the final hearings into one of the biggest scandals to rock american politics it's known as the iran contra scandal but strangely it seems most americans forgot it ever happened and went down during the reagan administration and involved the u.s. selling weapons to iran and funneling money to rebels in nicaragua r.t. correspondent ben will wrap takes us through a timeline of the scandal. remember that time the united states sold weapons to the iranian government in a weapons exchange for hostages deal in spite of an embargo against selling arms to iran i'm talking about the iran contra scandal this scandal resulted in the single largest short term drop in approval ratings for any us president in american history so here's what happened we know from declassified documents and what became known as the reagan doctrine that the contras who were in the early one nine hundred eighty s. battling the cuban backed sandinistas and you were as president reagan once put it the moral equivalent of our founding fathers under the reagan doctrine the cia trained and assisted the contras and other anti-comm

the final hearings into one of the biggest scandals to rock american politics it's known as the iran contra scandal and it went down during the reagan administration and involved the u.s. selling weapons to iran and funded funneling money to rebels in nicaragua but how many people remember what it is laurie harkness take that question to the streets of the big apple. western media would have you believe that iran is some sort of evil enemy so do they not remember their run contra scandal of one thousand nine hundred sixty this week let's talk about that have you ever heard of the iran contra scandal. sorry no i haven't no you haven't i stated no i have not heard. something big no yes yes remember it was about what was it about to remember. nuclear weapons i believe iran is but the army going in and trying to do for the oil is and it was about all over north was taking the funds from selling arms to iran to use to fund the contras. in. nicaragua you got it and now we make iran out to be the bad guy but here we were exchanging arms with them why do you think the world is ok with that well bec

it was about all over north was taking our funds from selling arms to iran to use to fund the contras in. in. in a machine no it's not a nicaragua you got it and now we make iran out to be the bad guy but here we were exchanging arms with them why do you think the world is ok with that quote because america is a hypocrisy said to find out who your body iran contra scandal join our resident in around ten minutes here on heart. i'm a former soviet soldier. war prisoner. break her. husband. a father. an alien in again is still. a son. a brother. an alien in ukraine. i'm craving for my home. if they shoot something inappropriate for public they can easily be short acts against jews was ok. i wish it would never happen but it has happened. in a war a t.v. camera because. an unnecessary what did their own safety all foreign nationals including journalists and inspectors should leave. and it's clear what happens with such witnesses i got on my site. many. churches versus shooting. my. you know watching r.t. let's move on now activists in bahrain say at least forty five people have been injur

its not very ambitions there is one skeleton in a closet that seems to have been forgotten the iran contra affair was one of the biggest scandals of the reagan presidency revelations that washington had been breaking an arms embargo on iran. indeed following the end of the capitol hill hearings into the case about twenty five years ago president reagan took full responsibility for what he called things he wasn't aware of or fast forward to today a full extent of his involvement is still unclear the man who broke the story robert parry they are said there are still too many details that will never seen the light of day. what you saw here was the failure of the institutions of washington to get control of these things there had been an effort in the seventy's after watergate after the exposures of cia abuses to bring some constraints on to this process and then you saw the iran contra scandal it was the first test case really what would congress really hold the president to task in and make sure that he couldn't go off in his own direction the institutions of washington failed to both enforc

it was about all over north was taking the funds from selling arms to iran to use to fund the contras here and. we. said no it's not a nicaragua you got it and now we make iran out to be the bad guy but here we were exchanging arms with them why do you think the world is ok with that well because america is a hypocrisy. all right to find out more bob a iran contra scandal join our resident in about ten minutes time here on aussie. living here. in forty acres and nineteen ninety three and the side it would be a great place to find my bill the home and retire. there she is. we call it our new neighbor neighbor nine o seven. we have seventy acres and i can't convince them that they need to drill somewhere besides two hundred feet from. the dates of birth growing economy also means expanding our domestic production of oil and natural gas which are vital fuel for transportation electricity and manufacturing this is the floor of the problems with the full weight of the rifle and then. you know our flows are not toxic and we get a lot of there's a lot of mis understanding of what eggs actual

