Spy Talk: What was the 1980s Iran-Contra Scandal?

What was the 1980s Iran-Contra scandal all about?

During Ronald Reagan’s presidency in the 1980s, senior officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to Iran - which was then under an arms embargo - and used the proceeds to fund the Contras in Nicaragua despite Congressional restrictions. The scandal led to several high-level officials being convicted of charges related to the sale of arms and obstruction of justice.

Oliver North convicted in Iran Contra scandal
Oliver North was sentenced to a three-year suspended prison term


Who was convicted?

Several high-level officials were charged and convicted in relation to the arms sale and cover-up including Rear Admiral John M. Poindexter, convicted of deceiving and lying to Congress. He was sentenced to six months in prison.

Oliver North, a former National Security Council staff member, was convicted of shredding government documents, obstructing congressional inquiries, and accepting an illegal gratuity. North was given a suspended sentence, probation, and a $150,000 fine.

In 1992, President George H.W. Bush pardoned six people including Caspar Weinberger, former secretary of Defense absolving them from any further punishment linked to the Iran-Contra scandal.

True Spies podcast Hidden Hand
Hear more about the 'Contras in True Spies podcast: Hidden Hand

Who were the Contras? 

The Contras were a rebel group fighting against the socialist Sandinista government in Nicaragua during the 1980s. Their ideology was anti-communist and anti-Sandinista. They sought to overthrow the Sandinista government, which they viewed as a Soviet-backed threat to stability in Central America. The Contras received support from the Reagan administration, which saw the Sandinistas as part of a larger communist threat in the region.

Spy Talk: What was the 1980s Iran-Contra Scandal?

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What was the 1980s Iran-Contra scandal all about?

During Ronald Reagan’s presidency in the 1980s, senior officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to Iran - which was then under an arms embargo - and used the proceeds to fund the Contras in Nicaragua despite Congressional restrictions. The scandal led to several high-level officials being convicted of charges related to the sale of arms and obstruction of justice.

Oliver North convicted in Iran Contra scandal
Oliver North was sentenced to a three-year suspended prison term


Who was convicted?

Several high-level officials were charged and convicted in relation to the arms sale and cover-up including Rear Admiral John M. Poindexter, convicted of deceiving and lying to Congress. He was sentenced to six months in prison.

Oliver North, a former National Security Council staff member, was convicted of shredding government documents, obstructing congressional inquiries, and accepting an illegal gratuity. North was given a suspended sentence, probation, and a $150,000 fine.

In 1992, President George H.W. Bush pardoned six people including Caspar Weinberger, former secretary of Defense absolving them from any further punishment linked to the Iran-Contra scandal.

True Spies podcast Hidden Hand
Hear more about the 'Contras in True Spies podcast: Hidden Hand

Who were the Contras? 

The Contras were a rebel group fighting against the socialist Sandinista government in Nicaragua during the 1980s. Their ideology was anti-communist and anti-Sandinista. They sought to overthrow the Sandinista government, which they viewed as a Soviet-backed threat to stability in Central America. The Contras received support from the Reagan administration, which saw the Sandinistas as part of a larger communist threat in the region.


Was the CIA involved?

Joseph F. Fernandez, the CIA station chief in Costa Rica during the Iran-Contra affair, was indicted in 1991 and charged with multiple counts of obstruction of justice, perjury, and making false statements to Congress related to his involvement in the provision of military support to the Contras in Nicaragua, in violation of a Congressional ban. Fernandez's trial was dismissed due to a classified information issue and he was never convicted..

US President Ronald Reagan
US President Ronald Reagan


What was the official justification for the Iran-Contra deal?

The official justification for the Iran-Contra scandal was to secure the release of American hostages being held in Lebanon by Iranian-backed terrorists and to provide support for the Contras, a rebel group fighting the socialist government of Nicaragua.

The Reagan administration believed that improving relations with Iran could lead to the release of the hostages and that supporting the Contras was necessary to contain the spread of communism in Central America. However, the means by which these goals were pursued, the sale of arms to Iran in exchange for hostages and the provision of illegal support to the Contras, went against Congressional restrictions and constituted a violation of US laws.

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