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+---
+tags:
+  - Program
+  - Project
+  - USA
+  - IranContra
+category: "Intelligence Operation"
+summary: "The Tower Commission was a presidential commission of inquiry established to investigate the Iran-Contra Affair. It was headed by former Senator John Tower."
+start: 1986-12-01
+end: 1987-02-27
+location: "Washington, D.C."
+---
+The [[Tower Commission]] was a presidential commission of inquiry established to investigate the [[Iran-Contra Affair]]. It was headed by former Senator [[John Tower]].
+
+The commission's investigation focused on the years 1984 to 1986. Its conclusions were largely seen as a cover-up, as it declared that some individuals in the [[National Security Council]], interested in the release of hostages in [[Lebanon]], had tried to make a deal with the [[Iran|Iranians]], selling them 97 [[TOW missile]]s and some [[Hawk missile]]s. The commission made no mention of the ongoing original arms channel between [[Israel]] and [[Iran]], despite [[John Tower|Tower's]] inside knowledge of the weapons trade with [[Iran]].[^1]
+
+[[George H.W. Bush]] later nominated [[John Tower|Tower]] for defense secretary, but he was not confirmed by [[United States|Congress]] due to the controversy surrounding the commission's findings.[^1]
+
+### Footnotes
+[^1]: Ben-Menashe, Ari. *Profits of War: Inside the Secret U.S.-Israeli Arms Network*. TrineDay, 1992.