DISTURBING THE PEACE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000605740039-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 10
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 3, 2012
• Sequence Number: 39
• Publication Date: September 1, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

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a,RTICLE AP EARED COMMON CAUS E
t~NPAGE~ September/October 1985
came down here to raise hell,"
said Steven Carr, 26, as he lit up
a Marlboro in the visitors' area
of La Reforma prison outside
San Joses, the capital of Costa
Rica.
~ Carr said he came to Costa
Rica "to go to waz....My brother was in
Vietnam, and I was really pissed that I
didn't get to go....I grew up with John
Wayne movies. I was in ROTC, the Civil
Air Patrol, and I was weaned on that
Carr got tired
of waiting for
his chance at
combat, so last
Mazch he de-
cided to become
a real-life Ram-
bo and traveled
to Costa Rica to
fight "the com-
munists."
He wanted to
join the con-
tras-the U.S.-
backed rebels
[tying to over-
throw the leftist
Sandinista gov-
ernment of Nic-
aragua, which
lies on Costa Ri-
ca's northern
border.
For six weeks,
Carr lived out
~ his dreams. He
was armed and transported to the con-
tra_cam~b~anti_commurust-groups_he
said were led li~uba--fir ~_arrct.~far-
mer from Indiana who Carrand Glibbery
said was a CIA liaison in Costa Rica.
The high point of Can's short-lived ta-
i reer came around mid-April, when he
claims to have participated in a raid on a
Sandinista camp a day and a half s march
inside Nicaragua. He thinks about 30 San-
dinistatroopsmay have been killed.
Carr believes bad publiaty about that
raid may have contributed to the narrow
defeat of one of President Reagan's re-
quests for aid to the contras last April.
He added he believes the defeat of the
Contra aid ultimately may have led the
CIA to e~or-Tiffs arrest said
the day er a House vote e an
o i - rn adventurers
were sent by an a1~eRed CIA liaison to a
contra camp in Casta7tica, Tere ey
were arrested ours er to 'can
~u-bTc securi rtes. --
Some peop a 'miss Carr as nothing
more than a crazy adventurer, but his
story has serious implications. He is a
link in a chain of private groups and indi-
viduals in the United States who stepped
in to help the contras in Costa Rica and
Honduras after Congress refused to ex-
tend funding for the rebel movement in
mid-1984. These private groups have
provided the contras with an estimated
E25 million in arms, ammunition and
supplies since then. Some organizations
also are sending men to train and fight
with the rebels. Their leaders-who in-
clude retired military officersr-also pass
military intelligence and other informa-
tion to top administration officials.
Leaders of some groups say they plan
to continue their efforts, even though
Congress approved $27 million in so-
called "humanitarian" or non-military
aid to the contras this summer. Critics of
aid to the contras contend that no matter
what it's called, the aid package is a back-
door way of funding the contras' military
effort. But the private groups supporting
the contras say Congress hasn't gone far
enough. They say their help continues to
be needed because e an e~en-
tagon are s~pr~o _ rt om providing
direci tru'litany aid to tFie coriuas:
For e-xampple-r~-~my Maj Gen.
John Singlaub-who runs the most ef-
fective fundrais' o eration-sates _pri-
vate a orts are still nece~to fill the
gap left wTien the CIA was__ Lxohibited by
Congress from Riving assistance to the
re~oers. ~ -
S'urglaub and other private contra sup-
porters say their actions are encouraged ;
and supported by the president Reagan
has spo en openly for months about
the need to remove the Sandinista gov-
ernment in ' `its present structure," and
the administration has supported the
contras' efforts to overthrow the Nicara-
guan government since the early 1980s.
The White House defends its. actions by
saying the Sandinistas are a repressive,
antidemocratic regime committed to
exporting revolution throughout Cen-
tral America.
Those who oppose aid to the contras
believe it involves the United States in an
undeclared waz. against a sovereign na-
tion, and that it helps fund rebels impli-
cated in numerous atrocities.
Some Members of Congress say the
"privatization" of the war, accomplished
with the Reagan administration's en-
couragement, is circumventing the con-
gressionalban on U.S. military assistance
to the contras. They say some of these
~w.fi
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activities may violate the spirit if not
the leaer~f the Neutrality Act, which
was designed to keep private citizens
from becoming involved in conflicts
with countries with which we are at
peace.
Rep. Jim Leach (R-Iowa), a member of
the congressional Arms Control and For-
eign Policy Caucus, calls these private
groups "intemational vigilantes who
are engaging in "privately funded terror-
ism." He warns that the administration's
decision to allow private groups to `take
foreign policy into their own hands" by
supporting the contras could have grave
consequences for the United States.
