The Cultural-Historical Context of Iran-Contra
The Reagan Doctrine had already been to blame for other coups and clandestine terrorist activities. “In Central America, the Reagan Doctrine deserves a large share of the credit for a most impressive slaughter. The death toll under Reagan in El Salvador passed 50,000 and in Guatemala it may approach 100,000.” (p. 27).
This is referencing the rhetoric put forth by Reagan against the Soviet Union’s influence in the Western Hemisphere and beyond. In the Guatemalan civil war, a brutal military dictatorship, supported by Reagan’s administration and Reagan himself, committed several human rights abuses, while the Salvadorean government, also supported …show more content…
North, specifically on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Louis Giuffrida. Giuffrida, the head of FEMA, was a close friend of Reagan, Chomsky writes, “It is important to bear in mind that the reliance on clandestine terrorism and proxy forces was undertaken to evade public opinion…” (p. 41).
The line of questioning was soon evaded by the investigation chairman Daniel Inouye, once Rep. Jack Brooks brought up the topic of Giuffrida’s proposal of “reccomending internment of ‘American Negroes’” (p. 42).
Giuffrida was also indicted on charges of corruption and mismanagement in 1985, soon after the Iran-Contra affair was brought to light.
However, there were some who would claim that Reagan had mental issues during the scandal and its prelude, as one U.S. official said during a press conference on Libya, in reference to Reagan, not Gaddafi, “We've got the madman factor going for us...You know, ‘Keep me from killing again,’” (p. 51).
The Culture of Terrorism
Reagan also supported a lack of proper media coverage, and all coverage was meant to be …show more content…
78).
Source 2: David M. Abshire: Saving the Reagan Presidency: Trust is the Coin of the Realm
Source 3: North Says Reagan Knew Of Iran Deal - New York Times
This article outlines Oliver North’s claim that Reagan knew about the Iran deal.
North, a staunch Republican, claims in his book, Under Fire, that Reagan “...knew of and approved a great deal of what went on with both the Iranian initiative and private efforts on behalf of the contras and he received regular, detailed briefings on both.”
Reagan had earlier claimed that “...he was unable to recall virtually any specific details of the affair,” in reference to Iran-Contra.
Source 4: Ronald Reagan: Address to the Nation on the Iran Arms and Contra Aid Controversy
In this speech, Reagan becomes a bit contradictory, although he denies that he knew anything about the scandal. However, a few details stand out as important evidence.
He does claim that he was trying to open up relations with possible administrators in a post-Khomeini government, but does not go into detail about