(VII) The Iran Contra Affair

Introduction

From 1983 to 1986 the Reagan Administration secretly sold arms to Iran; this led to extensive congressional hearings on the "Iran-Contra Deal" but did little damage to his popularity. Iran-contra affair was a secret arrangement in the 1980s to provide funds to the Nicaraguan contra rebels from profits gained by selling arms to Iran. The Iran-contra affair was the product of two separate initiatives during President Ronald Reagan's administration. The first was a commitment to aid the contras who were conducting a guerrilla war against the Sandinista government of Nicaragua. The second was to placate "moderates" within the Iranian government in order to secure the release of American hostages held by pro-Iranian groups in Lebanon and to influence Iranian foreign policy in a pro-Western direction.

2004

Wallison, Peter J. Ronald Reagan : the power of conviction and the success of his presidency. Boulder, Colo. : Westview Press, 2004. xiii, 314 p., [8] p. of plates : ill. ; 23 cm. (Also in general overviews of the Reagan Presidency)

Contents: Introduction : understanding Reagan -- Idea man -- Conviction politician -- The person who was president -- Meet the press -- Of loyalty, leaks, and the White House staff -- Iran-contra : the cover-up -- Iran-contra : in the dark -- Iran-contra : recovery.

2003

Wallison, Peter J. Ronald Reagan; the power of conviction and the restoration of the presidency. Cambridge, MA : Westview Press, 2003. p. cm. (Also see under general overviews of the Reagan Presidency)

1999

Busby, Robert. Reagan and the Iran-Contra Affair; the politics of presidential recovery. New York : St. Martin's Press, 1999. xi, 222 p. ; 23 cm.

1996

Marks, Stanley J. If this be treason--! [San Marino, Calif.? : Bureau of International Affairs], 1996. 135 p. ; 28 cm.

"The truth of how citizens Reagan, Bush, Casey, and their friends betrayed and destroyed the Carter administration in the 1980 presidential election. Including the exposure of the Reagan-Bush administration's involvement (through the CIA-Contra movement) in the distribution and sale of hard drugs to Afro & Latin American youths."

1995

Blanton, Thomas S., ed. White House E-Mail; the top secret computer messages the Reagan /Bush White House tried to destroy. New York : New Press, 1995. 254 p. : ill. ; 17 cm. + 1 computer disk (3 1/2 in.)
"A National Security Archive documents reader."

1988

Marks, Stanley J. A year in the lives of the damned!; Reagan-Reaganism-1986. [San Marino, CA] : Bureau of International Affairs, 1988. 292 p. ; 22 cm.

Mayer, Jane; McManus, Doyle. Landslide ; the unmaking of the President, 1984-1988. Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 1988. xi, 468 p., [8] p. of plates : ports. ; 24 cm.

This is a fascinating, if somewhat opinionated, look at the last of four years of the Reagan presidency. Of particular interest are the stories of personal intrigue among the staff. (Also in General Overviews of the Reagan Presidency)

1987

Walker, Thomas W., ed. Reagan versus the Sandinistas; the undeclared war on Nicaragua. Boulder : Westview Press, 1987. xiv, 337 p. : maps ; 24 cm.