states are backfiring on ordinary americans desperately seeking jobs plus what do you know about the iran contra scandal. it was go all over north was taking the funds from selling arms to iran to use to fund the clunker troops here. in the us they know it's not and if the rug was you got it and now we make iran out to be the bad guy but here we were exchanging arms with them why do you think the world is ok with that well because america the doctors say so find out more about the iran contra scandal join our resident in just around ten minutes here on our team. more news today violence is once again flared up. in these are the images the world has been seeing from the streets of canada. showing corporations are old today. right and if you move. from phones to. don't come. right if you're just joining r t it's fifteen minutes past the hour and activists say at least forty five people have been injured after the country's security forces used to gas and stun grenades to disperse protesters hundreds of demonstrations had been in the streets demanding political reforms around forty people were also

goes all over north was taking the funds from selling arms to iran to use to fund the contras. in the. congress said no it's not nicaragua you got it and now we make iran out to be the bad guy but here we were exchanging arms went down and why do you think the world is ok with that well because america's a hypocrisy all right to find out more about the iran contra scandal and join our resident around ten minutes time here on. the nuclear file side. radioactive fallout over government betrayal the government blog entry laws and claude and claude how can the truth be revealed if there's no official evidence there was indeed a very great danger to the servicemen concerned who will give them no problem. and to the people of this country generally because of radio like the fall of. the secrets of the u.k.'s nuclear tests excuse. me. i'm a former soviet soldier. war prisoner. forder . an alien in again as. a son. a brother. in ukraine. craving for my boy. welcome back to the activists in bahrain say at least forty five people have been injured after the country's security forces used

over north was taking the funds from selling arms to iran to use to fund the contras and. understood no it's not the world what you got it and now we make iran out to be the bad guy but here we were exchanging arms with them why do you think the world is ok with that though because america is in the pockets. so to find out more about the iran contra scandal join our resident in the wrong ten minutes here on state. more news today violence is once again flared up. these are the images the world has been seeing from the streets of canada. trying to corporations rule the day. which brightened new moon about from months to. dot com. this is on c welcome by activists in bahrain say at least forty five people have been injured after the country's security forces used tear gas and stun grenades to disperse protesters hundreds of demonstrators have been in the streets demanding political reforms around forty people have also been arrested in the gulf monarchy in the early hours of friday day members of the opposition blocked a key highway pushing for their main demand an elected pa

heard of the iran contra scandal. sorry no i haven't no you haven't i state no i have not heard. something big he know yes yes do you member it was about what was it about you remember. nuclear weapons i believe iran is but the army going in and trying to go the oil is and it was about all over north was taking the funds from selling arms to iran to use to fund the contras. in. nicaragua you got it and now we make iran out to be the bad guy but here we were exchanging arms with them why do you think the world is ok with that well because america is a hypocrisy do you think that the world knows that this is a hypothesis you. i guess we know a little bit about it but sometimes i find us to be very naive and we are not really enough to wear over everything that's going on out there they were in a war with iraq so you know we were we thought that they were they were the good relative good guy. and iraq was the you know the bad guys you know it's just the whole it's ridiculous if we change our definition of it who's good a

the oil is and it was about all over north was taking the funds from selling arms to iran to use to fund the contras. in nicaragua you got it and now we make iran out to be the bad guy but here we were exchanging arms with them why do you think the world is ok with that well because america is a hypocrisy do you think that the world knows that this is a hypocrisy. i guess we know a little bit about it but sometimes i find us to be very naive and we are not really enough to where everything that's going on out there knew they were in a war with iraq so you know we were we thought that they were they were the good relative good. in iraq was the you know the bad guys you know it's just the whole it's ridiculous if we change our definition of of who's good and who's bad to suit our needs when ever doesn't that kind of make good and bad relative and meaningless absolutely it's almost thirty years ago so there in thirty years someone can go from being an ally to an enemy well unfortunately that happens yeah so we should probably be more careful with whom we give arms to that is a very good up. savation bu

