<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran–Contra_affair" id="mw8Q" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Iran–Contra affair">Iran–Contra affair</a>: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Reagan" id="mw8g" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Ronald Reagan">Ronald Reagan</a> signs the top secret National Security Decision Directive 17 (NSDD-17), giving the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Intelligence_Agency" id="mw8w" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Central Intelligence Agency">Central Intelligence Agency</a> the authority to recruit and support <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Contras" id="mw9A" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Contras">Contra</a> rebels in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicaragua" id="mw9Q" rel="mw:WikiLink" title="Nicaragua">Nicaragua</a>.