Why did Ronald Regan sell arms to Iran just after they released those American hostages in the '80s?

Answer 1

stupidity. just like bush selling some to saudi arabia and giving $25 million to NKorea after he labels them an axis of evil. Glad NOT to be a republican.

Answer 2

The October Surprise conspiracy was an alleged plot that claimed representatives of the 1980 Ronald Reagan presidential campaign had conspired with Islamic Republic of Iran to delay the release of 52 Americans held hostage in Tehran until after the 1980 U.S. Presidential election. In exchange for their cooperation, the United States would supply weapons to Iran as well as unfreeze Iran's monetary assets being held by the US government.

Jimmy Carter had been attempting to deal with the Iran hostage crisis and the hostile regime of the Ayatollah Khomeini for nearly a year. Those who assert that a deal was made allege that certain Republicans with CIA connections, including George H. W. Bush, arranged to have the hostages held through October, until Reagan could defeat Carter in early November, and then be released, thereby preventing an “October surprise” from the Carter administration in which the hostages would be released shortly before the election. The hostages were released the day of Reagan's inauguration, twenty minutes after his inaugural address.

After 12 years of news reports looking into the alleged conspiracy, both houses of the US Congress held separate inquiries into the issue, and journalists from sources such as Newsweek and The New Republic looked into the charges. Both Congressional inquires, as well as the majority of investigative reports, found the evidence to be insufficient. Nevertheless, several individuals, most notably Former Iranian President Abolhassan Bani-Sadr and Former Reagan-Bush Campaign and White House Staffer Barbara Honegger, continue to claim otherwise.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_surprise_conspiracy

Answer 3

particular, the hostages have been released 20 minutes after reagan's inauguration so there replaced into some thing extraordinary there. on the time, a lot of human beings theory Reagan scared Iran into freeing the hostages on an identical time because it style of feels to me the begotiation replaced into greater as a results of Carter. the two way, Reagan got here in reliable with some "political capital" which he spent...a lot of his rules are very like George W's right this moment. Tax cuts, extensive deficits, even the way he dealt with the clicking(the teflon president, they reported as Reagan)-he not often replied questions yet deflected them along with his "right down to earth" demeanor-a comedian tale and a grin. countless allegations have been revamped the years regarding a deal between the Reagan kitchen cupboard and Iran, as a manner to postpone the launch of the hostages till after the U. S. election of 1980. inspite of the undeniable fact that Senate and homestead investigations interior the Nineteen Nineties declared the allegations to be unfounded, the conspiracy's existence or lack thereof keeps to be a difficulty of dialogue. the suitable nature of the allegations lies in a potential violation of the international commerce Acts of 1798 which limit any inner maximum citizen or social gathering from negotiating with a miles off places potential in concerns of national coverage or armed forces action. that's pronounced by using political combatants that the Reagan marketing campaign, or considered one of his election marketing campaign staffers, communicated with the Iranian government and asked them to make greater effective the hostage disaster long adequate to confirm that he gained the 1980 elections. the optimal reason for inquiry replaced into the seeming accident of his inauguration and the hostages' launch on an identical day, twentieth January 1981

Answer 4

The hostages were released tow days after Reagan became president and years later, the media found out that Reagan secretly sold them weapons. The other thing is that the Hostages were complain about is that they were made to stay there longer until Reagan became president. If it wasn't for this deal, the hostages could have been released during Carter's presidency.

Answer 5

There is ABSOLUTELY NO PROOF that Reagan did. The Iran Contra affair was researched and studied for over a decade. The sale of TOW and HAWK missiles to "moderate" Iranian factions opposed to terror was initially proposed by Israel. Oliver North then cooked up a plan to aid the contras fighting the communist Sandinista's in Nicaragua by brokering the sale of arms to Iran, because congress had blocked aid to the contras through the Boland Agreement.

Answer 6

Why do you think Iran released those hostages in in the first place?

Because they had a deal to get arms from the US.

Answer 7

Probably for the same reason FDR agreed to divide Europe after the war and give half to the Soviets.

Answer 8

Because it was part of the deal they set up when the CIA helped them take the hostages.

Two of the hostages said this and were silenced. One, I believe, with death.

Answer 9

it was probably a deal.

realease the hostages, get the weapons.

Answer 10

this link has a part where it talks about this. some weird stuff.
http://portland.indymedia.org/en/2004/02/280183.shtml