What Did Reagan Know of Iran-Contra

Unsolved Mysteries of American History, by Paul Aron, Barnes and Noble, New York, 1997.

What Did Reagan Know of Iran-Contra.  The bottom line is President Reagan was blamed for setting an atmosphere where Iran-Contra took place, but not with actually knowing about any specific plans.  Congress had passed laws forbidding the financing of the Contra Rebels in Nicaragua.  Reagan looked to them as fighters against Communism.  He wanted funding to continue, but did not give any specifics, and his hands were tied by congress.  Lawrence Walsh was appointed the independent counsel.  The resulted in criminal charges against fourteen people.  These were crimes like taking an illegal gratuity, withholding evidence etc.  By the end, Wash’s investigation looked much like a witch hunt, as he tried to go after the Secretaries of Defense and State, Casper Weinberger and George Schultz.  President Reagan said he simply could not remember much about the negotiations with Iran to sell arms, to fund the Contras.  Perhaps this was the early stages of Alzheimer’s.