ABSTRACT
In November 1986 a small Lebanese journal scooped the international press when it revealed that the Reagan White House, long a vocal antagonist of Iran, had been selling arms to that country in exchange for hostages. Subsequent enquiries uncovered diversions of funds to the Nicaragua Contras at the same time as a congressional ban against such aid was in place. Further investigations revealed Contra ties to cocaine smuggling which coincided with a much publicized American war against drugs. This complicated international intrigue became known to the world as Iran-Contragate.
