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From: berman@ihuxm.UUCP (Andy Berman)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.flame
Subject: Grenada: The Rolling Lies
Message-ID: <672@ihuxm.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 2-Nov-83 10:46:21 EST
Article-I.D.: ihuxm.672
Posted: Wed Nov  2 10:46:21 1983
Date-Received: Sun, 6-Nov-83 04:20:42 EST
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, Il
Lines: 64


One of the many disturbing actions about the Reagan administration's
invasion of Grenada is the huge quantity of lies, really lies,
(encased perhaps in exagerations and wishful thinking), that have
come out of the Administration, and very often picked up and relayed
by the press. (..not to mention on the net...). 

Fortunately Reagan's own deputy press attache has resigned over the blantant
misleading of the media.

The rabid and rapidly changing stories about the airport, the students, the role
of the Cubans, the weapons found, etc.  are difficult to keep up with
by anyone seriously trying to follow the events.

One of the better attempts to deal with the thunderous and rolling
lies is in the Chicago Sun-Times on Nov. 1, by columnist Mike Royko.

On a point by point basis, here are some excerpts:

1) The lie about the students being in danger:

     "When the shooting began all around them [after the US
      invasion] most didn't know what was going on. All they
      knew was that bullets and bombs were flying. When
      American troops appeared and told them they were being
      taken home, they reacted like a normal, terrified person
      would----they were terribly relieved that they weren't going to
      be harmed. But as some of the more thoughtful ones
      have admitted---they apparently were in no danger until
      we invaded and the shooting began"


2) The lie about the "weapons arsenal:"

      "I heard the president talk about that huge arsenal
       and I saw photos of the awesome array of weapons. But
       in case you missed it, reporters have since had a chance to
       look over this frightening cache of weapons. They've
       found that the weapons in one of the warehouses turned out
       to be sacks of rice and cans of sardines. Another had
       trunk parts. A third was filled with canteens and clothing.
        As for the three warehouses that did have weapons---they
        weren't stacked to the ceiling as the president said. They
        were about one-fourth full. Many of the rifles were made
        in 1870---old breech loading saddle guns. Others were WWII vintage.
        Lots of Saturday Night Special pistols. But very little modern
        weaponry.  It was an arsenal all right, but you'll find
        a bigger bang for your buck in any American gun shop."

3) The lie about "restoring democracy:"

    "We can start with El Salvador, which is run by far more
    murderous and brutal thugs than there are on any tiny island.
    Don't you remember the American churchwomen who were raped and
    murdered there? And then there is the Philippines which is also run
    by a muderous thug. And Chile, where they don't take a backseat
    to anyone when it comes to murderous behavior. But Reagan hasn't
    sent troops to those countries. Just the opposite--we send in
    money and military aid. We even help put them in power."