Iran-Contra Timeline Lyrics
JANUARY 1979 -- Iranian revolution deposes the brutal Washington-backed Shah. The Shah had come to power in 1953 after a CIA-designed coup to oust democratically-elected President Mohammad Mossadeq.
JULY 1979 -- Lefist Sandinista revolution ousts Washington-backed right-wing Somoza regime in Nicaragua.
JANUARY 20, 1981 -- President Ronald Reagan inaugurated.
DECEMBER 1, 1981 -- Reagan issues Presidential Finding on Nicaragua, authorizing Washington support for right-wing Contra rebels.
DECEMBER 1982 -- Boland Amendment begins to limit funding for Reagan’s Contra aid.
OCTOBER 1984 -- New Boland Amendment makes illegal any funding for Contras.
MARCH 16, 1985 -- Oliver North’s “Fallback memo” discusses ways to circumvent Congressional barring of funds for Contra war.
AUGUST 1985 -- Reagan Administration begins selling arms to the Islamic Republic of Iran, then engaged in a devastating war with Iraq.
AUGUST 20, 1985 -- American hostage Benjamin Weir released by Islamic Jihad/Hezbollah in Lebanon hours after the transfer of 96 TOW missiles to Iran
DECEMBER 20, 1985 -- Associated Press is first to report cocaine trafficking operations by Contras.
APRIL 4, 1986 -- Oliver North drafts the “Diversion Memo,” which orders a continuation of arms sales to Iran after the release of hostages with the new revenue being diverted to the Contras.
NOVEMBER 3, 1986 -- Iranian cleric Mehdi Hashemi leaks news of the arms trade to a Lebanese newspaper. It is the first public revelation of the trade.
NOVEMBER 13, 1986 -- Just ten days after Hashemi leaks news of the secret dealings, President Reagan delivers an address from the Oval Office denying the arms-for-hostages trade.
JULY 1979 -- Lefist Sandinista revolution ousts Washington-backed right-wing Somoza regime in Nicaragua.
JANUARY 20, 1981 -- President Ronald Reagan inaugurated.
DECEMBER 1, 1981 -- Reagan issues Presidential Finding on Nicaragua, authorizing Washington support for right-wing Contra rebels.
DECEMBER 1982 -- Boland Amendment begins to limit funding for Reagan’s Contra aid.
OCTOBER 1984 -- New Boland Amendment makes illegal any funding for Contras.
MARCH 16, 1985 -- Oliver North’s “Fallback memo” discusses ways to circumvent Congressional barring of funds for Contra war.
AUGUST 1985 -- Reagan Administration begins selling arms to the Islamic Republic of Iran, then engaged in a devastating war with Iraq.
AUGUST 20, 1985 -- American hostage Benjamin Weir released by Islamic Jihad/Hezbollah in Lebanon hours after the transfer of 96 TOW missiles to Iran
DECEMBER 20, 1985 -- Associated Press is first to report cocaine trafficking operations by Contras.
APRIL 4, 1986 -- Oliver North drafts the “Diversion Memo,” which orders a continuation of arms sales to Iran after the release of hostages with the new revenue being diverted to the Contras.
NOVEMBER 3, 1986 -- Iranian cleric Mehdi Hashemi leaks news of the arms trade to a Lebanese newspaper. It is the first public revelation of the trade.
NOVEMBER 13, 1986 -- Just ten days after Hashemi leaks news of the secret dealings, President Reagan delivers an address from the Oval Office denying the arms-for-hostages trade.
NOVEMBER 21, 1986 -- Just days after Reagan takes to national television to deliver a series of dangerous untruths on the Iran-Contra matter, Oliver North and his secretary shred every document related to the illegal dealings. Oliver North refers to it secretly as a “shredding party” (which would have been a such great band name).
NOVEMBER 22, 1986 -- "Diversion Memo" discovered in North’s files
DECEMBER 1, 1986 -- Reagan convenes the Tower Commission to investigate Iran-Contra.
LATE FEBRUARY 1987 -- Tower Commission finishes its report.
MARCH 4, 1987 -- Pres. Reagan is forced to speak to the nation on the Tower Commission findings, which contradicts almost entirely Reagan’s speech from three months before.
APRIL 13, 1989 -- Kerry Committee report released by Senators John Kerry and Christopher Dodd. The report builds on the findings of the Tower Commission in its revelations of significant cocaine trafficking by Washington-backed Contras.
MAY 4, 1989 -- Oliver North convicted on three counts related to his involvement in Iran-Contra.
JULY 20, 1990 -- North’s convictions are vacated.
AUGUST 1993 -- Independent Counsel final report published.
AUGUST 1996 -- San Jose Mercury News publishes Gary Webb’s “Dark Alliance” three-part series alleging CIA involvement in Contra cocaine trafficking.
OCTOBER 23, 1996 -- CIA Inspector General announces investigation into Webb’s allegations.
MARCH 16, 1998 -- CIA Inspector General Frederick Hitz appears before Congressional committee to deliver Volume I of the agency’s investigation into drug trafficking.
DECEMBER 10, 2004 -- Gary Webb is found dead of an apparent suicide.
NOVEMBER 22, 1986 -- "Diversion Memo" discovered in North’s files
DECEMBER 1, 1986 -- Reagan convenes the Tower Commission to investigate Iran-Contra.
LATE FEBRUARY 1987 -- Tower Commission finishes its report.
MARCH 4, 1987 -- Pres. Reagan is forced to speak to the nation on the Tower Commission findings, which contradicts almost entirely Reagan’s speech from three months before.
APRIL 13, 1989 -- Kerry Committee report released by Senators John Kerry and Christopher Dodd. The report builds on the findings of the Tower Commission in its revelations of significant cocaine trafficking by Washington-backed Contras.
MAY 4, 1989 -- Oliver North convicted on three counts related to his involvement in Iran-Contra.
JULY 20, 1990 -- North’s convictions are vacated.
AUGUST 1993 -- Independent Counsel final report published.
AUGUST 1996 -- San Jose Mercury News publishes Gary Webb’s “Dark Alliance” three-part series alleging CIA involvement in Contra cocaine trafficking.
OCTOBER 23, 1996 -- CIA Inspector General announces investigation into Webb’s allegations.
MARCH 16, 1998 -- CIA Inspector General Frederick Hitz appears before Congressional committee to deliver Volume I of the agency’s investigation into drug trafficking.
DECEMBER 10, 2004 -- Gary Webb is found dead of an apparent suicide.
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Genius Annotation
WHAT WAS THE IRAN-CONTRA AFFAIR?
It’s pretty simple:
(1) President Reagan wanted to support a pro-capitalist, right-wing paramilitary group in Nicaragua (called the “Contras”).
(2) But Congress said it was illegal.
(3) So Reagan secretly sold weapons to Iran (one of the U.S.’s biggest enemies) and used that money to fund the Contras.
(4) To further boost the Contras' war chest, dozens of its members sold tons of cocaine into the inner-city during the height of the crack crisis. Reagan’s men were unable somehow to detect veritable mountains of cocaine being trafficked right under their noses.
(5) Nobody went to jail. Well, except for thousands upon thousands of street-level drug dealers and users in the hood and America’s poor communities.
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