Power and Personality: A Study of the Iran Arms-for-Hostages Deal
Abstract
On August 20, 1985, Israel delivered 96 TOW missiles to Iran on behalf of the U.S. in an effort to encourage "moderates" in the Iranian government and to gain the release of seven American hostages held in Lebanon. Israel took this step only after receiving explicit approval for the sale from the U.S. government, which promised to replenish Israel's stockpile of TOWs to make up for the 96 sold to Iran. On September 15, an additional 408 TOWs were delivered to Iran; as a result National Security Advisor Bud McFarlane was allowed to choose one hostage to be released. Arms sales continued until October 1986, shortly before the sales became public in November. During this period two additional hostages were released, but two more Americans were taken hostage in Beirut. Three additional hostages were taken in January 1987. These arms sales were made despite a long-standing U.S. policy against negotiations with terrorists for the release of hostages and legal prohibitions against weapons sales to Iran. In what became known as the Iran-Contra affair, the U.S. government repeatedly sold arms to Iran through intermediaries with the intention of gaining the release of hostages held by Shia Muslims in Lebanon -- in clear contravention of policy and violation of the law. Further, the executive branch overcharged for the arms and diverted the profits to support the Contras in Nicaragua -- in violation of the Boland Amendment. This paper will examine the process by which the decision to sell arms to Iran in the hope of gaining release of American hostages was made and what we can learn from this foreign policy fiasco about the way the interagency functions. While the illicit diversion of funds to the Contras is also a fascinating tale of intrigue and deception, the focus of this study is the decision to sell arms to Iran.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA442148
Entities
People
- Bruce Donahue
Organizations
- National War College