Iran Contra Affair

If any government activity covertly keeps information from the citizens of that country, like the Iran Contra Affair (initiated by the U.S.) starting in 1985, they will eventually find out about it, sometimes sooner than anticipated. This specific event got out in a Lebanese news broadcast, making American's at home more skeptical of their government's choices. The "Irangate" could be somewhat heroic, trying to free American hostages; what makes it "shadier" would be the fact that we were willing to trade guns, ammunition, and any other way of arming Iranians that were supposedly "moderate factions" as said by Robert McFarlane, in exchange for hostages, along with the bigger reason--more money for Contras. Although Reagan wasn't allowed to do this (give in to terrorism by bargaining for the release of hostages) he did, partially because the profits made from selling Iranians these armaments went towards funding of the Contras, or the anti-Communist group appointed for overthrowing the Nicaraguan political party (the Sandinistas). This was an even bigger concern than the hostages, although Reagan, when speaking to the people of the country, made a big deal from it; while referring to the reading, only one person was specifically released after the first year, giving us the idea that we were more in this for the Contras rather than the hostages (N of N, p 1083).