Transcript The Iran-Contra Scandal

The Iran-Contra Scandal
• The Iran-Contra scandal revolved around US relations with
Nicaragua and Iran
– The US used money and troops to support a dictatorship in
Nicaragua run by the Somoza family
• Between 1977 and 1979 a rebel movement known as the Sandinistas
overthrew the dictatorship
• After the overthrow President Carter continued to provide economic aid
to the new regime, as did the Soviet Union and Cuba
• In 1981, President Reagan cut aid, saying that Nicaragua had become a
satellite of the Soviet Union, and started to support the rebel Contra
movement
• When Congress found out it passed the Boland Amendment, banning
military aid to the Contras
– In 1983 an Iranian-backed terrorist group took Americans in
Lebanon hostage
• President Reagan said that American would not make concessions to
terrorists and urged American allies to not sell weapons to Iran in
response
• In 1986 it emerged that President Reagan had approved arms sales to
Iran in exchange for releasing the hostages, and that some of the profits
were being sent to the Contras
Political Cartoon
• Create a political cartoon about the IranContra scandal
– Should contain both images and text
– Should be understandable from at least five feet
away
– Should be humorous