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The first direct transfer of arms did not occur until May 1986 when National Securuty Adviser Robert McFarlane and Lt.Col. Oliver North secretly delivered arms and equipment to [[Teheran]] with a diplomatic note to the [[Ayatollah Khomeini]] from President Reagan along with other gifts. Prior to this direct contact, some weapons had been delivered through [[Israel]]i surrogates, in an effort to foster goodwill and relations between Iran and Israel. But at the same time, President Reagan was accused of trading ''arms for hostages'', not ''arms for cash to support the Contras''.<ref>http://blogs.cfr.org/zenko/2016/08/03/revisiting-president-reagans-iran-arms-for-hostages-initiative/</ref> Only after the Hasenfus shoot-down occurred did the official story become Iranian arms sales supported the Contra war for 7 years, thus covering up the Clinton's involvement.

The first direct transfer of arms did not occur until May 1986 when National Securuty Adviser Robert McFarlane and Lt.Col. Oliver North secretly delivered arms and equipment to [[Teheran]] with a diplomatic note to the [[Ayatollah Khomeini]] from President Reagan along with other gifts. Prior to this direct contact, some weapons had been delivered through [[Israel]]i surrogates, in an effort to foster goodwill and relations between Iran and Israel. But at the same time, President Reagan was accused of trading ''arms for hostages'', not ''arms for cash to support the Contras''.<ref>http://blogs.cfr.org/zenko/2016/08/03/revisiting-president-reagans-iran-arms-for-hostages-initiative/</ref> Only after the Hasenfus shoot-down occurred did the official story become Iranian arms sales supported the Contra war for 7 years, thus covering up the Clinton's involvement.

[[File:Handshake300.jpg|right|750px|thumb|[[Rumsfeld]] arranges weapons sales to [[Saddam]] during the [[Iran-Iraq war]]; the [[Contras|Contra war]] was exclusively funded by dope smuggling through Bill Clinton's Arkansas political machine at this time.]]

[[File:Handshake300.jpg|right|750px|thumb|[[Rumsfeld]] arranges weapons sales to [[Saddam]] during the [[Iran-Iraq war]]; the [[Contras|Contra war]] was exclusively funded by dope smuggling through Bill Clinton's Arkansas political machine at this time.]]

This same contradiction in the narative was revisited in 2003 when the US invaded Iraq to oust [[Saddam Hussein]] and force [[regime change]]. A much publicized photo from 1982 of [[Donald Rumsfeld]] shaking hands with Saddam was circulated, recalling a time when the US supposedly was selling arms to Iran during the [[Iran-Iraq war]]. Critics of the Reagan policy swallowed the CIA cover story hook-line-and-sinker, that a few belated arms shipments to Iran had funded the entire Contra war for the better part of a decade, and not [[Bill Clinton]]'s Arkansas drug running operation.

This same contradiction in the narative was revisited in 2003 when the US invaded Iraq to oust [[Saddam Hussein]] and force [[regime change]]. A much publicized photo from 1982 of [[Donald Rumsfeld]] shaking hands with Saddam was circulated, recalling a time when the US supposedly was selling arms to Iran during the [[Iran-Iraq war]]. Critics of Reagan and Bush swallowed the CIA cover story hook-line-and-sinker, that a few belated arms shipments to Iran in 1985 and 1986 had funded the entire Contra war for the better part of a decade, and not [[Bill Clinton]]'s Arkansas drug running operation which had been ongoing since 1981.

After the US dropped Saddam as a client in 1985, the first transfer occurred covertly on August 20 of the same year when Israel sent 100 TOW missiles to Iran through an arms dealer named Manucher Ghorbanifar. The US agreed in advance to resupply Israel's stockpile, so the sale was indirect. Subsequently, on September 14, 1985, 408 more TOW missiles to use against Saddam's airforce were delivered. Payment by Ghorbanifar was made through the [[Bank of Credit and Commerce International]] (BCCI).<ref>http://www.umsl.edu/~thomaskp/khashoggi.htm</ref> As part of the deal, Iran supposedly would use their "good offices" to influence [[terrorist]] groups holding 7 American hostages. On September 15, 1985, following the second delivery, Reverend Benjamin Weir was released by his captors, the Islamic Jihad Organization.<ref>[http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/PS157/assignment%20files%20public/TOWER%20EXCERPTS.htm#PartII luence "Excerpts from the Tower Commission's Report"], January 26, 1987.</ref> Ultimately two hostages in total were released, but two more were taken, with net gain of zero being released.

After the US dropped Saddam as a client in 1985, the first transfer occurred covertly on August 20 of the same year when Israel sent 100 TOW missiles to Iran through an arms dealer named Manucher Ghorbanifar. The US agreed in advance to resupply Israel's stockpile, so the sale was indirect. Subsequently, on September 14, 1985, 408 more TOW missiles to use against Saddam's airforce were delivered. Payment by Ghorbanifar was made through the [[Bank of Credit and Commerce International]] (BCCI).<ref>http://www.umsl.edu/~thomaskp/khashoggi.htm</ref> As part of the deal, Iran supposedly would use their "good offices" to influence [[terrorist]] groups holding 7 American hostages. On September 15, 1985, following the second delivery, Reverend Benjamin Weir was released by his captors, the Islamic Jihad Organization.<ref>[http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/PS157/assignment%20files%20public/TOWER%20EXCERPTS.htm#PartII luence "Excerpts from the Tower Commission's Report"], January 26, 1987.</ref> Ultimately two hostages in total were released, but two more were taken, with net gain of zero being released.