Iran-Contra Affair: Was a scandal in the Reagan administration involving the use of money from secret Iranian arms sales to support the Nicaraguan Contras
Contras
These are two very different situations, if I understand your question. You may be referring to President Obama agreeing to help the rebels in Syria; but many members of congress, led by Senator McCain, were very insistent that the US government should help, and the president agreed. This is very different from the secret deals which President Reagan made, including trading arms with Iran in order to funnel money to the Contras in Nicaragua: he helped the Contras even after congress said he should not. There is no evidence President Obama has made secret deals with Iran or anyone else, and he has not gone behind the back of congress.
bear flag nation
the officials sent funds to the contras.
The major political scandal of Ronald Reagan's second term revolved around the Iran-Contra affair. It involved senior officials within Reagan's administration secretly selling weapons to Iran in exchange for the release of American hostages, and then using the proceeds from those sales to fund rebels in Nicaragua, in violation of U.S. law. Although Reagan denied knowledge of the details, the scandal severely damaged his administration's credibility.
Yes, during the civil war the soldiers from the south were called Rebels.
The Minutemen
Well, that's a tricky question. The legitimate gobernment and its defenders are called the "Republicans" and the rebels are called the "Nationals" ("Bando republicano", which then turned to be the losers and "Bando nacional", which won the war). While the formers defend the current government of the nation against the rebels, the laters go into a crusade defending their ideas of "Spanish Nation".
Sonoma
As a rebel against the government. (Apex)
a sovereign nation, entitled to all the rights of an independent nation