Amiram Nir

Amiram Nir (Hebrew: עמירם ניר‎‎; 8 December 1950 - 30 November 1988) was an Israeli journalist. He had also been a terrorism advisor to two Israeli Prime Ministers, and played a role in the Iran-Contra Affair. He married Judy Shalom Nir-Mozes in 1982.

Nir served as Shimon Peres' campaign manager in 1977 and as party spokesman for Peres' party. He subsequently became a correspondent for Israeli television, and in 1982 was military correspondent for Channel One. He also rose to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Israel Defense Forces reserves.

In November 1984 Nir was appointed to the new post of Counterterrorism Advisor under Prime Minister Shimon Peres, remaining in the position under Peres' successor Yitzhak Shamir. In the position of Counter-terrorism Advisor Nir played a key role in the Israeli response to the 1985 Achille Lauro hijacking.

Nir also played a role in the Iran-Contra Affair, but when the matter became public in late 1986 he was forbidden by the Israeli government from speaking to US authorities. He resigned from the Israeli government in March 1987, after public criticism of his role in the affair (and with his US contact Oliver North attempting to pin the blame on Nir) made him feel "neutralized of his authority". In mid-1988 Nir spoke to Bob Woodward of the Washington Post, saying that he was considering how best to sell the Irangate story.

After leaving the government Nir opened a London office for an Israeli security firm, and arranged arms and oil contracts for Mexican buyers. On 30 November his chartered Cessna developed engine trouble and crashed, apparently killing him (some reports maintain Nir had been killed previously in Mexico City). After Nir's death, "a systematic series of burglaries," carried out by professionals who were never caught, targeted documents relating to the Iran-Contra Affair. One of the burglary targets was the home of Nir's widow.