What would happen, he asks, if the
United States decided to negotiate with
the Sandinistas, and the contras and their
private U.S. supporters didn't want to go
along? "What we ve done is unleashed a
force thai s accountable to nobody,"
Leach says.
A congressional staffer who works on
Central American issues adds, "Can you
imagine what these private (groups]
would say if Jane Fonda and leftist
groups in the U.S. started raising money
to buy arms and ammunition for the
Sandinistas? Theed be howling in out-
rage. Yet that's exactly what they're do-
ing for the contras."
Interviews with contra supporters in
the United States and Costa Rica raise
^ other troubling questions. One is wheth-
er the CIA is still assistin the contras;
des ire e act that Con ress-t rough
w at is mown as e Boland amend-
ment-barred all. government entities
involved in intelligence activities from
giving military or paramilitary assistance
to the contras.
Another is whether the ~G'hite House's
National Security Council (NSC) is also
circumventing the Boland amendment
by coordinating or directing the contra
activities and by channeling funds to the
contras. The NSC, according to its litera-
ture, advises the resident on integrat-
irig_omestic oreign and military poli-
cies re a-[ ung to national securin?, and
also `` rovide~s direction to the CIA."
In early August T~Tfri~s
reported that the NSC had been advising
the contras about military operations
and ways to contact private U.S. funding
sources. After the Times disclosure,
some Members of Congress said they
believed the NSC's actions may have vio-
lated the Boland amendment.
House Intelligence Committee mem-
ber Rep. George Brown Jr. (D-Calif )
said, "It's my opinion that they're in vio-
lation of the law and the clear intent of
the Congress," although he acknowl-
edged that the administration may have
found a "loophole" in the law.
Ultimately, these activities raise a
much larger question: Do they repre-
sent anew way for our government to
use private citizens as surrogates in a mili-
taryconflict intotal disregard of Congress'
constitutional responsibilities to declare
war and to determine whether funds
should be provided for L'.S. military ac-
tivities?
When he left his Naples, Fla. home last
March for Costa Rica, Steven Carr had no
idea that the events that followed would
have international repercussions. All he
was looking for was a little excitement.
Carr talked about his experiences in
late July during an interview at La Re-
formaprison, 15 miles outside the Costa
Rican capital of San Jose.
He had been there since late April,
when he was arrested with four other
men-another American, two Britons
and aFrenchman-who allegedly were
also working with the contras. The five
were charged with possession of explo-
sives. Atrial date had not been set at the
time of the interview.
Carr and one of the Britons, Peter
Glib rv, met me in e visitors area of
tie -medium security section ol"t1 ie pris-
9_rl: No guar accompanie e two
men. They simply walked into the
room-a large, cheery o>i'ice-sat down
at a wooden table and started to talk.
Carr immediately made several things
clear. His checkered past includes mili-
tary service, a short stint as adoor-to-
door magazine salesman in Bangor,
Iviaine and a criminal record. He was on
probation for grand theft when he came
to Costa Rica. Carr and Glibbery said
they are not mercenaries. "We didn't ex-
pect pay," Glibbery said "It would have
been nice; I wouldn't have refused it,"
Carr added. He said he spent over ~ 1,000
of his own money to come down to Costa
Rica.
"We were just stupid ideological
people" who wanted to Fight commun-
ism.
Carr's and Glibben's experience with
the contras is a story of arms smu lin
an a ewe Centra Inte li ence Agency
(C~covert activities. e men sac
t~iese activities inc uded discussions
about having the contras carry out ter-
rorist operations in Costa Rica and blam-
ing it on the Sandinistas.
Carr's saga began in June 1984, when
he visited Costa Kica for the first time.
His ste fp ather= a_Naples businessman,
had some friends who told him to con-
tact race cones, an American w_ho owns
two farms and an in_ terest_ in a citrus
nursery in northern Costa Rica. Jones
was later decared_persona, no_n grata
--- -
and forced io leave the country because
Lije magazine-published-an'article earlier
this year identifi-~ing him as a ' `key" CIA
liaison wi e contras. --
Carr said Jones to him he couldn't
join the guerrillas until he had learned
Spanish, so Carr returned to the Lfiited
States.
Carr said he corresponded with
Jones and that last January he met him
in Nliami, where Jones led Carr to mem-
bers of Brigade 2506, a contra group
led by Cuban exiles, including sev-
eral survivors of the abortive 1961
Bay of Pigs invasion. Leaders of the
group wanted to establish a base camp
in southern Nicaragua, and Carr was to
show them how to set up perimeter de-
fenses and stage raids.