the iran-contra happens which closes the relationship of the next 15 years. we saw what happened to reagan and then, and over a series of time where iran has spurred u.s. efforts to -- for reproach. we seem to be captured by it. there is a great example i like to give just on this idea of the more things change the more they stay the same. a couple of years ago, i was down at the centcom headquarters in tampa and talking to general allen, who was -- now the senior commander of afghanistan and then he was the deputy commander. we were going over a memo on different u.s. goals and options for iran, and when i read it i was stunned. i had to say jen wrote you know i could pull out a memo from 1983 that says almost identical, the exact same thing you guys are saying here written by one of your predecessors. while i think that makes for great relevant history doesn't say much for the current state of our affairs. >> host: i mean just a few small counterpoints, it's interesting to me that some of us hostages, some of the americans living in iran at the time of the r

over its military and there is one skeleton in the closet that seems to have been forgotten the iran contra affair it was one of the biggest scandals of the reagan presidency revelations that washington had been breaking an arms embargo on iran the resident is a new york task whether this is one episode which in time can't heal. western media would have you believe that iran is some sort of evil enemy so do they not remember the iran contra scandal of one thousand nine hundred sixty this week let's talk about that have you ever heard of the iran contra scandal. sorry no i haven't no you haven't i state no i have not heard. something big he know yes yes do you member it was about what was it about you remember. nuclear weapons i believe iran is but the army going in and trying to do for the oil is and it was about all over north was taking the funds from selling arms to iran to use to fund the contras. in. nicaragua you got it and now we make iran out to be the bad guy but here we were exchanging arms with them why do you think the world is ok with that well because america is a hypocrisy do

but it's also true, as you say, that from iran contra forward there are sort of subsequent, bruising chapters in u.s./iran relations. so it's not just the '79-'80 period, there's more recent bruises or scars that the two sides are feeling. >> guest: yeah, absolutely. in fact, the way i like to describe it is we built, the u.s. and iran have built a relationship or a house on an unstable foundation of mistrust. and over the years we sort of added to this distrust with an even less stable house. so i think both sides bear some culpability for perpetuating this problem. >> host: as you did your research, did you try or did you decide that it was kind of outside the boundaries of your research to try to get iranian perspectives? did you try to interview iranians or read their documents? >> guest: i did. i read a number of iranian documents. i interviewed some iranian government officials that were good enough to be available to me. as i said, i interviewed hezbollah, i interviewed hamas representatives, spent eight years living in tehran as their representative to try to get a sense for -

congress held its final hearing into the iran contra affair one of its biggest scandals in modern american politics that was a secret arrangement to provide funds to nicaragua and rebels from profits accumulated by selling arms to iran in the one nine hundred eighty s. and next our very own resident in new york went to find out what the people remember anything about it. western media would have you believe that iran is some sort of evil enemy so do they not remember their run contra scandal of one thousand nine hundred sixty this week let's talk about that have you ever heard of the iran contra scandal. sorry no i haven't. you have a nice day no i have not heard. something big he know yes yes the member it was about what was it about you remember. nuclear weapons i believe iran is but the army going in and trying to do for the oil is and it was about all over north was taking the funds from selling arms to iran to use to fund the contras. in nicaragua you got it and now we make iran out to be the bad guy but here we were exchanging arms with them why do you think the world is ok with that

the iran-contra happened swatch colors the next 15 years. why are we going to risk an opening to the ring and suicide have been to iranian and over a series of incidents where iran has spurred u.s. effort for roper schmoll, we seem to be captured by. there's a great example of a tp is just on this idea of the more things change, the more they stay the same. a couple years ago i was done at the centcom headquarters in tampa, talking to general alan, who was not a senior commander in afghanistan. he was then deputy could hurt a central command and we were going over a memo in different u.s. goals and options for iran. when i read it, i was stunned and i had to say general, you know, i can pull a memo from 1983% is almost identical things you are saying here, written by one of your predecessors. while that makes her great relevant history come it doesn't say much for the current state of our affairs. >> host: just a few smaller counterparts. disinterest in some of the hostages, living at the time of the revolution cannot they themselves would li

