arms-for-hostages

Arms-for-hostages is a controversial political arrangement where a government trades military weapons to secure the release of hostages held by a group, often in a foreign country. This practice raises ethical concerns as it can encourage hostage-taking and illegal arms trading. A notable example is the Iran-Contra Affair in the 1980s, where the U.S. secretly sold arms to Iran, which was under an arms embargo, and used the proceeds to fund anti-communist rebels in Nicaragua while also working to free American hostages in Lebanon. Such deals complicate international relations and can have long-lasting implications.