguan opposition. The senates final report on irancontra showed extent to which the investigation had been stonewalled.
One of the most complicated and intriguefilled scandals in recent decades, the iran contra affair dominated the news for many months. The committees held joint hearings and issued a joint report. The hearings ran from 5 may 1987 to 6 august 1987, and the. Finally, ladies and gentlemen, it takes little sophistication to realize that the motive for the irancontra hearings was an attempt to weaken a popular republican president and to provide support for a potential impeachment against him, but as we realize, even impeachment proceedings by a joint senatehouse committee is unconstitutional, and. President ronald reagan addresses the nation after congressional hearings on irancontra affair. Irancontra hearings contradict rule of law speeches. Norths book under fire written in 1991 states that reagan knew everything about the. The authors argue that the irancontra scandal is not merely a plan gone awry, but. In short, as the books subtitle indicates, this was reagans scandal. Jul 30, 1987 the congressional hearings on the iran contra affair will be televised live beginning at 9 a. In the first day of testimony before the joint housesenate irancontra committee see may 5, 1987, general richard secord see september 19, 1986 testifies that cia director william casey was one of the driving forces behind the illegal sales of arms to iran, and the equally illegal diversion of profits from those arms to the nicaraguan.
One of the most complicated and intriguefilled scandals in recent decades, the irancontra affair dominated the news for many months. Jan 14, 2019 william barr supported pardons in an earlier d. Barrs push for irancontra pardons likely to emerge in. The hearings ran from 5 may 1987 to 6 august 1987, and the report was published in november, with a. Bush, one must grasp the significance of irancontra, the massive criminal operation that was the cornerstone of the bush era, headed by the bushes, with the clintons as partners. Representative james courter discussed the irancontra hearings and answered questions from viewers. On may 5, 1987, the world tuned in to watch the joint hearings of house select committee to investigate covert arms transactions with iran and the senate select committee on secret military assistance to iran and the nicaraguan oppositionsoon to be known as the irancontra hearings. Secrecy in the irancontra affair as an effect of power isu red. Congressional committees investigating the irancontra affair. Many comparisons have been made between russiagate and the earlier scandals of watergate and irancontra, but the similarities are at best superficial, explained robert parry on june 28, 2017. Irancontra affair president ronald reagan receiving the tower commission report, following the irancontra affair, february 26, 1987. Feb 18, 2012 iran contra hearings oliver north testimony 1987.
My best friend is my wife betsy, to whom i have been married for 19 years and with whom i have had four. Reagans scandal and the unchecked abuse of presidential power malcolm byrne. In february 1982, the main israeli figures whose names later appeared in the irancontra hearings appeared on bbc television and described how they had helped organise an arms flow to the new ayatollah khomeini regime. White, as the ramrod soldier on tv, oliver north, swearing to tell the truth so help me god. The irancontra affair 20 years on national security archive. Irancontra the former attorney general, nominated to return to run the justice department, backed president george h. As you all know by now, my name is oliver north, lieutenant colonel, united states marine corps. Existence of the rex 84 plan was first revealed during the irancontra hearings in 1987, and subsequently reported by the miami herald on july 5, 1987 these camps are to be operated by fema should martial law need to be implemented in the united states and all it would take is a presidential signature on a proclamation and the attorney generals signature on a warrant to which a list of names is attached. Consortium news record on russiagatehow cn covered the. The irancontra affair american experience official site.
Full text transcript and audio of oliver north opening statement at iran contra hearings american rhetoric. Joint housesenate irancontra committee history commons. Mar 28, 2018 learn about the iran contra affair under president reagan who secretly supported an anticommunist group in nicaragua and funneled weapons to iranian terrorists in exchange for american hostages. The role of william barr in pardons of reaganera officials in the irancontra affair will be a focus at mr. To understand the scope, scale, and gravity of william barrs central role working for george h. Finally, ladies and gentlemen, it takes little sophistication to realize that the motive for the iran contra hearings was an attempt to weaken a popular republican president and to provide support for a potential impeachment against him, but as we realize, even impeachment proceedings by a joint senatehouse committee is unconstitutional, and. A manual designed for the usbacked contra forces the guerrillas. The declassified history provides the 101 most important documents on the policy decisions, covert operations, and subsequent coverup that created the most serious constitutional crisis of modern times. Many comparisons have been made between russiagate and the earlier scandals of watergate and iran contra, but the similarities are at best superficial, explained robert parry on june 28, 2017.
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. In the televised irancontra hearings, north was asked by congressman brooks to discuss the alleged contingency plan to suspend the american constitution. Nevertheless, these few chapters provide a good summary of what went right and what went wrong with the 1987 congressional hearings and the pursuits of the special prosecutor. The iran contra affair was the product of two separate initiatives during the administration of president ronald reagan. How americans challenged the media and seized political initiative during the irancontra debate hardcover. Oliver north opening statement during iran contra hearings l ieutenant c olonel o l iver n orth. In the televised iran contra hearings, north was asked by congressman brooks to discuss the alleged contingency plan to suspend the american constitution. Liman is also well remembered for his role as chief counsel for the senates investigation of the irancontra affair, known as the united states senate select committee on secret military assistance to iran and the nicaraguan opposition. Congressional committees investigating the irancontra. In 1986 its spokesman acknowledged that funds from sales of cocaine smuggled into the us had helped fund the contra rebels, but said that the smuggling was not authorized by the us. List of books and articles about irancontra affair online. Dec 22 contra aid appropriation passed and signed for nonlethal aid.
Representative james courter discussed the iran contra hearings and answered questions from viewers. These operations were the provision of assistance to the military activities of the. In february 1987, as the irancontra hearings were underway, durrani filed an affidavit with the court in connecticut. This shopping feature will continue to load items when the enter key is pressed. What are quality books about the irancontra affair. The hearings were called to order about two months. Popular iran contra affair books showing 15 of 5 drift. Part 3 exposes the roots of irancontra in the watergate scandal, but.
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