Why was the Iran-Contra Affair considered a scandal?
The Contras used the financial aid from the U.S. to stir a revolution in Iran.
The selling of arms to Iran to finance the Contras was Reagan’s idea.
The public was in favor of helping the Sandinistas, not the Contras.
It violated a Congressional ban on financial aid to the Contras.
1 answer
The Iran-Contra Affair was considered a scandal because it involved illegal activities and circumvention of Congressional oversight. The Reagan administration secretly sold arms to Iran, which was under an arms embargo, in order to fund the Contras, anti-communist rebels in Nicaragua. This violated the Boland Amendment, which prohibited the US government from providing military assistance to the Contras. Additionally, the covert nature of the operation and deception of Congress raised concerns about the abuse of power and lack of transparency in government actions.
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