Why did the United States sell arms to Iran in the 1980s?
The official justification for the arms shipments was that they were part of an operation to free seven American hostages being held in Lebanon by Hezbollah, a paramilitary group with Iranian ties connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
What was Oliver North convicted of?
His trial opened in February 1989, and on May 4, 1989, he was initially convicted of three: accepting an illegal gratuity, aiding and abetting in the obstruction of a congressional inquiry, and ordering the destruction of documents through his secretary, Fawn Hall.
Who does Iran buy weapons from?
Most of Iran’s weapons before the Islamic revolution were imported from the United States and Europe.
What was the outcome of the US attempt to rescue the Iranian hostages?
What was the outcome of the Iran hostage rescue attempt? The hostages were successfully rescued by military force. The United States was humiliated when the military rescue failed miserably. Eight hostages were killed during the attempt.
Did Contras train in the US?
Salvadoran troop leaders have had small-unit training at Fort Benning, but there has been no known training of contras on U.S. soil. The plan, officials said, is to train unit commanders, not green soldiers, in the United States. The unit commanders would then return to Nicaragua to pass on their skills to their men.
Where is Fawn Hall today?
Turns out she’s living the quiet life in West Hollywood. She works at Book Soup, the beloved Sunset Strip institution, and generally keeps a low profile (she didn’t return our calls). Her husband, Danny Sugerman, former manager and biographer of the Doors, died in 2005 of lung cancer.
What are Sandinistas and Contras?
Having seized power, the Sandinistas ruled Nicaragua from 1979 to 1990, first as part of a Junta of National Reconstruction. A US-backed group, known as the Contras, was formed in 1981 to overthrow the Sandinista government and was funded and trained by the Central Intelligence Agency.
What is the meaning of hostage?
Definition of hostage 1 a : a person held by one party in a conflict as a pledge pending the fulfillment of an agreement b : a person taken by force to secure the taker’s demands 2 : one that is involuntarily controlled by an outside influence
Did the United States trade arms for hostages?
‘ ” After the weapon sales were revealed in November 1986, Reagan appeared on national television and stated that the weapons transfers had indeed occurred, but that the United States did not trade arms for hostages.
What was the Iran arms-for-hostage scandal?
President Ronald Reagan’s Iran arms-for-hostage scandal is poorly understood by many, and even among current U.S. government staffers and officials that I speak with. The shorthand historical memory is that, “Reagan gave weapons to Iran for hostages.”
What was the outcome of the arms-for-hostages disaster?
This runs counter to my own beliefs.” The final outcome of the arms-for-hostages disaster was two U.S. citizens released (Reverend Benjamin Weir and Father Lawrence Jenco) and two new hostages taken (Frank Reed and Joseph Cicippio).