Performers of operations in the framework of the Iran-Contras case: a brief description of biographies

The article analyzes the biographies of the performers of special operations in the framework of the “Iran-Contras” case. The author divides them into three types. The first is the military, who are in active military service on the staff of the US National Security Council during the period under review; the second is CIA employ-ees; the third is retired military and private individuals engaged in business, as a rule, in the specific field of security and arms trade. The genesis of the circumstances of Washington’s inability to provide open military assistance to the Contras movement is traced, which was associated with a crisis of trust between the legislative and executive branches of the US political mechanism. The biographies of the main characters are briefly covered. Despite some similarities and differences in them, the author distinguishes the motives of their actions.