SwiftVets.com

[msindependent]

I just think Oliver North is awesome. I can't believe that he was indicted for the Iran Contras deal. Why didn't Nixon stand up for him? Was Nixon a jerk? Did Reagan pardon North? I trust you guys for some straight answers, thanks.

[sdonions]

From what I remember, Olie basicly took the fall for the Reagan Administration. He showed real courage standing up and protecting his CinC.

[msindependent]

Okay, thanks. Boy did I have that mixed up.

[1991932]

President Nixon was out of the picture.

He was enjoying leisurely walks in his wingtips along the beach in San Clemente.

BTW, Richard Nixon was not a jerk. He was one of this country's best presidents, IMHO. If you leave this forum open long enough, you may get 3 more people to agree. Maybe one of our brothers who was accumulating Hilton Honors points in Hanoi when the BUFF's paid a visit during Operation Linebacker will weigh in.

I am not the strange mr aj, but I approve this message.
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Former "War Criminal"

[Wing Wiper]

In my opinion, Oliver North is one of the most heroic figures on the present scene. He got nailed for taking responsibility for an anti-Communist operation that went bad, and he wouldn't roll over to save his own skin. That's always been my read on it, and it makes him a bigger hero in my eyes. Ollie was also the only embed reporter I saw actually get off his butt and help the troops in Iraq, too. He was flying re-supply missions for the Marines, and I watched him throwing ammo crates and food instead of talking into a camera. When people put Ollie down, consider the source. Know what I mean?

[1991932]

One more memory...

What saved Ollie was his appearance before Congress in his Winter Service "A" uniform, complete with a chest full of ribbons. Fawn Hall added additional color. She was the Sandy Berger of the 1980's. She admitted to stuffing documents into her bra, if I remember correctly

"2100 hours? That's 9pm, yes sir." LOL.
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Former "War Criminal"

[msindependent]

I am so ignorant about this time period. I remember Reagan and loved him. Nixon was before my time and all I ever heard was that he lied. See, you guys are educating me, this is good. The last thing I want to do is make a Vet mad. Maybe I should just try and get this all deleted.

[1991932]

[sdonions]

The only stupid question is one that is not asked. I have learned so much about politics and history on these boards in the last 7-8 months that it is really amasing to me. Especially when it comes to the era before Bush41 (that was my first Presidential election)

[msindependent]

1991932, (Well, common sense should have told me Nixon was the good guy since traitor Kerry butted heads with him.) Anyway, I'm in southern Colorado in the Sangre de Cristo mountains. Out in the wilds close to the New Mexico border.

[Wing Wiper]

[USMCWayne]

The best book on how Vietnam and Ronald Reagan affected the lives of five Annapolis graduates is The Nightingale's Song by Robert Timberg.

The Nightingale in this case is Ronald Reagan and his message, and the five Annapolis grads are a who's who of great Americans, including Oliver North, James Webb, John McCain, John Poindexter, and Robert McFarlane.

Oliver North is a modern day example of the Academy tale "A Message to Garcia". According to the story, President McKinley orders a young Naval lieutenant to deliver a letter to a Cuban General named Garcia. Without further question, the lieutenant sets off, disappears into the jungle, and reappears months later, after having delivered the President's message.

The theme of the parable is you don't piss and moan and talk the job to death. You just do it and report back when you're done.

That was and is North. In the White House during Iran-Contra, North was innovative, enthusiastic, vigorous, smart, and charismic but, in the Reagan White House he lacked "adult supervision".

Whatever the Contras needed, North took care of. He took a fall for Iran-Contra, letting Reagan off the hook, but Ollie wasn't all that innocent.

Read the book. It's an exceptional read, and one I've read and reread all of and parts of numerous times. I can't recommend it highly enough.

[Kimmymac]

Good evening, class.

Iran-Contra came about because leftist bastards in the senate like JOE BIDEN (a kerrorist--Biden was Kerry's foreign affairs advisor) had pushed through an AMMENDMENT to the US Constitution which meant to severly restrict the Executive powers. (Presidential) It was meant to keep Reagan (then President) from fighting the communists, such as the Sandinista government of Nicarauga.

This ammendment was a clear usurption of power and totally violated the founding father's vision of three balanced branches of power within the government (Executive, Legislative, Judicial) but the Democrats were able to pass this ammendment because they were very much the majority at the time.

So in an attempt to fight communism in Latin America, Oliver North and others higher up devised a plan to siphon funds and funnel them to the Contras; American friendly, pro-democracy freedom fighters trying to overthrow Daniel Ortega and the repressive, hostile Sandinista government, which, dispite Jiminy Karter's give away of millions and millions of dollars to them, openly mocked the US and reneged on all their promises to restore human rights.

When Reagan came to power you remember that the hostages in Iran were released immediately. Can't talk about all why, but just know that a deal was brokered. It isn't always pretty, doing diplomatic deals with @$$holes, but it saved a lot of American lives.

When Biden and his Bastards (Kennedy featured prominently in this coup, btw) pushed through the ammendment, Ollie North et al had to go underground to fund pro American groups like the Contras.

Some @$$hole ratted out the program, and of course Biden and his Bastards jumped all over it, with the aiding and abetting of the OILM (not yet OILM) and attempted to bring down the Reagan Administration, ala the Nixon Administration.

Ollie North stood his ground, and it was his testimony in front of the snarling toga wearers in the Senate and House that turned public opinion. Thousands and thousands of telegrams of support for Col. North swamped Capitol Hill, and the Democrats were forced to beat a hasty retreat.

Fawn Hill, who another poster referenced, was Ollie's young secreatary. The press tried to insinuate their was something illicit between she and the married Colonel, but it was just the jackals trying to spread gossip. Ollie's wife is a very nice person, and she and their daughters were hurt by the OILM's nasty and baseless gossip. Fawn Hill got freaked and admited attempting to destroy documents at the request of Colonel North, an admission which made me very angry at her. This was a case when it truly is okay to "lie" and break the law, as clearly there was a greater good, and the "law" was an extra-constitutional kangaroo bravo sierra law, at that.

The Biden Ammendment, btw, was later repealed. It was so shockingly out of bounds that the GOP finally succeded in getting rid of it. Even Ted Kennedy was shamed into voting it out. If you know anything about how difficult it is to rescind an ammendment, then you have some idea.

Thank you class. Have a great evening.
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The last refuge of scoundrels is not patriotism; it is finicky liberal humanitarianism.--Martin Paretz

[Wing Wiper]

Kimmymac,

Like I said, I have a lot of respect for Ollie North.
The other side of the argument is, if you have Saddam fighting the Iranians, the only "crime" would be if one side ran out of ammo, in my opinion.

[GoEagles]

I'm a big fan of his as well. Ollie writes an article every Friday which can be found on townhall.com. Here's today's piece:

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/ollienorth/on20041105.shtml