First, however, he helped them obtain
weapons. U.S, law forbids American citi-
zens who aren't licensed from exporting
arms, but Carr was undeterred. He said
that during the weeks he spent in Miami.
he helped collect 50-caliber machine
guns, M-16 rifles and a 20mm cannon.
He said they also got lethal equipment
from Tom Posey, the head of Civilian
Military Assistance, anAlabama-based
group that recruits people to fight with
the contras. Peter Glibbery says it was
Posey who helped him get to Costa
Rica.
Posey has acknowledged to reporters
that he provides the contras with fighting
men, but denied that he deals in weap-
ons.
Carr said he also got help obtaining
weapons in Miami from another Ameri-
can-Robert Thompson, a former Flori-
da law enforcement officer who was lat-
er arrested and jailed with Carr in Costa
Rica.
Carr said Thompson told him he had
been with the largest contra group, the
Nicaraguan Democratic Force (FDN), in
Honduras the previous year.
Carr said that while he and Thompson
were in :Miami, Thompson ran into
some Dade County, Fla. police officers
who were off-duty. "They said, `We'll
bring some stuff that we've got in our clo-
sets at home,' so they brought us a case of
shotgun shells, gas masks, flight jackets,
flares."
Thompson denies this. He said in an
interview that he came to Costa Rica to
write freelance newspaper articles about
the contras and was using his time in
prison to write fiction. He has issued a
statement calling Carr and Glibberv
"crazy people" and disassociating him-
selffrom their statements.
Carr flew to Costa Rica in early March.
He said he zipped through customs with
the help of someone who had been as-
sociated with the country's public se-
curityforces.
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Jose, Carr went to Muelle San Carlos, a
seNement about two hours north of the
capital. There he picked up his weapons
and supplies, which he said had been
shuttled from El Salvador by private
plane to a remote dirt airstrip in Costa
Rica.
Glibberv was already in Costa Rica
when e met up wi Jon Hul a
faimer and landowner who Gllb-
bery said acted as a CIA liaison in Costa
Hull, originally an Indiana farmer, is
said to be a naturalized Costa Rican citi-
zen who has extensive holdings in north-
ern Costa Rica, including a citrus nursery
that he owns along with Bruce Jones.
The Life magazine reporter who
wrote e stow about Jones ~a Teged CIA
tnvo vement said in a recent interview
that sever sources in Costa Rica told
him t at Hu so was a CIA liaison. Sev-
eral contra r_e resentatiyes,.in San Josh
confirmed that Hull works with them.
Hull could not be reached for com-
ment. He broke one appointment for an
interview at his Costa Rican farm and did
not respond to several phone calls. In
the past, he has told reporters that he
supports the contras' cause and allows
wounded rebels to be evacuated from
his airstrip. But he has denied working
for the CIA and su lvin the contras
w_ i weapons an equipment._
A spokes ep~rson at .CIA head~c uarters
in Lan~lev va: said, ' As a matter_ ofpolicy
we don't confirm or deny ~alleg~aaons of
agency emem ovment. Fui~ermore~] if
you recall, Congress cut o~`CIA involve-
ment wi~i the contras, and we_ adhere to
our legal obligations."
Glibberv said Hull told him that he fi-
nances contra operations in Costa Rica
and so- u~t tern Nicaragua wi x,000 a
month sent by the National Security
Council. Glibberv said Hull told him the
moneys osit~in a Miami, F~bank
an tat u once 1-'o ea~~o~c Help in_e_
if the IRS finds out about it. "
When advised of this allegation, a
White House official laughed and said,
"The NSC has not sent $10,000 or any
other amount of money" to finance con-
tra activities in Central Americta. "That~s
totally absurd," the official added. "We
don't do those kinds of things."
Glibbety said that at one point Hull
took him to a sawmill in northern Costa
Rica and showed him a stash of M79 gre-
nades and land mines. Glibbery thought
the mines might be useful for the contras,
need [them] to do an embassy later on.'...
I'll never forget those words."
Glibbery and Can added that Hull at
one point discussed "blowing a few
holes in Los Chiles," a town in north-
ern Costa Rica, and making it look as if
the Sandinistas had carried out the at-
tack The implications of such an action
are especially disturbing in light of Presi-
dent Reagan's statements that he be-
lieves Nicaragua is a terrorist nation.
The administration is considering retal-
iatingagainst the Sandinistas for any ter-
roristincidents inCentral America.
Carr said Hull became more cautious
as the congressional vote concerning
giving aid to the contras approached last
April. The vote was expected to be very
close, and Can said Hull was concerned
that negative publicity about contra activ-
ities might cause representatives who
were undecided about the aid package
to vote against it.
