Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site spanky.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!floyd!whuxlb!pyuxll!eisx!npoiv!npois!hogpc!houxm!hocda!spanky!ka
From: ka@spanky.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Nicaragua
Message-ID: <452@spanky.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 22-Aug-83 11:36:52 EDT
Article-I.D.: spanky.452
Posted: Mon Aug 22 11:36:52 1983
Date-Received: Mon, 22-Aug-83 19:41:35 EDT
References: <1266@tekgds.UUCP>
Organization: Bell Labs, Holmdel, N. J.
Lines: 36

To deal with your points in reverse order:

They may have seemed honest, but I doubt if they were.  I recall that
they denied shipping arms to the rebels in El Salvedor; and I don't
think that there is any real doubt that they have done exactly that.

	2. What they say is refreshingly different from the broad
	   evasions and misrepresentations so often heard from
	   OUR elected and non-elected officials.

Yes, compared with the Reagan administration, they came off pretty
well.  There certainly was a period when Reagan was making even the
Russian propaganda machine sound like the voice of reason and common
sense on the issue of arms control.  But of course Reagan is not a
particularly strong believer in the truth; note the administration
complaints that the Voice of America spends too much time putting out
facts rather than propaganda.

	1. These guys would very much prefer to get along with US.

Does anyone out there know enough about the history of US/Nicaraguan
relations to evaluate this claim?  It is obvious that the Nicaraguan
government has taken actions which the US views as hostile.  It has
shipped arms to rebels in El Salvador.  It has imported large numbers
of Cuban advisors.  And rather than teaching school children that it
would be nice to be friends with the US, they teach them that America
and Americans are hateful.  For its part, the Us has eliminated foreign
aid to Nicaragua while giving aid to Nicaragua's neighbors.  More im-
portant, it is financing Nicaraguan rebels who aim to overthrow the
Nicaraguan government.  Both sides justify their actions by the hostile
actions on the part of the other side.  I guess the question is:  who
was hostile first?  The interview unfortunately did not address this
question.  In particular, no reference was made to Carter's attempts
to be friendly with the Sandanistas by either the interviewer or the
Sandanistas being interviewed.
					Kenneth Almquist