THE IRAN CONNECTION
U.S. media and congressional publicity on Iran-Contra focused on the illegal arms sales to Iran in the mid-1980s. But these sales commenced long before. They started within a couple of months after the secret Barcelona meeting occurring in late July 1980, as part of October Surprise. Although the arms sales were allegedly to obtain the release of American hostages seized in Lebanon, there was also a profit motive for many of the participants. Sharing in the profits from these arms sales to Iran were arms brokers, Israel, and a private network composed of CIA and National Security Council players. These arms sales to Iran violated U.S. Law, and the criminal acts involved the president and vice president of the United States, members of the National Security Council, the CIA, and others.
MOTIVES FOR THE ARMS SALES
The sales occurred partly because huge profits could be made by many participants. The arms would be purchased from U.S. or foreign governments, and then resold to Iran. Profits from these unlawful arms sales were stashed away in secret offshore bank accounts.(287) Ironically, about $10 million was placed in the wrong-numbered Swiss bank account that was...