Carr said that for this reason Hull de-
cided acontra raid on the Sandinista out-
post of La Esperatva should not take
place. But Carr said he went along when
one of the Cubans decided to carry out
the raid anyway. He said he and about 20
rebels marched to La Esperanza, fired
rocket-propelled grenades at the Sandi-
nistas while they were eating dinner,
and may have killed about 30 Nicara-
guans.
Carr said he believes the raid was the
beginning of the end of his contra ca-
reer. He said bad publicity about the raid
may have contributed to the narrow de-
feat of the contra aid package in the
I-{Dose two weeks later. Carr and Glib-
berv said that the day after the House
vote, Hull instructed all five of'the for-
, elgners who were with the contras to go
to a contra camp inside Costa Rica. There
they were arrested by the Costa Rican
Kural Guard.
Carr said he believes Hull set them up
because the CIA regarded them as
loose cannons. ``I~_ieel John Hull had us
set up because-the CIA wanted us out.
of the way,' `Carr said.
He added that he and Glibbery kept
silent after their arrest because they be-
lieved Hull would help get them a law-
yer who would quickly obtain their re-
lease. When this did not happen, the two
men began telling their story to Costa Ri-
can reporters.
Can and Glibberv may cast them-
selves as idealistic adventurers, but they
represent a movement that has become
a major force in the Central American
conflict. The two men are pan of an iit-
ormal network _of private individuals
Off.
and groups .who have been arming,
u~`a_inin~and~fi~tin~with the rebels since
onc; gress refused to extend funding~for
the contras in mid-1984.
One pf the key people in this network
is citrus farmer Bruce Jones, the man who
led Carr to Brigade 2506 in ~~tiami.
Jones himself was identified as a "key"
C raison last spring by Li e mag~azine,
wTiic printed photographs.ofJones
training_contras on hi~farm.
After seeing the magazine, Costa Rican
officials declared Jones persona non
grata and saidJones, who was in the U.S.
at the time, could not return to Costa
Rica.
Jones freely admitted in an interview
that he ppr~ovide3To-isu'c-1 support-for
the rebels,-6ui denie e worTce~for tFie
CIA. Steve Robinson, the Lije editor
who wore on e story, sat ones CIA
connection was confirmed by a number
of sources in Costa Rica. Not one iota of
' ormation has passed across my desk
that woo rTd- a tithe a-singe ing Tri the
s_t_o_-;'Robinson add-ed~ ----- ---- - -
Stnce e cowl t return to Costa Rica,
Jones settled in a middle class sub-
division carved out of the desert on the
south side of Tucson, Ariz. Jones does
not look like a man involved in interna-
tional intrigue. When we met at his
~ home for an interview recently, he was
dressed in camouflage shorts and an
open-necked shin.
Jones said he spends his days manag-
ing apistachio nursery, keeping in touch
I with Hull about the citrus business and
raising money to provide weapons, am-
munition and supplies to the contras.
He recently helped organize the Tuc-
son chapter of the U.S. Council for
World Freedom, the American arm of
the World Anti-Communist League,
whose leader is retired Armv Maj. Gen.
John Singlaub, the most influential U.S.
fundraiser for the contras.
Jones said the group is providing in-
formation about the Central American
situation and is raising money for the
rebels. Ironically, Jones said that the Lije
piece has helped rather than hurt his
current efforts to aid the rebels. After the
article appeared, people called him say-
ing, "Here's ~ 100" or "Here's X5,000."
Jones said his group also plans to
provide food, clothing and medicine to
the contras. Jones pointed out that such
non-military assistance-whether pro-
vided by the U.S. government or private
groups-helps the contras militarily be-
cause the money the rebels ordinarily
would spend on these items can be used
to purchase weapons.
Jones said he is now coordinating his
activities with Singlaub. In fact, Jones
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met with Singlaub one day in July when
the retired officer visited Tucson to
spe;ilc to the "River Rats," a group of U.S.
fighter pilots who fought in Vietnam and
were meeting to dedicate a park at Da-
vis-Monthan Air Force Base. Jones said
he and Singlaub were going to discuss
forming a national organization to co-
ordinate private U.S. fundraising efforts
so that amts, ammunition and equipment
could be channeled to the contras more
effectively.
Singlaub-whose military career
came to an abrupt end in 1977 after he
publicly disagreed with President Carter
over troop commitments in South Ko-
rea--agreed to be interviewed in Tuc-
son following his speech to the River
Rats. He is a short man who gazes in-
tensely at people he is talking to.
Singlaub spoke proudly about his
work with the rebels, whom he calls
"freedom fighters." He said that in the
last year he has raised "tens of millions
of dollars" for arms and ammunition,
and millions more for non-military sup-
plies.
