President Ronald Reagan addresses the Nation after his administration informs Congress about arms se — Transcript

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1. 0:04ladies and gentlemen the president of
2. 0:06the United States
3. 0:17good evening I have a few words here
4. 0:21before I take your questions some brief
5. 0:24remarks
6. 0:2718 months ago as I said last Thursday
7. 0:30this Administration began a secret
8. 0:32initiative to the Islamic Republic of
9. 0:34Iran
10. 0:36our purposes were fourfold
11. 0:38to replace a relationship of total
12. 0:41hostility with something better
13. 0:43to bring a negotiated end to the
14. 0:45iran-iraq war
15. 0:46and to bring an end to terrorism and to
16. 0:49affect the release of our hostages
17. 0:52we knew this undertaking involved great
18. 0:54risks especially for our people and for
19. 0:57the Iranian officials with whom we dealt
20. 0:59that's why the information was
21. 1:01restricted to appropriate cabinet
22. 1:03officers and those officials with an
23. 1:04absolute need to know
24. 1:06this undertaking was a matter of
25. 1:08considerable debate within
26. 1:10Administration circles
27. 1:11our policy objectives were never in
28. 1:13dispute there were differences on how
29. 1:16best to proceed
30. 1:17the principal issue and contention was
31. 1:19whether we should make isolated and
32. 1:21limited exceptions to our arms embargo
33. 1:23as a signal of our serious intent
34. 1:26several top advisers opposed the sale of
35. 1:28even a modest shipment of defensive
36. 1:30weapons and spare parts to Iran others
37. 1:33felt no progress could be made without
38. 1:35this sale
39. 1:36I weighed their views
40. 1:38I consider the risks of failure and the
41. 1:41rewards of success
42. 1:42and I decided to proceed in the
43. 1:44responsibility for the decision and the
44. 1:46operation
45. 1:47is mine and mine alone
46. 1:50as Mr Lincoln said of another
47. 1:51presidential decision if it turns out
48. 1:54right the criticism will not matter if
49. 1:57it turns out wrong ten Angels swearing I
50. 2:00was right will make no difference
51. 2:02I understand this decision is deeply
52. 2:04controversial and that some profoundly
53. 2:06disagree with what was done
54. 2:08even some who support our secret
55. 2:10initiative believe it was a mistake to
56. 2:12send any weapons to Iran
57. 2:14I understand and I respect those views
58. 2:17but I deeply believe in the correctness
59. 2:19of my decision
60. 2:20I was convinced then and I am convinced
61. 2:23now that while the risks were great so
62. 2:26too was the potential reward
63. 2:28bringing Iran back into the community of
64. 2:30responsible Nations ending its
65. 2:33participation in political Terror bring
66. 2:36an end bringing an end to that terrible
67. 2:38war and bringing our hostages home these
68. 2:41are the causes that justify taking risks
69. 2:44in foreign policy the presence of risks
70. 2:47alone cannot be reason enough not to act
71. 2:50there were risks when we liberated
72. 2:52Grenada when we went into Lebanon when
73. 2:55we aided the Philippines when we acted
74. 2:57against Libya
75. 2:59so we'll continue our efforts
76. 3:01however to eliminate the widespread but
77. 3:03mistaken perception that we have been
78. 3:06exchanging arms for hostages I have
79. 3:09directed that no further sales of arms
80. 3:11of any kind be sent to Iran
81. 3:13I have further directed that all
82. 3:15information relating to our initiative
83. 3:17be provided the appropriate members of
84. 3:19Congress
85. 3:20there may be some questions which for
86. 3:22reasons of national security or to
87. 3:24protect the safety of the hostages I
88. 3:26will be unable to answer publicly
89. 3:28but again all information will be
90. 3:31provided to the appropriate members of
91. 3:33Congress