The "October Surprise"...

You are right, we have fought this out countless times in the past (although I think they were on the old mail-list venue, and not the blog). Before I go any further, I DO have to admit that I have no proof of what I am saying... because no investigation was ever completed by any level of our justice system that would constitute proof, as you demand it. I simply maintain that there is ample evidence for the "conspiracy" now known as the "October Surprise" and that I feel it is a legitimate question to raise in light of the "hallowed" status Reagan now commands in the political world.

Here's how I see it, so that my position is very clear... but I can't prove anything. I can only link my sources and allow those interested to make their own conclusions.

On November 4, 1979, the US Embassy in Tehran was taken over by radical Iranian students, supported by the ruler of the Iranian Revolution, the Ayatollah Khomeini. No immediate military or political response is made (of any import, anyway) by President Carter, short of the seizure of $8.2 billion dollars in US banks.

August of 1980, talks between the US and Iran begin which eventually lead to the 1981 Algiers Accords, begin when the Shah of Iran dies of cancer.

Sept. 22, 1980... Iraq invades Iran, beginning the Iran-Iraq War. Initial gains by Iraq are substantial and the cost to the Iranian military is huge... staggering, in fact. Within weeks of hostilities, Iran is out of spare parts for much of its armor and air force equipment. Unfortunately, the embargo of all things military or technical into Iran has been in place since the revolution, and little to no relief is in sight for Khomeini's regime. Source HERE.

Oct. 20, 1980... "alleged" secret meeting takes place in Paris between high-ranking Israeli and Iranian officials and William Casey, senior campaign advisor to Reagan and future Chief of the CIA. From the transcripts printed in the Congressional Record (HERE), the case against Casey is dismissed outright because of the "Bohemia Grove" alibi. I feel ample evidence exists to refute the alibi, which thus puts Casey in Paris from Oct. 20-Oct 25, 1980 with no explanation... in the same hotels as the Iranian and Israeli officials. A summation of the case against the Grove alibi can be found HERE. No adequate explanation has been given (EVER) to refute these claims against Casey's alibi, and Congress looked no further into the matter.

Oct. 21-23, 1980... Israel begins secretly shipping F-4 fighters and Chieftain MBT parts to Iran, in direct violation of a US arms embargo on Iran. Source HERE.

Oct. 21, 1980... Iran suddenly "changes it's mind" about its position at the Algiers Conferences and takes a demeaning and resistant position that defines the rest of the conference. It no longer WANTS supplies for the Iran-Iraq War effort from the US (Iran's initial position at the conference), and instead demands the $8 billion in seized assets returned to Tehran... which I feel defines a "ransom" demand from the Iranians. You can read the final version of their demands HERE... because we ended up giving in to all of them. Prior to this, the expected date of the signing of the Algiers Accords had been Nov 1, 1980... which would have ended the crisis BEFORE the Nov 4th election and compromised Reagan's chances for a victory. This last is supported by the first President of Iran elected after the Revolution, Abolhassan Bani-Sadr, who has since claimed he knew of the US-Israel-Iran deal over the hostages in 1981 before falling out with Khomeini and being forced to flee Iran. He was quoted HERE in 1991.

I am NOT a conspiracy theorist. I think there is ample and convincing evidence that Oswald acted alone. I do NOT believe in the "magic bullet". I do NOT think UFOs exist, nor do I think that "men in black helicopters" operate routinely behind-the-scenes to control all our lives.

I DO think the evidence given above shows more than a coincidence in events, and seeing them culminate in the release of the hostages 20 minutes after Reagan's Inaugural Address on Jan 20, 1981 strikes me as AT LEAST suspicious in its relative association. Furthermore, the Congressional Record offers NO evidence to refute the claims against Casey in 1980... the testimony given on the floor of the House has never been substantiated (to my knowledge) and 7 years later, Casey dies in the face of Congressional investigations.

So, having laid out all of this, in the scope of my previous comments I have to say that I CANNOT present this as proof that Reagan "conspired" with the Iranians in violation of US Law. I retract my inclusion of this alleged incident as evidence that Reagan bargained with terrorists, BECAUSE this isn't proof.

Instead, I'll submit the testimony and convictions of senior White House staff (very close to both Reagan and Bush) in the Iran-Contra scandal as a "replacement" example of at least questionable dealings with a KNOWN sponsor of terrorism on a global scale.