Need Book Recommendation for Topic Iran/Contra

[liveoaktx]

I watched "Lord of War" last night (Nicholas Cage)-purported to be about Victor Bout, gunrunner and rogue military supplier to a number of countries. While reading up on him (and it's not clear to me that he isn't still supplying Iraq, etc with weapons), I came across some more Iran/Contra references. I don't understand why Poppy was allowed to issue pardons for some of these criminals, without challenge (or is it that you can't challenge a presidential pardon) and also want to understand better what Poppy's involvment was with CIA gun-running. I'm looking for books to read, any recs?

Side note that Victor Bout's base of operations was in Dubai. IF he is still out there and IF the UAE took over port operations, what better way to more easily run weapons through ports without inspections.

[gumby]

1. Check Robert Parry

He got kicked out of the MSM for writing about Iran-Contra. He has a book on the subject and you'll find info at his website http://www.consortiumnews.com/

[bananas]

3. Robert Parry, Gary Webb, Peter Dale Scott

[bananas]

5. Gary Webb’s “Dark Alliance” website - lots of info

Gary Webb’s “Dark Alliance” website - lots of info
http://www.narconews.com/darkalliance/

[deutsey]

2. A Very Thin Line by Theodore Draper

It's a very thick book...but it's also pretty informative.

[deutsey]

4. Very prescient warning from Draper:

"The Iran-Contra affairs are not a warning for our days alone," he later wrote. "If the story of the affairs is not fully known and understood, a similar usurpation of power by a small, strategically placed group within the government may well recur before we are prepared to recognize what is happening."

Found this in his obiturary in the Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/22/AR2006022202411.html

What do they say about those who forget history...?

[Octafish]

6. 'Firewall' by (Rep.) Judge Lawrence Walsh, the Special Prosecutor.

The others above on this thread also are excellent resources.

You may enjoy reading about The October Surprise, as well. That scandal seems to have morphed into Iran-Contra. Robert Parry, Gary Sick and Barbara Honegger have done bang-up jobs.

[bananas]

7. Mike Levine and Celerino Castillo

Mike Levine and Celerino Castillo were DEA agents at the time,
and wrote some books about it. They both testified before congress.

Mike Levine http://www.expertwitnessradio.org
"Deep Cover" http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0595092640/ref=pd_sim_b_1/002-8871500-8330439?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155
"White Out" http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/156025064X/qid=1141483892/sr=1-5/ref=sr_1_5/002-8871500-8330439?s=books&v=glance&n=283155

Celerino Castillo http://www.powderburns.org
"Powderburns" http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0889625786/ref=pd_sim_b_4/002-8871500-8330439?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155
google http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&q=%22Celerino+Castillo%22&btnG=Search


Peter Dale Scott
"Cocaine Politics: Drugs, Armies, and the CIA in Central America" http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0520214498/ref=pd_sim_b_2/002-8871500-8330439?%5Fencoding=UTF8&v=glance&n=283155

[liveoaktx]

8. Thank you, I ordered 5 books, ready to hunker down

I wasn't paying that much attention when Iran/Contra happened and that was worlds ago, when I was still naive and believed that investigations led to justice.