When was the iran contra hearings

The Reagan administration repeatedly denied any involvement, raising questions about the use of covert operations, congressional oversight, and even the presidential power to pardon. Reagan very publicly fought to eradicate communism around the globe, especially in Central America. In , a revolution brought the San dinistas , a socialist group, to power in Nicaragua.

Fearing the spread of similar movements in the region, the Reagan administration decided to back a paramilitary group, the Contras.

It was a difficult task as the Democratic congress had passed the Boland Amendment, restricting CIA and Department of Defense operations in Nicaragua specifically after it was found that the Contras were involved in drug trafficking. The amendment was strengthened in , making it impossible to officially support the Contras. He appealed again to the nation in June of that year. The solution was selling weapons to Iran, which in was at war with its neighbor Iraq, and redirecting the money to the Contras.

Although there was an embargo against selling arms to Iran, both McFarlane and Reagan saw this as a way to gain leverage with Iran, in hopes of securing the release of American hostages held in Lebanon by Hezbollah terrorists loyal to the Ayatollah Khomeini, Iran's leader.

In November , the Lebanese newspaper Al-Shiraa broke the story, unveiling the fact that more than 1, missiles had been sold to Iran clandestinely. President Reagan then commissioned the Tower Commission, whose report published on February 26, , concluded that Reagan's disengagement from the management of his White House had created conditions that made possible the diversion of funds to the Contras.

No evidence linking Reagan to the diversion of funds was found, however. After three months of silence, President Reagan expressed regret during a nationally televised address on March 4, , taking full responsibility for the acts committed.

Unsatisfied with the results of the commission, Sen. In a much-publicized set of testimonies, Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North of the National Security Council explained that he had diverted funds from the arms sales to the Contras, with the full knowledge of National Security Adviser Admiral John Poindexter. He also admitted to destroying or hiding pertinent documents.

The responsibility of then Vice President George H. Bush also remained unclear. In the last thirty years, numerous documents have surfaced that demonstrate the involvement of President Reagan and Vice President Bush.

The documents revealed, among others, that President Ronald Reagan was briefed in advance about every weapons shipment in the Iran arms-for-hostages deals in and , and Vice President George H. Three of the seven hostages in Lebanon were also released, although the Iran-backed terrorist group there later took three more Americans hostage.

Reagan initially denied that he had negotiated with Iran or the terrorists, only to retract the statement a week later. It was then that Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North , of the National Security Council, came forward to acknowledge that he had diverted the missing funds to the Contras in Nicaragua, who used them to acquire weapons. He assumed Reagan was also aware of his efforts.

The American press hounded Reagan over the matter for the rest of his presidency. During a subsequent Congressional investigation, in , protagonists in the scandal—including Reagan—testified before the commission in hearings that were televised nationally. Later, Independent Counsel Lawrence Walsh launched an eight-year investigation into what by then had become known as the Iran-Contra Affair.

In all, 14 people were charged, including North, Poindexter and McFarlane. Reagan himself was never charged, and, in , George H. McFarlane was charged with four counts of withholding information from Congress, a misdemeanor. North was charged with 12 counts relating to conspiracy and making false statements. Although he was convicted in his initial trial, the case was dismissed on appeal, due to a technicality, and North has since worked as a conservative author, critic, television host and head of the NRA.

Poindexter was initially indicted on seven felonies and ultimately tried on five. He was found guilty on four of the charges and sentenced to two years in prison, although his convictions were later vacated.

In addition, four CIA officers and five government contractors were also prosecuted; although all were found guilty of charges ranging from conspiracy to perjury to fraud, only one—private contractor Thomas Clines—ultimately served time in prison.

Despite the fact that Reagan had promised voters he would never negotiate with terrorists—which he or his underlings did while brokering the weapons sales with Iran—the two-term occupant of the White House left office as a popular president.

However, his legacy, at least among his supporters, remains intact—and the Iran-Contra Affair has been relegated to an often-overlooked chapter in U. The Iran-Contra Affair— The Washington Post. The Iran-Contra Affairs. Brown University. The Iran-Contra Affair. Iran Hostage Crisis.

The Iran-contra scandal 25 years later. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. Fueled by territorial, religious and political disputes between the two nations, the conflict ended in an effective stalemate and a cease-fire nearly eight years The United States and Iran have never formally been at war, but tensions between the two countries have persisted for decades.

Below is an overview of the long-running conflict between Iran and the United States—and measures taken economic and otherwise in the wake of flare On November 4, , a group of Iranian students stormed the U. Embassy in Tehran, taking more than 60 American hostages.