guest: he was pardoned by george bush along with everybody else in iran-contra. he had not told what he knew about the payments to get the hostages out of iran. he knew it. he was at a hearing. they asked him about it and he did not say it. so he was convicted for withholding information from congress. host: here is a column, june 20. "after 11 years, a few minutes of public discussion of a tax to pay for the fighting, but that would be for the next war." how was it -- did we fight the war in iraq and afghanistan without paying for it? guest: this is, to me, one of the worst things that happened associated with the bush war in iraq, and that is not only the family to pay for a record first war in the american history where there was -- there were tax cuts. they instituted a tax cuts. in that same period, they withdrew the last remaining excise tax that would help pay for the korean war. telephone tax. you know, there were not going to put a tax to pay for the war because congress would not have passed it. host: where were the democrats? guest: the democrats were a

. >> congress and the tower commission investigated the iran contra scandal. >>> and -- >> mr. tear down tht wall. >> president reagan made the most famous declaration of his presidency. >> if you seek peace, prosperity for the soviet union and eastern europe, mr. gor can bachev, open this gate. >> was it 1986, 1987 or 19877? we'll be right back with the answer. the modern world... would define you as an innovator. to hold more than one patent of this caliber... would define you as a true leader. to hold over 80,000... well, that would make you... the creators of the 2012 mercedes-benz e-class... quite possibly the most advanced luxury sedan ever. ♪ join mercedes-benz usa on facebook for the best summer sweepstakes. join mercedes-benz usa on facebook my sknowing what to make and not when could help cut down on thousands of unsold baked goods per month. using analytics, we discovered when it's drizzling outside... people eat more cake. and when the temperature rises, panini sales go up. finding these hidden connections helped our european bakeries increase profitability by up to

to use as an example, and call them the most deceptive administration in history, i mean i think iran-contra was more deceptive. >> sean: ronald reagan, his administration ended in 1988. can we just focus on the present? >> i know, but when you say things like "the most deceptive," this is bad, but i wouldn't quite it put it in that category. >> sean: it is bad. we can go back to watergate if we want to talk about that. >> yeah. >> sean: here's the deal. michelle, here's my point. this campaign is about smear and slander. we've shown tonight in the first two gments of this program the president lies today. there's not going to be a report anytime in the "new york times" about it. the president acts like "campaign negative? that's just not true. my campaign knew nothing about any of these things." time after time he gets away with it. the press here -- >> yeah, because -- >> sean: go ahead. >> no, exactly. the press isn't on top of things. for the press to be upset because the biden campaign, the biden aides are trying to edit their pool reports, what do you expect? you were backing up these

another is the part of iran-contra. but when you think of the tax reform, which is major, and then the whole cold war and the way that he and scholz dealt with gorbachev and the soviets seemed like a major accomplishment. the second question about reagan, in this media age, haven't we learned that we did not know a lot about how badly off he was after he got shot? and the potential for manipulation on presidential health is about as bad now as it was when we were wilson was president. >> are you saying that his first term is better than his second term? >> i think it was substantial. plus the other criterion of getting george h. w. bush elected in his wake. >> weight. >> i think he made very good points. i am very hung on reagan, and i think he will be included in the leaders of destiny. he is headed in that direction. and i believe that he is very consequential as a president. the two greatest presidents of the century were franklin roosevelt and ronald reagan. and one was probably the most liberal president of the cen

