North, Oliver (1943– )

US Marine lieutenant colonel. In 1981 he joined the staff of the National Security Council (NSC), where he supervised the mining of Nicaraguan harbours in 1983, an air-force bombing raid on Libya in 1986, and an arms-for-hostages deal with Iran in 1985, which, when uncovered in 1986 (Irangate), forced his dismissal and trial.

North was born into a San Antonio, Texas, military family and was a graduate of the US Naval Academy. He led a Marine platoon in the Vietnam War 1968–69. After working as a Marine instructor, as well as participating in a number of overseas secret missions, he became the NSC deputy director for political military affairs.

After Irangate, North was convicted on felony charges of obstructing Congress, mutilating government documents, and taking an illegal gratuity. In September 1991, all charges against him were dropped on the grounds that, since his evidence before Congressional committees July 1987 had been widely televised, it was impossible to give him a fair trial. He was unsuccessful as Virginia's Republican candidate for the Senate in the 1994 midterm elections.