Whistlestop

Oliver North, Master Crafter of the Political Lie

In 1986, an American plane loaded with weapons for Contra guerrillas fighting communists in Nicaragua crashed, fueling the Iran–Contra affair.

Listen to Whistlestop:

This episode of Whistlestop travels back to Oct. 5, 1986, when an American plane went down as it was carrying arms to Contra guerrillas fighting the communist regime in Nicaragua and the lies about the Iran–Contra affair flared up.

Whistlestop is Slates podcast about presidential history. Hosted by political correspondent and Political Gabfest panelist John Dickerson, each installment will revisit memorable (or even forgotten) moments from America’s presidential carnival.

Podcast production and edit by Jocelyn Frank. Research by Brian Rosenwald.

Love Slate podcasts? Listen longer with Slate Plus! Members get bonus segments, ad-free versions, exclusive podcasts and more. Start your two-week free trial at slate.com/podcastplus.

Email: whistlestop@slate.com