The Iran-Contra Scandal - 1731 Words

Introduction The Iran-Contra Scandal occurred on the (insert specific dates) in the midst of the cold war. Oliver North, a member of the National Security Council of the United States, was accused of diverting money from weapon sales in Iran to support the Contras in Central America. Provide context of central America, how this was exposed, what happened to north, specific trial stuff, talk about the cold war/tensions†¦ state thesis at end of sentence, state arguments, conclude. Main Argument 1 The intent of the Boland Amendment was to prohibit the use of United States funds to support the Contra-revolutionaries in Nicaragua. The precise wording of the Boland Amendment is: During the fiscal year 1985, no funds available to the†¦show more content†¦No one can say that North is unpatriotic. Even Representative Lee Hamilton, the opposition for his trial, said â€Å"I do not have any doubts at all, Colonel North, that you are a patriot. There are many patriots in the country and many forms of patriotism. For you, patriotism rests in the conduct of deeds, some requiring great personal courage, to free hostages and to fight communism.† Even President Reagan himself stated that â€Å"[Oliver North] has proven to be an outstanding American patriot† in a 1985 letter. North will do anything to protect his country, his beloved America. He even carried suicide pills on a mission to Tehran in case he was captured; he announced his willingness to die for his country. All actions taken by North during the Iran Contra Affair was undertaken to defend the United States. Furthermore, Oliver North was legally fulfilling his ambition of protection because he was only following instructions handed down by his superiors. There is no criminal intent in his actions, only a need to defend his country. President Ronald Reagan stated that he wanted to keep the contras going â€Å"body and soul†. He wanted to keep the Contras together as a fighting force in the field until Congress resumed funding and to keep them together as a viable political opposition. Additionally, North was only following the chain of command. Orders originated from theShow MoreRelatedIran-Contra Scandal 1621 Words   |  7 PagesI guess that makes them contras, and so it makes me a contra too.† In 1979, a bitter war broke out in Nicaragua between the Sandinista Junta of National Reconstruction, the Nicaraguan government, and the Contras, a vicious rebel group. The goal of this war was simple, overthrow the Nicaraguan government and restore freedom for all Nicaraguan citizens. It was this that caught the eye of the American government and it was not too long before the U.S began to fund the Contras. Although the United StatesRead MoreReagan s Scandal Of The Iran Contra Scandal918 Words   |  4 Pages Reagan’s Scandal of the Iran Contra Scandal: Detecting Brave Politics and testing boundaries Question: Did President Ronald Reagan know about the decision by White House aide Oliver North and National Security Advisor John Poindexter to divert profits from sales to Iran to buy weapons for rebels? Why did President Ronald Reagan change his opinions about his knowledge of his role in the Iran Contra Scandal? Almost twenty years after the notorious Watergate scandal, the Iran Contra Affair tookRead MoreIran-Contra Scandal Essay2291 Words   |  10 PagesThe Iran-contra scandal of the 1980’s, first brought to light in November 1986, is a complicated mess of scandal, arms dealings, hostage deals, and illegal acts (â€Å"Iran-Contra Affair† Infoplease.com). The original purpose of the arms sales was to improve United States-Iran relations (Sanders SNU.edu). However, when American hostages were taken throughout the 1980’s, members of President Reagan’s staff negotiated implicit deals with Iranian groups, which resulted in the U.S. selling arms in returnRead MoreEssay about iran contra scandal1913 Words   |  8 Pages Iran-Contra Scandal The Cold War peaked the interest of the entire globe. Each threat, policy and action that took place had ramifications far more reaching then ever imaginable. The world sat on edge because it feared its own destruction, after the introduction of nuclear warfare at the close of World War II, another World War could result in the Earth’s demise. This fear ran through the hearts and minds of citizens of both the United States and the Soviet Union, but it is the citizens elsewhereRead MoreEssay Iran-Contra Affair: The Diversion Scandal2952 Words   |  12 PagesIran-Contra Affair: The Diversion Scandal Eugene Hasenfus of Marinette, Wisconsin was captured when his cargo plane suffered damaging missile blows. Hasenfus’ outdated cargo plane was knocked from the sky as a result of Nicaraguan surface to air missiles. After notifying the office of the United States Vice-President, informants in both El Salvador and Costa Rica would scramble to assess and control a seemingly uncomplicated situation. While United States officials prepared to limit their damagesRead MoreThe Iran Contra Scandal Was A Shocking And Nefarious Governmental Affair1246 Words   |  5 PagesThe Iran-Contra Scandal was a shocking and nefarious governmental affair which occurred during the executive administration of President Ronald Reagan. The affairs involved many people in the United States government and their dealings with other nations, and the congressional hearings which were held to expose the secrets and find the truth behind the scandal to determine who was involved and who would be deemed guilty of atrocious crimes (Vile). President Reagan arranged a deal with Iran, secretlyRead MoreThe Iran Contra Affair1586 Words   |  7 PagesThe Iran Contra affair is historically defined as the â€Å"Reagan administration scandal that involved the sale of arms to Iran in exchange for its efforts to secure the release of hostages in Lebanon and the redirection of the proceeds of those sales to the Nicaraguan Contras.† As the Nicaraguan counterrevolutionaries, known as the Contras, began their efforts to retaliate against the Socialist Sandinista Regime, American government forces stepped in to support the Contra cause in a hope to supportRead MoreThes Covert Operations Against The Marxist Sandinista Government1253 Words   |  6 PagesHowever, when Casey increased the agency’s covert operations against the Marxist Sandinista government in Nicaragua by funneling aid to the contras, the anti-Sandinista rebels, Congress became concern of the CIA involvement in Central America. Hence, in 1982 it passed Boland amendment prohibiting the agency from aiding the contras. , Casey continued to find ways to evade the amendment (Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2010). On January 7, 1984 and February 29, 1984, the CIA mined several harborsRead MoreIran-Contra Affair Essay1617 Words   |  7 PagesIran-Contra: Crossing That Line I think everyone knew we were walking a very thin line.(Owen) Not many Americans know the truth that lies behind the Iran-Contra scandals. Most would be surprised to know about the deception of our leaders. Still today, some truth of Iran-Contra lies hidden in the conscience of the people who organized it, aided it, and went through with it. It started with good intentions, but soon was corrupted. Some may argue that we must do what we can to smother the flameRead MoreThe Iran Contra Affair Involving Ronald Reagan1059 Words   |  5 PagesIn class, we discussed the Iran-Contra Affair involving Ronald Reagan. However, we did not go in depth about public opinion, George H.W. Bush’s involvement, or how people feel about it today. This paper will seek to continue this topic. For example, the Iran-Contra polls showed that most Americans did not believe Regan’s cover stories, yet there was never a push for him to pay the political price, which would ultimately have been im peachment. Thus this paper will further attempt to understand the