Defrauding America: Encyclopedia of Secret Operations by the CIA, DEA, and Other Covert Agencies, Vol. One (Book # 2 of 30 in Defrauding America series.)

by Rodney Stich

U.S. media and congressional publicity on Iran-Contra focused on the illegal arms sales to Iran in the mid-1980s, but these sales began years earlier, as part of the October Surprise operation. 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.