[[Robert McFarlane]] was a former [[USA|U.S.]] Marine colonel who served in [[Vietnam]] and later became a key figure in [[USA|U.S.]] foreign policy and the [[Iran-Contra Affair]]. He was an aide to Senator [[John Tower]] and had connections to [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]] circles through [[Robert Gates]].[^1] [[Robert McFarlane|McFarlane]] was part of a group of [[Central Intelligence Agency|CIA]]-connected officers gathered by [[Miles Copeland]] who were unhappy with the [[Jimmy Carter|Carter]] administration. This group, along with [[William Casey]], decided that the [[Jimmy Carter|Carter]] administration was incapable of dealing with the [[Iran]] issue.[^1] [[Robert McFarlane|McFarlane]] was involved in secret negotiations with [[Iran]] concerning the [[USA|American]] hostages. He, along with [[Earl Brian]], arranged a meeting with [[Mehdi Bazargan]] in [[Tehran]] in January 1980. He also attended the Madrid meetings in March and May 1980, where he accompanied [[William Casey]] and [[Robert Gates]], discussing future [[USA|U.S.]]-[[Iran|Iranian]] relations and arms supplies.[^1] [[Robert McFarlane|McFarlane]] had a special relationship with [[Rafi Eitan]], then counterterrorism adviser to [[Menachem Begin 1]]. [[Rafi Eitan|Eitan]] built a network within the [[USA|United States]] to obtain information about Palestinian terrorists, and [[Robert McFarlane|McFarlane]] introduced [[Rafi Eitan|Eitan]] to his friends, including [[Earl Brian]], who had significant intelligence connections. Much information reaching the Senate Armed Services Committee found its way to [[Rafi Eitan|Eitan's]] desk.[^1] [[Robert McFarlane|McFarlane]] was a key player in the [[Oliver North|North]]-[[Amiram Nir|Nir]] second channel arms operation. He, along with [[Oliver North|North]] and [[John Poindexter]], agreed to run this second channel, despite the existing [[Iran-Israel Joint Committee|Israeli channel]]. [[Amiram Nir|Nir]] met with [[Robert McFarlane|McFarlane]] in [[Washington D.C.]] and threatened him with exposure if he did not cooperate with the new channel.[^1] [[Robert McFarlane|McFarlane]] was involved in the leaking of the [[Jonathan Pollard]] story to the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation|FBI]] to discredit the [[Iran-Israel Joint Committee|original channel]]. He was referred to as "Mr. X" in the subsequent hearings and was accused of providing computer access codes of intelligence reports to [[Rafi Eitan]] in [[Israel]].[^1] In May 1986, [[Oliver North|North]], [[Robert McFarlane|McFarlane]], and [[Amiram Nir|Nir]] traveled to [[Tehran]] disguised as Irish technicians, carrying [[TOW missile]]s and [[Hawk missile]] spare parts. They were detained, and the military equipment was confiscated.[^1] [[Robert McFarlane|McFarlane]] was forced to resign from the [[National Security Council]] at the end of 1985 after [[William Odom|Gen. William Odom]] proved to [[George Bush|Vice President Bush]] that [[Robert McFarlane|McFarlane]] was an [[Israel|Israeli]] mole working for [[Rafi Eitan]]. He later attempted suicide during the congressional hearings into the [[Iran-Contra Affair]], possibly fearing his role with the [[Israel|Israelis]] would surface. He was convicted of lying to [[USA|Congress]], but his conviction was later thrown out.[^1] ### Footnotes [^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992. (Hereafter, "Profits of War")