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The Iran-Contra Affair The Iran-Contra Affair

The Iran-Contra Affair - PowerPoint Presentation

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The Iran-Contra Affair - PPT Presentation

Ronald Reagan the Nicaraguan Revolution and the OVERVIEW Foreign policy of Reagan administration as a reaction to changes from 70s 1979 Nic socialist movement gain power Iran US backed ID: 247935

arms iran amp contras iran arms contras amp somoza weapons support sandinistas power north reagan contra cia israel war aid involvement nsc

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Slide1

The Iran-Contra Affair

Ronald Reagan, the Nicaraguan Revolution, and the Slide2

OVERVIEW

Foreign policy of Reagan administration as a reaction to changes from 70s

1979

Nic.- socialist

movement gain power

Iran- US

backed

Shah gov

. overthrown by radical

Islamisists

(Ayatollahs)Slide3

The Issues

US support of rebel

forces (Contras)

vs.

communist Sandinistas

Congress had stopped

$$ (Boland Amend.)

US selling arms to Iran in exchange for release of hostages

Profits from arms sale indirectly going to fund ContrasSlide4

Background

Nicaragua, Iran, and U.S. involvementSlide5

NicaraguaSlide6

History of US involvement

Monroe Doctrine, Roosevelt Corollary, Good Neighbor Policy, Alliance for Progress

Fighting between conservatives and liberals over control of government

1

928- Liberal Jose

Moncada

as President

Former ally Augusto Sandino continued to fight against government

US trained Nic. Nat’l GuardSlide7

1932-

Anastasio

Somoza

Garcia

 h

ead

of NNG and supported by US

Sandino maintained own army and control over small area of

land

1934- Somoza’s NG killed Sandino

1936- Somoza seized power over Juan

Sacasa

Somoza family in power for 43 yearsSlide8

http://www.newsofinterest.tv/politics/book_summaries/anastasio_somoza/index.phpSlide9

The

Somozas

& Sandinista Revolution

1961- Sandinista Nat’l Liberation Front (FSLN) formed

Named after Sandino, anti-Somoza, pro-socialism, tied to Cuba

1967-

Anastasio

Somoza

Debayle

(son)

 President

Suppressed opposition, absorbed power

1972- Somoza gave self emergency power after

earthquake

Stole int’l aid $$

1974- Sandinistas kidnap elites, Somoza launches “state of siege” vs. guerillas and peasantsSlide10

http://www.newsofinterest.tv/politics/book_summaries/anastasio_somoza/index.phpSlide11

By 1977- Pres. Carter refuse to send aid until Somoza regime stopped human rights violations

Sandinistas still rebelling, joined by Nicaraguan businessmen & other Latin American countries

1979- US wants Somoza out

 plan to “moderate” new government

7-19: Sandinistas seize powerSlide12

http://foundsf.org/index.php?title=Sandinistas_in_SFSlide13

A Socialist State is born: Sandinistas in Power

Impose state of emergency, seize land/business from “old regime,” banks/mines/ transit nationalized, nullify laws, elections

$99 mil in aid sent by US under Carter

Aid effort and to prevent ties to USSR & Cuba: FAIL

Align w/ Cubans & Soviets

Cubans advised on policy

1980- sign agreements w/ USSR

Econ,

Soc

, Tech,

Sci

WeaponsSlide14

Sandistas Gone Bad

Sandinistas sending weapons/arms trafficking to Salvadorian rebels, expansion of socialism

Attempt to guarantee Soviet support in case of war vs. US?Slide15

Birth of the Contras

Mid-1980: Nicaraguan Democratic Force (FDN) formed

Main base of support for “Contras”- counterrevolutionaries

Contras supported by farmers, Creoles, Indians, disenfranchised

Also, businessmen & elites

S

upport armed rebellion

Operate out of Honduras

US involvement through $$ and supplies

Argentina trained men, chose leadership

Fear of Somoza issues- human rights violations, violence vs. noncombatants

Former NG under Somoza involvedSlide16

http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/contras.htmSlide17

https://sites.google.com/site/coldwarhotspotslathrop/nicaragua-3Slide18

US Response

TO INTERVENE OR NOT TO INTERVENE. . .?

Carter-

use CIA to support resistance, no

action

Reagan- CIA covert action, end to aid

Funding of rebellions?

Overthrow of Sandinistas?Slide19
Slide20

http://herb.ashp.cuny.edu/items/show/1579Slide21
Slide22

1982- Reagan Doctrine

 support democracy everywhere

Shifts involvement from supplier to helping shift power

Use of CIA operatives

Propaganda campaigns to gain US support leading up to vote on Contra support $$Slide23

DEBATE

1982- US press reports on Contra affairs (“secret war”) and Sandinistas

Debate sparked over issue

Boland Amendment I: no $$ to be used to overthrow N.

gov.

or start war between N. and Hon.

