IRANGATE Meaning and
Definition
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Irangate, also known as Iran-Contra affair, refers to a major political scandal that occurred in the mid-1980s in the United States. This term specifically relates to the secretive and illegal arms deals and hostage negotiations involving the Reagan administration, Iran, and Nicaraguan Contras.
The scandal originated from the Reagan administration's attempts to negotiate the release of American hostages held in Lebanon by Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants. In an effort to secure their release, the U.S. government, through intermediaries including a retired military officer named Oliver North, secretly sold weapons to Iran. However, this act was in direct contradiction to the U.S. policy that prohibited such dealings with Iran due to its support for terrorism.
The proceeds from the arms sales to Iran were then diverted and illegally channeled to the Contras, a rebel group fighting against the socialist Sandinista government in Nicaragua. The Reagan administration had been providing covert assistance to the Contras despite a congressional ban on such funding, hence the scandalous nature of the entire affair.
The revelation of these covert activities led to a major political controversy and subsequent investigations by various congressional committees. The scandal raised significant concerns regarding the influence of the executive branch, the role of the National Security Council, and the legality of the administration's actions.
Overall, Irangate refers to a clandestine and illegal arms-for-hostages deal conducted by the Reagan administration, involving Iran, the Contras, and the subsequent political fallout that ensued.
Etymology of IRANGATE
The word "Irangate" is a term coined by the media and journalists to refer to the Iran-Contra Affair, a political scandal that unfolded in the 1980s. The term is a combination of "Iran", referring to the country involved, and "-gate", which is a suffix commonly added to words associated with scandals or political controversies. The suffix "-gate" originated from the Watergate scandal in the 1970s, which led to the resignation of then-US President Richard Nixon. Since then, "-gate" has been regularly used as a shorthand to describe similar political scandals or controversies.