Singlaub bristled at suggestions that
he might be circumventing Congress
with his activities. "It's our view that we
are ahead of the view of the Congress,"
he said. "We believe that Congress was
fooled by the massive disinformation
program of the Sandinistas" when it re-
fused to continue to fund the rebels in
1984.
Singlaub added that he believes the
House and Senate's decision last sum-
mer to renew so-called non-military aid
to the contras "was a better representa-
tion ofthe will of Congress. But there are
some hard-core left wing [Members of
Congress] like [Reps.] Michael Barnes
[D-'vtd.] and [Edward] Boland [D-Mass.]
and Ron Dellums (D-Calif.] and quite a
few others that have always supported
the communist organizations around
the world. They tend to believe tha: so-
cialism is the wave of the future and the
best foreign policy of the United States is
to cooperate with these socialist
moods.,,
Singlaub said that he has assisted the
contras by setting up an overseas bank
account to handle weapons purchases.
(U.S. law prohibits Americans who
aren't licensed from sending weapons
abroad.) He said that when U.S. contri-
butors want to be assured their money
will be spent on arms and ammunition,
he gives them the foreign bank account
number and tells them to send the mon-
ey there. But he hastens to add that he
makes it clear they can't claim the con-
tributions as atax credit.
Singlaub believes his. activities have
the approval of the White House and
added that he understands that President
Reagan "has been informed" of what he
is doing. "Now occasionally I make tele-
phone calls to friends (in the administra-
tion] and say, `Look old buddy, this is
what we're about to do and if you have
any objections to this, if you think I'm
doing the wrong thing, send me a signal;
Otherwise this is what I'm going to do...
and I say, `If at any time you think I'm
doing something that's dumb, send me
the word.' Well, until I get some word,
I'm going to continue to do what the
freedom fighters wane me to do."
Singlaub told one reporter that he
consults with Marine Lt. Col. Oliver
North, the National Securiry Council's
liaison with the contras. North's role in
providing military and fundraising ad-
vice to the contras and his visits to rebel
camps in Central America have drawn
heavy criticism from some Members of
Congress, who say the White House has
improperly used the NSC because Con-
gress barred government entities in-
volved in intelligence activities from
helping the contras.
Singlaub said he has tried to carry out
some o~ a ncuons at Congress has
prohibited the CIA from performin .
And he added, "Now, I'll admit tha_t_t~e
good many y~ thac I've had sewing in
the CIA...gives_ me a feel pr_obably_ (of]
what.they_were doingLwhich~robably
makes. me more efi'icient_"
But h_e denied that this violates the
law, and_ insists neither he nor his~und
raising_ coups have direct-CIA connec-
tions. ' t s absolutely absurd," lie said.
Currently Singlaub says he's invited
about 100 U.S. groups "with similar
goals" but no "international connection '
to become part of a Coalition for World
Freedom. He says the coalition can help
"democratic revolutions," such as the
contra movement, raise funds and coun-
ter "disinformation" programs. In addi-
tion, Singlaub said he supports the work
of a number of organizations concerned
with Central American issues including:
Civilian Military Assistance, Decatur, Ala.-
Provides supplies to the rebels and re-
cruits people to fight with them. This is
the group that Peter Glibbery said help-
edhim get to Costa Rica.
The Western Goals Foundation, Alexandria,
Va. -For the last several years the foun-
dation has been sending ~"humanitarian
relief supplies," such as clothing, to the
contras, according to a spokesperson.
The Councl for Inter-American Security,
Washington, D.C.-Brings rebels to the
United States to speak to different
groups and arranges for journalists and
others to visit with contras in Nicaragua.
The Council has also helped raise mon-
ey for one of the contra groups accord-
ing to a spokesperson.
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The American Security Council, Boston,
Va.~onducts educational and lobby-
ing efforts regarding Central American
issues, Singlaub said.
The Heritage Foundation, Washington,
D.C.-A conservative think tank, the
foundation denies that it is involved in
the contra movement, although it does
support the ideological goals of the con-
tras.
'Itte Conservative Caucus, Vienna, Va.-
The caucus has been lobbying hard to
restore government funding for the
contras.
Singlaub said he is also involved with
several organizations working to help
Nicaraguan refugees--people who have
had to leave Nicaragua because of the
conflict in that country. This type of assis-
tance helps the contras' military effort in
several ways. Many contras benefit di-
rectly because they operate out of refu-
gee camps. An estimated 2,500 rebels
live in refugee camps in Costa Rica
alone, according to a source in San Jose.
