1985: U.S. Support for UNITA Rebels in Angola
Jeremy Scahill
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Joe Biden opposed U.S. support for Angola’s right-wing UNITA rebels, whose chief lobbyist in Washington, D.C., was Paul Manafort.
1985-1989: The Wavering Interventionist
By the end of the 1980s, Joe Biden had thrown his support behind a U.S. attempt to assassinate Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi as well as the invasions of Grenada and Panama. But he also pushed for military restraint in his first presidential run. In the Iran-Contra affair, Biden displayed a willingness to take the purveyors of clandestine dark arts at their word.
1986: Libya Bombing
Jeremy Scahill
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Joe Biden supported Reagan’s attempt to assassinate Muammar Gaddafi, but he questioned if U.S. policy in Libya would succeed.
1986: Apartheid South Africa
Murtaza Hussain
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Joe Biden was a prominent opponent of apartheid South Africa and fought against U.S. aid to the regime. But he also lied about being arrested while trying to visit Nelson Mandela.
1987-88: Iran-Contra Investigations
Jeremy Scahill
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Joe Biden denounced the covert arms-for-hostages programs involved with Iran-Contra, but in the end, he defended Reagan’s role.
1987: Update on the Kennedy Doctrine
Jeremy Scahill
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Joe Biden believed that the U.S. should only “pay the right price and bear the right burden” as it defended its dominant role in the world.
1989: Panama Invasion
Jeremy Scahill
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Joe Biden promoted the lie that the U.S. was acting defensively when it invaded Panama to overthrow the CIA puppet narcoregime of Manuel Noriega.