i know that there is the iran contra but when you think of that tax reform, which is a major command in the whole cold war and the whole way that he and shultz dealt with the soviets seem like a major accomplishment. the second question even in this media age haven't we learned that we did not know what about how badly off he was at gw after he got shot and that the potential for manipulation closed the line, call it what you want, presidential health is about as bad now as it was when woodrow wilson was president. >> welcome the certainly try to keep it quiet. so, are you saying you think that reagan's second term might have been better than the first? >> i just think it was pretty substantial and i think that's why the historians are pushing him up. plus that other criterion of getting hw elected in his week. >> i think you need a very good point. i'm very high on reagan and i think that he is going to be included in the leaders of destiny as i say. he's heading in that direction, and i believe that he is very consequential president. the greatest presidents of the 20th century for

you know, iran contra, things like this.to a point that by 1992 three years after he left office there was actually a poll conducted that asked people was the country better off because reagan had been president? only 24% said yes. the same poll found he was significantly less popular as a president than jimmy carter. in the last 20 years that's completely and totally changed and what i've seen happen is a sort of dedicated group of reagan supporters have made an effort to sort of rehabilitate his image and it also happened that the effort began when he had that tragic diagnosis of alzheimer's and it kind of made him off limits to criticism for a few years. it seems to me his, you know, historical image was sort of shaped by that. >> i say in the book you can't really give a definitive historical assessment until after a generation passes because there are too many political passions that are swirling around the people who might be answering these polls. i actually don't credit that poll. there were other polls taken. c-span

>>shepard: is this sound like a 2012 version of iran and contra, with in direct transfer of weapons but a third party out there in the middle somewhere? >>guest: well, i like your point. the analogy that occurs to me is bosnia, as i mentioned, but the broader issue here is that, if you try to get too cute or come too late to the game on helping with weaponry, you are not going to achieve your strategic goals. we don't want the syrian opposition to become so powerful that al qaeda can move in, borrow weapons, and start attacking other western interests away the region. that clearly would be a reason not to provide advanced anti-aircraft weaponry. i do think there is a case that if somebody is giving smaller weapons to the insurgents it might as well be us. that gives us leverage down the road. we would rather have the leverage than anybody else. >>shepard: thank you, michael. back to the update on the olympics. i reported here on who won the swimming a minute ago and we will go through the details. if you like to sit at home and watch the reruns that are provided to us by nbc, you are we

and newt would use rhetorical gestures and comments to say i'll yield to eddie to defend his iran contra -- eddie was 500 miles away, but gingrich would be seen gesturing, and then he'd say, well, the gentleman doesn't want to engage in this debate. clearly, inappropriate. [laughter] and tip got so upset that he ordered the cameras, without notice -- and that was a mistake on his part -- to pan the chamber. and he had asked joe moakley, his top assistant, to -- his friend from massachusetts and not yet chairman of the rules committee but soon to be -- to be in the chair. i remember hearing it. joe, i may be out of order, but with i want you to protect me as he stepped down into the well to give this speech. and pointing at gingrich and saying the reason i ordered the cameras to pan the chamber is because what you've did is the lowest thing i've ever seen. 35 years, the lowest thing. that, in our mind, bill brown and i were both up there, was a personality against another member. he can't set a precedent that members can go around accusing each other in debate of the lowest thing. moakley

to us about vietnam, why wouldn't they have lied to us about the assassination of -- >> vietnam, iran contra. the one thing that i'm just perusing this chapter now, is on martin luther king. there is no way that james earl grey acted alone. >> no he said he was innocent. the only reason he pleaded guilty was to avoid execution, and dr. king's family agreed that he was innocent. and i've been down there and the room where james earl ray allegedly fired the shot from, the window, there's a bathtub next to that window. so he would have had to straddle a bathtub and fire a shot from a weapon that didn't match the bullet that killed the doctor. dr. king. >> and not only that, how does someone like james earl ray get to toronto, and england -- just stop. >> he had money, $30,000, he had plane tickets. he was clearly set up. that famous picture of everyone pointing up when dr. king -- that's where the shot came from, and earl ray was like here. this is actually a fascinating fact. in 1999, a jury, a civil jury in tennessee found that the government was involved in dr. king's murder. now, that's a j