Iran Contra Affair Essay

In 1979, an Iranian government supported terrorist sort overtook the US embassy. They captured 52 people. In an order to obtain the release of the American hostages being held in Le dismisson, The Reagan Administration secretly began to sell weapons to Iran. This went against an American criminalize on arms sales to Iran, which had been in affect since the embassy had been seized. (Corrigan 40-41) These appropriates were arranged done Robert McFarlane, who was the head of the study Security Council.One of McFarlanes main lag members was Marine Lieutenant Colonel Oliver wedlock. McFarlane gave northerly the responsibility of handling the details of the deal and told him not to send some(prenominal)thing to Iran until the hostages had been released. North wanted to keep the deal sacking so he allowed Israel to ship the weapons before any hostages had been released. McFarlane criticized North, but North kept his job. McFarlane was replaced with Rear Admiral John M. Poindexter. North tried to change Poindexter to continue the arms-for-hostage deal with Iran.North realized that there was a broad amount of capital being made in this trade. He employ some of this money made could be used to support an anti-communist placement in Central America. This organization, that was active in Nicaragua, was cognise as the Contras. The Contras were overly highly supported by Reagan and his administration, seeing as we were in the frigid War against Communism. (Lawson 41-60) In the early 1980s, Congress passed a series of amendments known as the Boland Amendments.The Boland Amendments made it illegal for the U. S. military to further sanction the Contras. (Cohen) The National Security Council was formed in 1947 to acquire secret information to the highest degree the military plans of Russia throughout the Cold War. (Lawson 49) In 1985, North and McFarlane gave several earn to Congress, in which he lied about the questions that they had been asked about their involvement in supporting the Contras in Nicaragua. North lied again in a face-to-face meeting with Congress in 1986.North told the House comprehension Committee he was involved neither in fundraising for, nor in providing military advice to, the Contras. In 1987 he was confronted with these accusations to which he admitted to misleading Congress with the answers he gave them. When the prexy later asked Attorney General to gather the relevant facts, North and Poindexter rupture and altered official documents on November 21, 1986.The demolition of these documents was a major disadvantage to Congress, because they were now unable o use those undo documents against North in court. (http//icah. infobaselearning. com/pdocument. aspx? ID=129729& anticipate=iran+contra+north) Further complicating the situation, Congress granted immunity to North and Poindexter so that they could eliminate the need for the testimony of President Reagan and Vice President Bush. Oliver North and Poinde xter, while accused and under intense investigation were ultimately convicted. (http//icah. infobaselearning. com/pdocument. aspx? ID=110538&search=iran+contra+north) Lt.Colonel Oliver North was criminally charged, prosecuted and convicted but later the convictions were overturned upon appeal referable to the fact that he was granted immunity.North should have been convicted of his crimes and faced his condemnation in jail for what he did. North burned legal documents containing all-important(a) evidence for his trail, he lied to Congress about victimization the money from the Iran weapons sales to help the Contras, and by helping the Contra, he break the Boland Amendments. On November 21, 1986, Oliver North shredded documents that were to be used in court as evidence.These documents were important legal information concerning his involvement in helping the Contras. His destruction of these documents led to Congress losing very valuable data to prove whether he was a scapegoat o r a criminal. The fact that he destroyed the evidence made it clear that he wasnt being dependable and that led Congress to believe his other criminal charges. Oliver North violated many laws. The two most flagrant legal violations were the Boland Amendments and the American ban on arms sales to Iran.North continued to sell the weapons to Iran without any argument even though he knew it was against the law that was put in place by Congress. He went against the banned sales of guns with Iran, which was put in place to keep Iran from gaining powerful weaponry and putting American citizens lives in danger. His involvement and encouragement of continuing the illegal trade to aid the policies that he believed in should lead to his punishment. Also, the fact that he was also using federal money and weapons for the Contra agenda is a misappropriation of funds and of his come out of power.