Also, many contras' families reportedly
are refugees, and the rebels have had to
allocate money to support them. Fernan-
do "El Negro" Chamorro, leader of acon-
tragroup called the Nicaraguan Revolu-
tionaryArmed Forces (FARN), echoed the
feelings of many contra leaders when he
said in a recent interview, "We have had
to maintain the families of the combat-
ants and also the refugees. That is a mor-
al responsibility." But he said when the
contras get "humanitarian" aid from the
United States, the contras can then use
their own money to buy weapons and
bullets. (See relatedstory, page 23.)
Singlaub says he also helped the Nic-
araguan Freedom Fund, a refugee assis-
tance group originally organized by the
conservative daily The Washington
Times by putting fund officials in con-
tactwith the contras.
Singlaub is on the board of directors
of yet another group-Refugee Relief In-
ternational Inc. This tax-exempt, non-
profit corporation, which provides med-
icalservices to refugees, was set up with
the help of the Omega Group Ltd., which
publishes Soldier of Fortune magazine.
One of the top people involved with the
magazine, Col. Alexander McColl, served
under Singlaub in Vietnam.
In addition to Refugee Relief Interna-
tional, Soldier of Fortune is involved in
several projects chat provide direct assis-
tance to the contras.
Most people dismiss Soldier of For-
tune as apublication for mercenaries
'
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who love to tell war stories. But it is
much more. A magazine with aslam-
bang writing style that sells about
200,000 copies a month, Soldier of For-
tune is also involved with the El Salvador/
Nicaragua Defense Fund, which pro-
vides non-lethal equipment such as
boots and uniforms to the contras.
And although Soldier of Fortune edi-
tors insisted in an interview that they do
not recruit people to fight with the con-
tras, the magazine has been sending
"private sector military professionals" to
Central America to train and advise the
rebels. These men, typically ex-military
personnel and Soldier of Fortune staf-
fers, spend time with different contra
groups and then frequently write about
their experiences for the magazine.
Sometimes, however, the magazine's
instructor-journalists get involved in the
fighting in various places. SOF founder
and publisher Robert Brown once told an
interviewer, "I've been shot at many
times for this magazine. It's always been
worth it."
SOF's most recent trip to Costa Rica
took place last winter. The team trav-
eled to San Jose to make contact with the
contra group called FARN~I~te Nicara-
guan Revolutionary Armed Forces.
Editors said the SOF team traveled
with FARM leaders into southern Nicara-
gua and then spent several days in-
structing the contras in combat skills
such as how to shoot down Russian-
made helicopters. The June 1985 issue
of Soldier of Fortune, whose cover is
adorned by actor Sylvester Stallone at-
tired in "Rambo, First Blood II" garb,
~ carried a breathless, first person account
of the training team's activities.
Alexander McColl, director of special
projects for the Omega Group, said that
SOF is considering sending more train-
ingteams toCosta Rica.
The magazine is involved in other ef-
forts as well. One goal, McColl said, is
to increase public awareness about "the
threat" of communism in Central Amer-
ica, and it does this not only through
the magazine but through television
appearances and other high visibility
operations..For example, SOF founder
Robert Brown's recent offer to pay .~ 1
million to any Sandinista who defected
with a Soviet high tech Mi-24 helicopter
made the front page of USA Today and
numerous other publications.
"The whole plan, you know, is you
buy the helicopter for $1 million and
then you turn around and sell it to U.S.
or other free-world intelligence for
about $2 million, and then you've got $1
million left over to buy beans and rice
for the troops. That's how that works.
You know, we maybe dumb but we're
not stupid," McColl said. "The more
profit we make, the more fun and games
we can play in Central America."
McColl said the staff maintains close
relations with members of the Reagan
administration and shares military
data and other information that they
acquire on their trips to Central America.
He said the editors "have access to
various very senior people in Washing-
ton. We can go in and sit on the guy's
doorstep and tell him what's going on
and soon."
He denied, however, that the group
has any connection with the CIA, as
some Reagan administration critics have
alleged.
McColl, who has a Harvard law de-
gree, also denied that SOF"s activities cir-
cumvent congressional restrictions on
U.S. government involvement in Central
America.
"The president makes foreign policy
and we are simply attempting to carry on
as much of the president's foreign policy
as our rather limited resources permit,"
McColl said
"What we have been trying to do, both
in Sabador and in Nicaragua, is to carry
forward the objectives declared by the
commander-in~chief and president, and
which the Democrats in the House of
Representatives were doing the best
they could to sabotage."
Another American who is trvin to
out a Prest ents oreign po-icy
~hn Ca-Te,. a gunrunner who
s nds about six months a year in Cen-
_America. ---- -- -
Cattle,, who mixes Christian dogma
with anti-Sandinista rhetoric, is the head
of the American Freedom Fighters Asso-
ciation of Camden, Tenn., which sup-
plies arms, ammunition, equipment
and fighting men to the contras. In an
interview in July in San Jose, Cattle said
he was in Central America to carry out
God's will.
Cattle said he complies with U.S. law
by purchasing weapons in places such as
Jamaica and Canada. He has no doubt that
the White House approves of his con-
duct.
He is contemptuous of the Soldier of
Fortune types who have come to the re-
gion. He said they have come ,not to
fight, but to seek "fame and glory." He
said SOF magazine founder Col. Robert
Brown is "a viper playing on the lives of
the people here for his own gain."
Cattle said the American Freedom
Fighters include thousands of fundrais-
ers and about 40 "hell raisers" who buy
guns, munitions and equipment for the
rebels and fight alongside them.
Cattle, who described himself as a
"profoundly religious" person with "a
little bit of violence" in his background,
said he spends much of his time inside
Nicaragua with the Miskito Indians and
Creoles who are fighting the Sandinistas.
He carries in his wallet pictures of him-
self with the rebel fighters, along with
snapshots of his wife and two little girls.
Cattle said one of his priorities is to
strengthen the contras' southern front,
which runs along the Costa Rican-Nicara-
guan border 200 miles north of San Jose.
During his current trip, Cattle ex-
plained, he planned to try to lay the
groundwork for setting communica-
tions and supply lines through Costa
Rica to ensure an uninterrupted flow of
guns and ammunition to the rebels. Cat-
tlewas upset that some Costa Rican offi-
cials were making this task difficult for
him.
"How can they expect the freedom
fighters to get a foothold in southern
Nicaragua if they can't get supplies regu-
larly? The Costa Rican government has
no right to criticize [the contras] for hit-
ting the Sandinistas and then running
across the river" into northern Costa
Rica, Cattle said.
Cattle hoped the "problem" with Cos-
ta Rica could be resolved by the time he
returned in September.
He added, "Somebody from the U.S.
government, maybe the ambassador...
should sit down with these people and
jerk them up and tell them what's going
on."
Cattle a rees with the objectives of
President R_ eagari s . Centr, Amencan
policy, but he is_ concerned- about the
way the policy is being carried out. He is
especially disgusted with the CIA. Cattle
said he runs his own intelli ence o era-
Lion in the ar~which he claims oes a
better job of keepin~tabs~on~t e an t-
nistas than the CIA ced s. The govern-
ment's _agents"don't know how to get
out in the dirt an_d get information,"
Cattle said.
"You want to know how to find a
Company_~CIA~man in Te ci al a?" he
asks__ Just Ro to the major hotel, "and
there's a big round table....Thev re all
there p-[axing with their irlfriends, wait-
ing for someone to come in r~ tie
field ante-Tl- em w at s going on,_ -t=
tle said scornfully.
Cattle has even less regard for Mem-
bers of Congress.
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~O ,
"Congress doesn't mean anything in
regard to the law. God's word is the law.
The Bible is the law and I believe evecv
word in it," he said.
"President Reagan has let us know that
.he's pleased with us. He hasn~t told us in
so many words, but he's let us know,"
Cattle declared.
Cattle. predicted that the contras
would overthrow Nicaragua's Sandinista
government before the conclusion of
Reagan's second term, with or without
the help of Congress.
He said he "wouldn't. bet peanuts"
that the new government of Nicaragua
will be a democracy, but added that isn't
his problem.
"t have one job: To overthrow com-
' munism. The new government may be a
dictatorship. Hopefully it won't be as bad
as Somoza's, but who knows? The big
thing is, it won't be communist," Cattle
. said.
"I am profoundly religious. As I see it,
there are two armies---the Sandinistas'
army and God's army. I'm in God's army.
My job on this earth is to try to destroy
the work of the devil." ~
Jacqueline Sharkey, who is bilingual,
is an assistant professor of journal-
ism atthe University of Arizona in Tuc-
son. She rs a former Washington Post
copy editor and was a Fulbright fellow
in Colombia. Her research and trip to
Costa Rica were financed by a grant
from The Fund for Investigative Jour-
nalism, Inc. Kathleen E. McHugh and ;
John S. Day also contributed to this j
article.
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AR7{CI.E
ON PAGE _
COMMON CAUSE
September/October 1985
Atpngprtripot~erdeteriuratecir-~cu~cbmughtu?riter auuelirre
5harket~ to a contra cramp not Jcrr f rom the Gi~sta Riuzrr border.
Behind The Scenes At A Contra Camp
his is Antonio" . VG-'hat can I
do for you?" the voice on
the phone asked cautiously.
"Someone in the United
States gave me your name,"
I replied. ' `They said I should
talk to you about R'hat is
happening here regarding
Nicaragua. I'd like to set up a meeting."
