"I thought using the Ayatollah's money to support the Nicaraguan resistance was a neat idea"

In this quote, Oliver North is expressing his belief that utilizing funds from the Ayatollah (the supreme leader of Iran) to support the resistance in Nicaragua was a clever and efficient method. This statement reflects North's involvement in the Iran-Contra affair, a political scandal in the 1980s where the United States federal government covertly sold weapons to Iran in exchange for the release of American captives and used the profits to fund the Contras, a rebel group fighting against the socialist government in Nicaragua. North's usage of the word "neat" recommends that he saw this plan as a clever and efficient way to accomplish their objectives. Nevertheless, this quote likewise highlights the controversial and unethical nature of the Iran-Contra affair, as it included using cash from a foreign leader to money a hidden operation without the understanding or approval of Congress.