What is the deal with Oliver North?

[ClosedCaption]

Yes, this leaves me conflicted, and would be why as a Conservative, I don't get the admiration of North.

Yanno, this convo is a lot more civilized when someone cannot scream "OBAMA! DUMBOCRAT!"

Even tho I lean dem...I could never figure that out myself. Some cons will defend him to the death

Well, he's military, and he stood up to attacks from democrats. I can almost feel some admiration for him for that alone. I'm sure that has a whole lot to do with the admiration for him by some on the right. It's partisanship. Now, you have to admit that the GOP doesn't have a monopoly on blind partisanship.

I agree, but simply talking tough to dems while committing crimes doesnt get adulation from me whether dem or repub

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

North fell on the sword for higher-ups... no Lt. Colonel has that much decision making power.

 

[PredFan]

Yanno, this convo is a lot more civilized when someone cannot scream "OBAMA! DUMBOCRAT!"

Even tho I lean dem...I could never figure that out myself. Some cons will defend him to the death

Well, he's military, and he stood up to attacks from democrats. I can almost feel some admiration for him for that alone. I'm sure that has a whole lot to do with the admiration for him by some on the right. It's partisanship. Now, you have to admit that the GOP doesn't have a monopoly on blind partisanship.

I agree, but simply talking tough to dems while committing crimes doesnt get adulation from me whether dem or repub

Agreed.

 

[The T]

It was a pathic sight to see Reagan pretending he was all confused and left out of the loop.

They just managed to keep the dirt off him.

He resported to looking like a dupe to get offf

And he said as much in his address to the nation, didn't he? Reagan took the heat as any MAN would do.

IDIOT.

 

[georgephillip]

Back when Iran/Contra was in the news, I didn't pay as much attention to politics as I do now. I remember thinking that Col. North lied to Congress, and there was some question about wether Reagan knew about what was happening in Nicaragua. At the time, even though I was a conservative back then, I believed, that he deserved punsihment for the lies. So now I find out that he is a hero of the neocons and he also has a radio talk show.

I am willing to be educated on this issue, so if you have strong opinions on Oliver North, good or bad, I would like to hear them. Please exoplain your opinion.

Thanks.

"The scandal began as an operation to free seven American hostages being held by a terrorist group with Iranian ties connected to the Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution.

"It was planned that Israel would ship weapons to Iran, and then the U.S. would resupply Israel and receive the Israeli payment. The Iranian recipients promised to do everything in their power to achieve the release of the U.S. hostages." (in Lebanon)

"The plan deteriorated into an arms-for-hostages scheme, in which members of the executive branch sold weapons to Iran in exchange for the release of the American hostages.[2][3]

"Large modifications to the plan were devised by Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North of the National Security Council in late 1985, in which a portion of the proceeds from the weapon sales was diverted to fund anti-Sandinista and anti-communist rebels, or Contras, in Nicaragua...[4][5]"

"Several investigations ensued, including those by the United States Congress and the three-man, Reagan-appointed Tower Commission.

"Neither found any evidence that President Reagan himself knew of the extent of the multiple programs.[2][3][7] In the end, fourteen administration officials were indicted, including then-Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger. Eleven convictions resulted, some of which were vacated on appeal.[12]

"The rest of those indicted or convicted were all pardoned in the final days of the presidency of George H. W. Bush, who had been vice-president at the time of the affair.[13]"

Iran

Thanks for the informative post.

I realized now that my title "hero of the Neocons" in the OP was actually the answer to my question in a way.

The 1983 Beirut barracks bombing was the incentive for Hezbollah to begin taking hostages as insurance against US reprisals for that attack.

"The Beirut Barracks Bombing (October 23, 1983 in Beirut, Lebanon) occurred during the Lebanese Civil War, when two truck bombs struck separate buildings housing United States and French military forces—members of the Multinational Force in Lebanon—killing 299 American and French servicemen."

Apparently pressure from the families of kidnapped victims lead the US to enter into arms for hostages swaps. Ollie saw an opportunity to fund the Contras by marking up the price of arms going to Iran and diverting the excess profit to the rebels in Nicaragua.

1983 Beirut barracks bombing - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia