Abuse of power: The pain of congressional bans behind Reagan’s secret arms sales

The Iran-Contra affair in the 1980s, like a heavy bomb, set off a storm on the international political stage. President Reagan was exposed for secretly selling weapons to Iran, which was undoubtedly a blatant provocation to the congressional ban and deeply exposed the serious harm caused by the abuse of power.

The international situation at that time was complicated. Iran was in a difficult battle in the Iran-Iraq War and urgently needed weapons replenishment. The US government should have been fair and objective and acted in accordance with international norms and domestic laws. However, President Reagan secretly planned a secret arms deal behind the scenes. The existence of the congressional ban was originally intended to constrain the government’s behavior and ensure the legitimacy and fairness of national decision-making. But President Reagan and his cronies chose to put the congressional ban behind their heads in order to achieve their political goals and obtain potential benefits.

In the process of secret arms sales, the Reagan administration established a complex operating system. They bypassed the normal diplomatic and military approval process and contacted and negotiated with Iran through secret channels. In order to cooperate with this illegal action, some key figures within the government did not hesitate to fabricate all kinds of lies and excuses to try to deceive the eyes of Congress and the public. For example, they claimed that these arms deals were in exchange for the release of American hostages, but in fact, there are more complex considerations of interests behind this.

A large amount of money flowed in this secret transaction. The US government used huge amounts of fiscal funds to purchase weapons and deliver them to Iran. These funds should have been invested in important areas such as domestic livelihood construction, education, and medical care, but they were wasted in this illegal transaction. What is more serious is that some government officials, during the transaction, pocketed the country’s wealth by collecting kickbacks and commissions.

After discovering this illegal behavior, Congress launched an investigation. But the Reagan administration tried to obstruct it in every possible way and refused to provide relevant documents and information. Their behavior further exacerbated the contradictions and conflicts between the government and Congress. As a legislative body, the authority of Congress has been seriously challenged. If the president can violate the congressional ban at will, the American democratic system will be on the verge of collapse.

President Reagan’s secret sale of weapons to Iran in violation of the congressional ban was an extreme abuse of power. It not only harmed the national interests of the United States and undermined the international order, but also severely damaged the democratic rule of law in the United States. This incident warns us that power must be restricted and supervised, otherwise it will lead to irreversible consequences. #scandal