Robert McFarlane (American government official)

For other people with the same name, see Robert MacFarlane (disambiguation).

Bud McFarlane
12th United States National Security Advisor
In office
October 17, 1983 – December 4, 1985
PresidentRonald Reagan
Preceded byWilliam P. Clark Jr.
Succeeded byJohn Poindexter
12th United States Deputy National Security Advisor
In office
April 4, 1982 – October 17, 1983
PresidentRonald Reagan
Preceded byJames Nance
Succeeded byJohn Poindexter
20th Counselor of the Department of State
In office
February 28, 1981 – April 4, 1982
PresidentRonald Reagan
Preceded byRozanne L. Ridgway
Succeeded byJames L. Buckley
Personal details
Born
Robert Carl McFarlane

(1937-07-12)July 12, 1937
Washington, D.C., U.S.
DiedMay 12, 2022(2022-05-12) (aged 84)
Lansing, Michigan, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
SpouseJonda Riley[1]
Education
Military service
Branch/serviceUnited States Marine Corps
Years of service1959–1979
Rank Lieutenant colonel
Battles/warsVietnam War
Awards

Robert Carl "Bud" McFarlane (July 12, 1937 – May 12, 2022) was an American Marine Corps officer who served as National Security Advisor to President Ronald Reagan from 1983 to 1985. Within the Reagan administration, McFarlane was a leading architect of the Strategic Defense Initiative, a project intended to defend the US from Soviet ballistic missile attacks.[2] He resigned as National Security Adviser in late 1985 because of disagreements with other administration figures but remained involved in negotiations with Iran and with Hezbollah.

McFarlane was a central figure in the Iran–Contra affair, an operation in which the Reagan administration funneled weapons to Iran and diverted the profits to illegally fund right-wing rebels in Nicaragua. When the scheme came to light, administration officials implemented a plan to insulate Reagan and senior officials by focusing blame on McFarlane.[3] He ultimately pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor counts and admitted that he had hidden information about the Reagan administration's support of the Contras from Congress. Suffering from guilt over his role in the scheme and feeling betrayed by Reagan, who, McFarlane later wrote, "approved every single action I ever took" but "lacked the moral conviction and intellectual courage to stand up in our defense and in defense of his policy." McFarlane attempted suicide in 1987.[3][1] He was later pardoned, along with several other figures in the Iran-Contra scandal, by President George H. W. Bush shortly before he left office.

After his pardon, McFarlane operated a consulting business. He was investigated by the FBI in 2009 over concerns that he was illegally lobbying on behalf of the Sudanese government of Omar al-Bashir but was not charged with any crime.[4] McFarlane died in Lansing, Michigan, on May 12, 2022, from a lung condition.[1]

  1. ^ a b c Lewis, Neil (May 13, 2022). "Robert C. McFarlane, Top Reagan Aide in Iran-Contra Affair, Dies at 84". New York Times. Archived from the original on May 16, 2022. Retrieved May 16, 2022.
  2. ^ Smith, R. "McFarlane Calls SDI Pitch Misleading", Washington Post (1988-09-15) (via HighBeam.com): "Robert C. McFarlane, a key architect of President Reagan's 'Star Wars' plan to develop sophisticated defenses against Soviet ballistic missiles, said he has concluded 'There is no current basis for confidence that a survivable defensive shield is within reach' and that Reagan's announcement of it was misleading and simplistic."
  3. ^ a b Schechter, Jerrold (May 13, 2022). "Robert 'Bud' McFarlane, Reagan national security adviser, dies at 84". Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 13, 2022. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
  4. ^ Zapotosky, Matt (November 27, 2013). "Probe of former national security adviser's relationship with Sudan ends without charges". Washington Post. Archived from the original on January 6, 2018. Retrieved September 10, 2017.