Oliver North and Iran Contra

Kellie GilmorePeriod: 7

Oliver North

• Platoon leader in Vietnam War

• Began on the National Security Council

• Deputy director for affairs in Ronald Reagan administration

• Led Iran Contra operation

Boland Amendments

Prohibited Contra aid

Arms to Iran

• President Ronald Reagan• Sold firearms to Iran• Designated terrorist

state, not allowed• In return for possible US

hostages to be released• Didn’t work, what did he

get in return?

Iran Contra

• 1983 – 1988

• Robert McFarlene, John Poindexter, Oliver North

• McFarlene and Poindexter raised secret funds to aid Contras

Secret funds • Oliver North and administration

• Sold arms to Iran

• With profit, gave Contra aid

• Drugs in return

Affair Goes Public

• Iran Contra affair was leaked

• Spread through a Lebanon newspaper

• Lebanon was the country with the US hostages so they knew about it

Iran Contra hearings

• "Ronald Reagan knew of and approved a great deal of what went on with both the Iranian initiative and private efforts on behalf of the contras and he received regular, detailed briefings on both.“ –Oliver North

Hearings• President Ronald Reagan

found for selling arms to Iran

• Oliver North was fired

• Poindexter resigned before

• North claimed to witness Poindexter destroy Reagan’s evidence to case

Aftermath

• North, found on 16 counts, was found guilty by a jury of three minor counts.

• Poindexter was convicted on felony counts of conspiracy and lying to

congress

Now

• Ronald Reagan never found for Iran Contra

• North considered hero for saving Contras from communism

• That or a drug smuggler, for Iran Contra