Iran Contra Affair Essays - 1707 Words

The Iran-Contra scandal had a big effect on the United States but it had a huge effect on Nicaragua. Through out 1985-86, the Reagan administration was selling weapons to Iran illegally in order to encourage Iran to free hostages in the Middle East. Meanwhile, the Reagan administration wanted to support the Contras in Nicaragua, a rebel group fighting to overthrow the Sandinista government. The administration decided to use the money made from selling arms to Iran, and had it sent to the Contras without passing through the United States. (Walsh, p2.) In this paper, I am going to provide the background of the situation. I will explain how the money from the missile sales was used to support the Contras. I will also tell how everything†¦show more content†¦In 1984, the CIA sowed mines in a major port in Nicaragua causing a severe amount of damage. The Contras took credit for this. But a few weeks later the press exposed the CIA involvement. In response, Congress passed a secon d Boland Amendment, which said that neither the CIA nor the Defense Department could fund the Contras, either directly or indirectly. From then on the administration worked through the National Security Council, and NSC staff member Oliver North. NSC William Clark established Office of Public Diplomacy for Latin America and the Caribbean (housed in State Department but reported to the NSC), Oliver North attended the meetings: responsible for all Contra affairs. Because the CIA was prohibited from operating inside the United States, Director William Casey had senior propaganda specialist Walter Raymond transferred to the NSC. As Raymond declared, his job was to â€Å"concentrate on gluing black hats on Sandinistas and white hats on Contras.† (Kornbluh, p.5) All this time, CIA intelligence analysts were saying that the Contras couldn’t win, even with American support. Robert Owen, Oliver North’s personal intermediary with the Contras is quoted as saying they were simply â€Å"profiteers.†1 Meanwhile, during 1985-86, as mentioned earlier, the Reagan administration was selling weapons to Iran illegally in order to encourage Iran to free hostages in the Middle East. After the 1979 hostage situation at the United States Embassy in Tehran,Show MoreRelatedThe Iran-Contra Affair1548 Words   |  6 PagesThe Iran-Contra Affair The Iran-Contra Affair was an underground operation within the CIA that was interwoven between two foreign policy issues that were unlikely to connect had the players in the ordeal not utilized one to benefit the other. In the early 1900’s, the United States aimed to protect its interests in Central America, specifically Nicaragua. The United States sent in troops of Marines to help maintain order in Nicaragua due to civil unrest over a Presidential dispute. 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