Perilous Statecraft: An Insider's Account of the Iran-Contra Affair

Front Cover
Scribner, 1988 - History - 307 pages
As a participant in the early stages of Iran- contra, Ledeen offers fresh insight into Oliver North's motivations, Robert McFarlane's psychological crisis, John Poindexter's reasons for providing the president with "deniability," the involvement of Israel in linking the Iran initiative with secret efforts on behalf of the contras, the role of Manucher Ghorbanifar and many other elements of interest to students of the affair. Ledeen views the subsequent congressional hearings as an inquisition that at times resembled a bullfight with an excess of goring. One of those gored was Ledeen, who claims he was slandered by both witnesses and committee members. Defending himself convincingly in these pages, he describes North's campaign to discredit him and answers the charge that he served as an agent for Israel in his role as McFarlane's envoy. Ledeen also wrote Grave New World.

From inside the book

Contents

The Reagan Administration and the Contras
1
The Contra War and the War over the Contras
36
The Birth of Project Democracy
66
Copyright

8 other sections not shown

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About the author (1988)

Michael Ledeen is an American historian, philosopher, neoconservative foreign policy analyst and writer, born August 1, 1941. He is Freedom Scholar at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, and served as Special Advisor to the Secretary of State and consultant to the National Security Council during the Reagan Administration. He has written more than 35 books, including The War against The Terror Masters, The Iranian Time Bomb, and Obama's Betrayal of Israel. His latest bestselling book is The Field of Fight: How We Can Win the Global War Against Radical Islam and Its Allies.

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