What Was the Iran-Contra Affair?
The Iran-contra affair was a series of actions taken by U.S. federal government officials during the presidency of Ronald Reagan (1911– ). The tangled string of events, which were revealed in November 1986, involved Reagan’s national security advisers, Robert McFarlane (1937– ) and Admiral John Poindexter (1936– ), and Poindexter’s military aide, Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North (1943– ). These men engaged in illegal deals in an effort to free seven Americans who were held hostage by Iranian-backed rebels in Lebanon. Specifically, they sold military weapons to the Iranian government, which was at war with neighboring Iraq, and then funneled the profits to Nicaraguan rebels called contras, who were fighting against the dictatorial (having absolute power) Nicaraguan government. The deal-making began after Reagan met with the families of the captives and became concerned about…
