Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: Notesfiles $Revision: 1.7.0.10 $; site uicsl
Path: utzoo!lsuc!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!uicsl!pollack
From: pollack@uicsl.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.politics
Subject: Re: Contras arm&arm w/Guard
Message-ID: <11200005@uicsl>
Date: Sun, 16-Mar-86 12:02:00 EST
Article-I.D.: uicsl.11200005
Posted: Sun Mar 16 12:02:00 1986
Date-Received: Tue, 18-Mar-86 20:15:54 EST
References: <11000129@uiucdcsb>
Lines: 52
Nf-ID: #R:uiucdcsb:11000129:uicsl:11200005:000:2205
Nf-From: uicsl.UUCP!pollack    Mar 16 11:02:00 1986




Lets see: if 2000 exiled former National Guard makes up only 5% of the FDN 
then the FDN must consists of 40,000 men. Isn't this estimate just a little
optimistic? From humble beginnings of about 4000, the Contras have expanded
significantly, using meat and (US) money to attract Nicaraguans whose diet
was beans and poverty. The last estimate I've seen of their number is 
14-18000.

But 46 out of 48 of the leaders are former officers of the National Guard.
This fact, along with well-documented cases of their use of terror,
is why it is difficult to see them as "Democratic Freedom-Fighters."

If the Sandinistas are Genocidal Marxist-Leninist Communists, 
wouldn't they have just executed all the Guard they captured,
instead of simply exiling them?

The current debate over Nicaragua in this network as well as in the country
in general (fueled by our president's attention) seems to be
completely lacking in history. 

I, for one, can't forget that the justification for funding the
contras has been consistently changing:

First it was to stop arms flowing from Nicaragua to the FMLN in El Salvador
(an arms flow which has NEVER been substantiated)

Then it was to put pressure on Nicaragua to have more democracy
(The real reason was to pressure Nicaragua into a state of
emergency and "War Communism")

Then it was that we can't abandon our friends, who need clothing and
medicine. (So that they can buy weapons with the money raised privately by
philanthropic members of the US National Security Apparatus)

Today our President will tell us that the evil Sandinista Government is not
the democratic choice of the people of Nicaragua, but an "Armed Communist
Camp," subverting the whole continent, closer to Dallas than Hollywood, and
that the peace-loving Democratic Freedom Fighters need $30M more Clothing
and Shelter from the cold winter coming in Central America and need $70M in
weaponry to defend themselves from the Soviet Puppet War Machine. 

Look in your hearts, American People: Can we afford to do less?

Jordan Pollack


"We draw our very blood from the civilians they say we are killing."
   Adolfo Calero
   Chairman of the FDN and
   Former Colonel of Somoza's National Guard