Today in History- November 3rd IRAN ARMS SALES REVEALED: November 3, 1986 The Lebanese magazine Ash Shiraa reports that the United States has been secretly selling arms to Iran in an effort to secure the release of seven American hostages held by pro-Iranian groups in Lebanon. The revelation, confirmed by U.S. intelligence sources on November 6, came as a shock to officials outside President Ronald Reagan's inner circle and went against the stated policy of the administration. In addition to violating the U.S. arms embargo against Iran, the arms sales contradicted President Reagan's vow never to negotiate with terrorists.On November 25, controversy over the administration's secret dealings with Iran deepened dramatically when Attorney General Edwin Meese revealed that proceeds from the arms sales were diverted to fund Nicaraguan rebels--the Contras--who were fighting a guerrilla war against the elected leftist government of Nicaragua. The Contra connection caused outrage in Congress, which in 1982 had passed the Boland Amendment prohibiting the use of federal money "for the purpose of overthrowing the government of Nicaragua." The same day that the Iran-Contra connection was disclosed, President Reagan accepted the resignation of his national security adviser, Vice Admiral John Poindexter, and fired Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North, a Poindexter aide. Both men had played key roles in the Iran-Contra operation. Reagan accepted responsibility for the arms-for-hostages deal but denied any knowledge of the diversion of funds to the Contras.In December 1986, Lawrence Walsh was named special prosecutor to investigate the matter, and in the summer of 1987 Congress held televised hearings on the Iran-Contra scandal. Both investigations revealed that North and other administration officials had attempted to illegally cover up their illicit dealings with the Contras and Iran. In the course of Walsh's investigation, eleven White House, State Department, and intelligence officials were found guilty on charges ranging from perjury to withholding information from Congress to conspiracy to defraud the United States. In his final report, Walsh concluded that neither Reagan nor Vice President George Bush violated any laws in connection with the affair, but that Reagan had set the stage for the illegal activities of others by ordering continued support of the Contras after Congress prohibited it. The report also found that Reagan and Bush engaged in conduct that contributed to a "concerted effort to deceive Congress and the public" about the Iran-Contra affair.On Christmas Eve, 1992, shortly after being defeated in his reelection bid by Bill Clinton, President George Bush pardoned six major figures in the Iran-Contra affair. Two of the men, former defense secretary Caspar Weinberger and former chief of CIA operations Duane Clarridge, had trials for perjury pending. ------------------------------------------------------------------ MORE GENERAL INTEREST 1903 Panama declares independence 1957 The Soviet space dog 1979 Communists and Klansmen clash in Greensboro historychannel.com/tdih/tdih.jsp?category=general&month=10272963&day=10272968 AUTOMOTIVE 1900 America's First Car Show Begins historychannel.com/tdih/tdih.jsp?category=automotive&month=10272963&day=10272968 CIVIL WAR 1816 Jubal Early born historychannel.com/tdih/tdih.jsp?category=civil&month=10272963&day=10272968 COLD WAR 1964 Johnson defeats Goldwater for presidency historychannel.com/tdih/tdih.jsp?category=coldwar&month=10272963&day=10272968 CRIME 1984 A serial killer abducts and rapes his teenage victim historychannel.com/tdih/tdih.jsp?category=crime&month=10272963&day=10272968 ENTERTAINMENT 1928 Mickey Mouse debuts historychannel.com/tdih/tdih.jsp?category=entertainment&month=10272963&day=10272968 LITERARY 1844 Thackeray completes Barry Lyndon historychannel.com/tdih/tdih.jsp?category=literary&month=10272963&day=10272968 OLD WEST 1883 Black Bart makes his last stagecoach robbery historychannel.com/tdih/tdih.jsp?category=oldwest&month=10272963&day=10272968 VIETNAM WAR 1967 Battle of Dak To begins historychannel.com/tdih/tdih.jsp?category=vietnamwar&month=10272963&day=10272968 WALL STREET 1966 Truth in Packaging Gets the Go-ahead historychannel.com/tdih/tdih.jsp?category=wallstreet&month=10272963&day=10272968 WORLD WAR II 1941 The order is given: Bomb Pearl Harbor historychannel.com/tdih/tdih.jsp?category=worldwarii&month=10272963&day=10272968