Problem? Promises already made to support Contras at any cost

Time to defy Congress?Slide24

COVERT ACTION

LOOPHOLE- as long as goal was not to overthrow N.

gov

, could still send $$ in form of humanitarian aid or through third-parties

1983-1984: CIA assists with air strikes, destruction of tanks, mines in harbors

Lt. Col. Oliver North- US Marine, worked for National Security Council for Reagan

NS Advisor Robert McFarlane & Carl “Spitz” Channel- secured $$ from Saudi Arabia, Taiwan for Contra supportSlide25

INCREASE D ACTION

Contra attacks increase, number of soldiers increase

Response of Cuba/USSR to send more support & weapons for SandinistasSlide26

DEBATE II

1984- Boland II passed

No federal $$ sent to N. directly or indirectly

LOOPHOLE: Private third-party funds, private individuals, other countries $ to Contras OK

Also, belief that NSC was for President only and Boland II not apply

NSC not mentioned in Boland II & is for policymaking, so not an intelligence agency/entity

Relied on North & McFarlane

Led to more creative ways of support: arms deals, air supply ops, intelligence Slide27

PRIVATE FUNDING FOR CONTRAS

By 1985- $11 mil.

i

n arms sent to Contras

Deals with Iranian businessmen

No solicitation- just that US funds were out and they needed support

Airstrip built in Costa Rica to supply arms

Plane shot down and crewmember captured by Sandinistas

North gave US/CIA info. on location of Soviet arms/equipmentSlide28

THE DIVERSION SCHEME

North’s idea to overcharge Iran for weapons & use prof its to fund Contras

Richard Secord & Albert Hakim orchestrate deals

Reported to Reagan and John Poindexter (new advisor of NSC) that $12 M used for supplies

Men involved in sale of arms kept much profit- so only a little got to Contras

Gov. money means 100% goes to effort, Privately funded means only a portion goes toward effort (room for profit)Slide29
Slide30

CONGRESS BACKTRACKS

1985-1986: Congress passes legislation to allow funds to aid Contra effort

State Dept. raises funds,

CIA can train & give intelligence, but no participation or planning involvement

1987- Civil War ends

1990- ElectionsSlide31

IRAN BACKGROUND

Mohammad Reza Shah

Pahlavi- “The Shah”

1953-1979: secular, authoritarian rule, pro-Western, modernization

1978- protests, riots, violence by Iranian people

Lack of focus on religious values, relationship w/ U.S.

Jan. ‘79- left Iran, replaced

by Ayatollah

Ruhollah

Khomeini (religious and political leader)

Islamic Republic, anti-AmericanSlide32

U.S. tries to normalize relations

Need oil access, want to assert power in ME, keep Soviets out

Difficult w/ Khomeini- fundamentalist, anti-WesternSlide33

HOSTAGE SITUATION

11/4/1979- Iranians seize US Embassy in Tehran

Muslim Followers of the Line of the Imam

Ends friendly relations b/t US and Iran

53 hostages taken

Iranian people/

gov.

agree w/ actions

MFLI a radical group

Iran demands $$ for release

Released in early 1981 (Regan presidency)

Others continue to be kidnapped through the early 1980s

US/Iran relations tense- money and power doesn’t work over IranSlide34

IN THE MEANTIME…

Iran-Iraq War: 1980-1990

Reason Iran needed weapons

Conflict along borders- over territory/ethnic issues

US publicly supported Iraq

Saddam Hussein

War a stalemate between the two countries

Infantry, air, sea, missile

Human rights violations

Iran- child soldiers

Iraq- chemical warfare on Kurds (believed sided with Iran)

1988- cease-fire

1990- terms to end warSlide35

US INVOLVEMENT

1983- US tries to prevent arms getting to Iran

NSC simultaneously looking for covert ways to improve relationship

McFarlane, former CIA officials, Israel all pulled in to discussions

Summer 1985- plan devised

US arms to Iran via Israel in exchange for American hostages in Lebanon to be released

Iran had influence over terrorist groups who kidnapped Americans

No evidence plan was backed by governments- just private citizens

August 95- McFarlane gets Reagan’s approval for plan

Israel will sell US made weapons to Iran, US will replenish Israel weaponsSlide36

Shipments to Iran begin, but no hostages released.

Another round sold to Iran, one hostage released.

LTC Oliver North brought in to get hostage home

North worked with NSC and Contras

Arms supply increased, so did problems

Since dealing w/ private firms and other countries, issues w/ security, logistics, diplomacySlide37

IRAN-CONTRA

1985- $ used from sale of arms to fund contras

“The Enterprise”- company formed by Secord (worked for North) and a business

partner

US used to carry out financial operations in arms deals

$1 mil from Israel put into Swiss bank account- 150k spent on those weapons, rest of profit went to Contras

1986- one step further- US sell arms to Enterprise and then E. sells to Iran

Israel involved- serves as base for weapons movement

NSC now led by John PoindexterSlide38

THE DIVERSION

Sale of arms to Iran continues w/ OK from Poindexter, though hostages not always delivered as promised

Enterprise (under Secord/North) would buy from CIA, sell to Iranian arms dealer (

Ghorbanifar)

Profits fund Contras via Enterprise Slide39

Iran-Contra Hearings

1986- Lebanese newspaper broke news of Diversion

scheme

May 1987- House Select Committee to Investigate Covert

Arms Transactions

with Iran

& Senate

Select Committee on Secret Military Assistance to Iran and the Nicaraguan OppositionSlide40

Tower Commission Report ordered by Reagan

Report implicated North, Poindexter & others

Reagan not blamed, but he should have known more

North claimed Reagan knew- but no evidence

"Using the Contras as a front, and against international law, and US law, weapons were sold, using

Israel

as intermediaries, to

Iran

, during the brutal

Iran-Iraq war

.

The US was also

supplying weapons to Iraq

, including ingredients for

nerve gas

,

mustard gas

and other

chemical weapons

."

41 days of hearings, 3 months

Many pardoned from criminal charges