BTW Iran Contra wasn’t any kind of a crime.
Really? Selling arms to Iran is AOK? I had no idea. Aren’t they using them against us now? I don’t know much of this story but in the 80’s I remember hearing a bit (I was young). Didn’t Colonel North go to jail? Seriously didn’t hear much about it.
Didn’t Colonel North go to jail?
“North was charged with several felonies and convicted of three, but the convictions were later vacated, and the underlying charges dismissed due to the limited immunity agreement granted for his pre-trial public Congressional testimony about the affair.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oliver_North
Maybe it was AOK, maybe not. But it wasn't a crime. The case the democrats tried to make was it was in violation of Reagan's 'do not deal with terrorist' policy.
Aren’t they using them against us now?
Surely not. We're talking about a few planeloads of now-old technology thirty years ago. Allegedly only enough to convince the 'friendly' iranian authorities North was dealing with that they were in fact dealing with decision makers in the US.
I don’t know much of this story but in the 80’s I remember hearing a bit (I was young). Didn’t Colonel North go to jail? Seriously didn’t hear much about it.
No he didn't. The 'crime' part of Iran Contra ws the violation of the so-called 'Boland Amendment' which was in effect for a short period of time, but I think North was nailed for misleading congress (always the only charge that stick in these 'scandals'). Many argue that this amendment itself represented an illegal impingment of executive authority.
Personally, I look at the intentions of the two different parts of the scandal - the selling of arms to supposed friendlies in Iran for the purpose of getting their help in the release of Americans held by terrorists in Lebanon, and with the proceeds the purchase and provision of arms for the counter revolutionaries fighting the marxist government in Nicaragua - and conclude that what the congress called a 'crime' was really the Reagan administration trying to conduct their stated foreign policy in spite of the political motivated interference of the democrat controlled congress.