Iran Contra. What did the POTUS know, but not know? Were they right providing arms to Iran in exchange for prisoners?

2015-04-03T12:12:30-04:00

I started this discussion because a lot of people have brought up this subject. Trading arms for HOSTAGES is a tad bit different than releasing 5 Gitmo Detainees for a deserter! To me, that's just insane.

So here is a little sneak peek:

Reagan supplied weapons to Iran for a hostage exchange. Israel joins in and offers to send 500 hawk surface to air missiles to release the rest of the American Hostages held in Lebanon. All hostages were released.

Afterwards, Hezbollah decides to take MORE hostages and no other demands were met.

National Security Council's final report stated the Reagan could not control S/LPD (Office of Public Diplomacy for Latin America and the Caribbean) and had no knowledge of the weapons transactions. S/LPD reported DIRECTLY to Oliver North.

Against strong opposition, the Dem controlled congress enacted the Boland Amendments that prohibited the defense department or CIA from providing military aid to the Contras. So, Reagan went thru NSC to supervise covert military aid.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 3 at 2015 12:33 PM

2015-04-03T12:33:34-04:00

I'll have to get back with you on this. LTC North is supposed to be making a guest appearance next weekend at the National NRA convention in Nashville, TN. I want to try and get a pic with him. I'll ask him....lol

Response by COL Jean (John) F. B. made Apr 3 at 2015 2:05 PM

2015-04-03T14:05:42-04:00

The Iran-Contra Affair had a legitimate purpose and posed no danger to the United States.

The trade of enemy combatants to the enemy in time of war to repatriate an Army deserter who was allegedly held captive by people he willingly turned himself into is tantamount, in my opinion, to treason.

There is no legitimate way to draw a parallel between the two.

Response by SPC Angel Guma made Apr 3 at 2015 2:50 PM

2015-04-03T14:50:58-04:00

It's the same old story. The less pandering or adventures in the middle east, the better. They have their tribe they are always looking out for, and on top of that, usually that entails the same social of elites and their kids. Half the reason why the Iraqi Army broke apart in the first place was for the fact that the incumbent government there had so little legitimacy and buy-in with the Iraqi troops that they were going to break ranks to join their buddies at the first opportunity.

The Iranian situation is the same broken record on a different record player. Every time you think you have a deal, or some sort of break through, wait a few months, something falls apart and we are left holding the baggage. Its how Middle East people play folks, there are enough deployments among us to figure this out. You'll think you are making progress, but all the sudden, something happens to destroy it.

Iran Contra, funding the Mujahideen, the break up of the Iraqi Army, and so on, it all fits a pattern. We always have these Ivy-league educated types that think they just know better than human nature and think they are showing more intelligence and leadership than what an honest player would conclude. And every time they do these back room deals, they walk away thinking their Ivy-league degrees got them some understanding that somehow saves the day. Then a decade later, their same deal leads to war and chaos. Enough's enough. Just stop dealing with them, if there are negotiations to be done, do it so we can pack up and leave them already.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 3 at 2015 3:37 PM

2015-04-03T15:37:04-04:00

I LOVE CONTRA...Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Select, Start!!!! 99 lives

Oh..Sorry...Forgot to read the rest...LOL....My brain isn't that big....

Response by CPT Pedro Meza made Apr 3 at 2015 5:17 PM

2015-04-03T17:17:20-04:00

Veronica, Sins of the Father: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/general-article/reagan-iran/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Contra_affair
After a leak by Iranian Mehdi Hashemi, the Lebanese magazine Ash-Shiraa exposed the arrangement on November 3, 1986.[49] This was the first public reporting of the weapons-for-hostages deal. The operation was discovered only after an airlift of guns (Corporate Air Services HPF821) was downed over Nicaragua. Eugene Hasenfus, who was captured by Nicaraguan authorities, initially alleged in a press conference on Nicaraguan soil that two of his coworkers, Max Gomez and Ramon Medina, worked for the Central Intelligence Agency.[50] He later said he did not know whether they did or not.[51] The Iranian government confirmed the Ash-Shiraa story, and ten days after the story was first published, President Reagan appeared on national television from the Oval Office on November 13, stating:
"My purpose was... to send a signal that the United States was prepared to replace the animosity between [the U.S. and Iran] with a new relationship... At the same time we undertook this initiative, we made clear that Iran must oppose all forms of international terrorism as a condition of progress in our relationship. The most significant step which Iran could take, we indicated, would be to use its influence in Lebanon to secure the release of all hostages held there."[10]
The scandal was compounded when Oliver North destroyed or hid pertinent documents between November 21 and November 25, 1986.

WGBH American Experience . Reagan | PBS

General Article: The Iran-Contra Affair

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Mar 7 at 2016 12:56 AM

2016-03-07T00:56:59-05:00

All I did was Handle the Messages. As a Navy Spook not really hung up on black and white, Right Wrong except on the Contra end of the deal. We sold Repair Parts to the Iranians for US Weapons Systems they got from the US Propped Up Shah when the Gov't Failed. No matter what Govt's and Presidents say and do in Public there is always some shady back room deals going on. That is Just Reality. My problem was the other end. U.S. Gov't can't show a Profit on anything especially and Illegal Operation so the Money was given to the Contra's, Right Wing Death Squads that had no problem Murdering and Raping Catholic Nuns and Priests for daring to Preach Social Justice. I was a good Catholic Boy and something about that always did rub me wrong.