Coverup: Behind The
Iran Contra Affair (1988)
This documentary of
the Iran Contra affair consolidates the evidence and conspiracy theories of the
incident after the 13-week Congressional hearings proved inadequate, acting
merely as "damage control" and failing to show any sincere effort to
get to the real truth of the matter. Illuminated are the delays by the
Reagan-Bush ticket in releasing the American hostages until after the election
-- after outgoing President Jimmy Carter worked tirelessly to free them.
Accusations are levied that a "shadow government" regularly carries
out covert activities at home and abroad, and the CIA is implicated in dealing
in huge shipments of cocaine and with the profits supplying weapons to the
right-wing activities of the Nicaraguan Contras. Also examined are the actions
of Oliver North, who willfully ignored the Constitution in masterminding covert
weapons deals with Middle-Eastern governments to additionally fund the
Nicaraguan Contras. This documentary raised more questions than answers in a
post-Watergate political climate where the public had become desensitized to
scandal. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
Oliver North and John
Poindexter were indicted on multiple charges on March 16, 1988. North, indicted
on 16 counts, was found guilty by a jury of three minor counts. The convictions
were vacated on appeal on the grounds that North's Fifth Amendment rights may
have been violated by the indirect use of his testimony to Congress which had
been given under a grant of immunity. In 1990, Poindexter was convicted on
several felony counts of conspiracy, lying to Congress, obstruction of justice,
and altering and destroying documents pertinent to the investigation. His
convictions were also overturned on appeal on similar grounds. Arthur L. Liman
served as chief counsel for the Senate during the Iran-Contra Affair. The
Independent Counsel, Lawrence E. Walsh, chose not to re-try North or
Poindexter. Caspar Weinberger was indicted for lying to the Independent Counsel
but was later pardoned by President George H. W. Bush. In 1992 George H. W.
Bush pardoned six convicted administration officials, namely Elliott Abrams,
Duane R. Clarridge, Alan Fiers, Clair George, Robert McFarlane, and Caspar
Weinberger.
George W. Bush
selected some individuals that served under Reagan for high-level posts in his
presidential administration. They include: Elliott Abrams: under Bush, the
Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director on the National Security
Council for Near East and North African Affairs; in Iran-Contra, pleaded guilty
on two counts of unlawfully withholding information, pardoned.
Otto Reich: head of
the Office of Public Diplomacy under Reagan. John Negroponte: under Bush,
served as the Ambassador to Iraq, the National Intelligence Director, and the
Deputy Secretary of State. Admiral John Poindexter: under Bush, Director of the
Information Awareness Office; in Iran-Contra, found guilty of multiple felony
counts for conspiracy, obstruction of justice, lying to Congress, defrauding
the government, and the alteration and destruction of evidence, convictions
reversed. In Poindexter's hometown of Odon, Indiana, a street was renamed to
John Poindexter Street. Bill Breedan, a former minister, stole the street's
sign in protest of the Iran-Contra Affair. He claimed that he was holding it
for a ransom of $30 million, in reference to the amount of money given to Iran
to transfer to the contras. He was later arrested and confined to prison,
making him, as satirized by Howard Zinn, "the only person to be imprisoned
as a result of the Iran-Contra affair." >rest of the story<
