“We’ll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false.”

William Casey — CIA Director (1981-1987)

January 29 2022 — William Joseph Casey (March 13, 1913 – May 6, 1987) was the Director of Central Intelligence from 1981 to 1987. In this capacity he oversaw the entire United States Intelligence Community and personally directed the Central Intelligence Agency. Follow us on Twitter: @INTEL_TODAY

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“My purpose was… to send a signal that the United States was prepared to replace the animosity between [the U.S. and Iran] with a new relationship… At the same time we undertook this initiative, we made clear that Iran must oppose all forms of international terrorism as a condition of progress in our relationship. The most significant step which Iran could take, we indicated, would be to use its influence in Lebanon to secure the release of all hostages held there.”

US President Ronald Reagan — November 13 1986

Casey suffered a cerebral seizure on December 15 1986. He resigned on January 29 1987 and died on May 6 1987, less than 24 hours after the first witness in Congressional hearings on the Iran–Contra affair named him as having assisted in providing arms to Nicaraguan rebels after Congress forbade such support.

In a 1987 book, Veil: The Secret Wars of the CIA 1981–1987, Washington Post reporter and biographer Bob Woodward, who had interviewed Casey on a number of occasions for the biography, said that he had gained entry into Casey’s hospital room for a final, four-minute encounter.

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According to Woodward, when Casey was asked if he knew about the diversion of funds to the Nicaraguan Contras,

“His head jerked up hard. He stared, and finally nodded yes.”

Independent Counsel, Lawrence Walsh wrote:

“Independent Counsel obtained no documentary evidence showing Casey knew about or approved the diversion. The only direct testimony linking Casey to early knowledge of the diversion came from [Oliver] North.”

Mr. Casey Died on May 6 1987. His family requested that mourners not bring flowers to his funeral, but instead donate to the Contras in Nicaragua.

“It is now very clear that there were two separate agreements, one the official agreement with Carter in Algeria, the other, a secret agreement with another party, which, it is now apparent, was Reagan. They made a deal with Reagan that the hostages should not be released until after Reagan became president. So, then in return, Reagan would give them arms. We have published documents which show that US arms were shipped, via Israel, in March, about 2 months after Reagan became president.”

Former Iranian President Abolhassan Banisadr

Iran – Contra Scandal

On November 3 1986, the Lebanese magazine Ash-Shiraa exposed the Iran–Contra scandal. Senior administration officials secretly facilitated the sale of arms to Iran, which was the subject of an arms embargo.

They hoped, thereby, to fund the Contras in Nicaragua while at the same time negotiating the release of several U.S. hostages.

Under the Boland Amendment, further funding of the Contras by the government had been prohibited by Congress.

This affair is usually regarded as one of the most important scandals in US modern history.

PS — On Christmas Eve 1992, President Bush ended the Iran-Contra investigation by Independent Counsel Lawrence Walsh. Bush pardoned all those involved, including Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, whose trial was about to begin.

William Barr, Bush’s Attorney General at the time, did not oppose the pardons. In effect, Bush had found a way to pardon the only man the Constitution does not allow the US President to pardon: himself. [Lockerbie – Three Decades of Lies: J’Accuse…! Chapter II : The Usual Suspects]

Crossfire Examines William Casey Controversy   — December 12, 1986 

Robert Novak and Tom Braden are joined by Max Hugel and William Corson.

They discuss CIA Director William Casey’s role in the arms-for-hostages deal with Iran.

The video quality is rather poor but the interview is worth watching….

REFERENCES

WILLIAM CASEY, EX-C.I.A. HEAD, IS DEAD AT 74 — NYT

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On This Day — CIA Director William Casey Resigns (January 29 1987)