I was in San Jose, the Costa Rican capi-
tal, tn?ing to establish contact with the
Nicaraguan Revolutionan? Armed Forces
(F.~1RN), a small group of contras. I had
recently been to Boulder, Colo. to inter-
view members of the Soldier of Fortune
magazine training team that had worked
with FARM in Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
and I wanted to visit the contras camp to
see how they operate.
FARM is one of about 10 Nicaraguan
rebel groups tr}ring to overthrow the
Common Cause :Magazine has
changed his name for the story.
leftist Sandinista government of Nicara- I
gua. While these groups have gotten
considerable publicity since they started
their activities in the early 1980x, dleir
numbers are actually relatively small. Art
estimated 15,000 Nicaraguans belong to
contra groups, out of a total population
of three million.
Some e its believe the numbers
woo even sma er i e CIA had
not begun organizing, arming and aclvis-
ing contra groups. The CIA spent an esti-
mated X80 million rovidin the rebels
with weapons, training an logistical
su ort before Con ress refused to ex-
ten n g or e contras in mid- 1984.
The House and Senate acted after teaming
that the CIA had helped supervise the
minin of Nicara ?s harbors-an action
the World Court later rule was a vtola-
tion_of international law Members of
Congress were later incensed that the
agency had written a manual instructing
the contras un how to "neutralize" San-
dinistaofficials.
The largest contra .group, the Nicara-
guan Democratic Force (FDN ), has been
control~d to a .great extent by the CLL.
:according to media reports the agency
directed the FDA's milit~?trv strategy for
years and selected m~u~v of its leaders.
The agency was embarrassed when it
was revealed that some of these leaders
~ti-ere members of former riuht wing dic-
tatur :~Za;tasio Somozas National
Guard-an organization known for its
brutalin?.
The f-~~ has received more nugati~~e
publicity during the last year, ??hen hu-
mai~ rights organizations have docu-
mented its irn?olvement in numerous
atrocities in Nicaragua.
The CL~ hits long encouraged the
FDN to ain control over the other con-
tra organizations. This has proven i-
cult. The FDA operates out of Honduras.
un Nicaraguns northern border, and has
not been able to establish a strong base
in Custz Rica. One reason is that some
Costa Rica-based rebel leaders are for-
i:tzntin~ed
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mer Sandinistas who are reluctant to co-
operate with the FDN because of its
links to Somoza's National Guard.
The FDN has made progress, howev-
er. Earlier this year it got several Costa
Rica-based contra groups to join it in
forming the United Nicaraguan Opposi-
tion, anumbrella organization that will.
coordinate military and political efforts
to overthrow the Sandinistas.
FARM, the gtrxrp I visited, is a member
of this organization. Ii formerly had
some ties -with the Nicaraguan Demo-
cratic Force and. fought out of Honduras,
but last year its . Eeader, Fernando `' El
Negro" Chamarro, decided to reorgan-
ize his group and move. tv the southern
front.
FARM differs from the FDN in several
ways. It ism s -a t
200 peop . It commun~ulons and
supp~ly_bases in northern Costa Rk~a and
militaty_ratn-ps in sour a Nicaragua: Ti
does not have tie FI)N s r~_putation for
committiit~ atrodttes And FAR. N mem-
bers say the group does not have the
FDN's history of extensive CIA ties. I was
the FAIi~.camps, he agreed to arrange a ~
near the front door. The comtortabte liv-
ing room had two overstuffed chairs, a
TV and a vase of silk flowers on the cof-
fee cable. A ceramic date hanging in the
dining room read, "Que la paz del Se-
nor sea en este hogar ., ("May the peace
of the Lord be in this house").
We awakened at 6 a.m. It seemed like
a normal day. The children were getting
ready for school Madonna's "You re an
Angel" blasted out of the radio. The aro-
ma of fresh coffee wafted out of the
kitchen. The only incongruous elements
were the gun sitting on the dining roorrr
table and the crackling of the shortwave
as Antonio and his Costa Rican host
made contact with the FARN camp:
FARN's third in command, Conran-
dante Miguel, joined us. A report EtiaelE
just come over the radio that Eden Pas=~,.~
fora--tile 6rnous, Commander. Zero;
former Sandinista leader who heads an- ,
other contra group in southern: Nicara-
gua--had. disappeamd;Repotts"said he
had been traveling in?. his helicoprer
over Nicaraguan. territory the previous
afternoon when, ills pilot reported trou
ble, theft broke contact
There was considerable. speculation.
about whether Pastors had njn' into .
trouble oi" whether the whole thing was
a publi~rry sturu: Pastors, who once en-
jayed widespread popularity among.
contra Ieaders and the Costa Rican peo-
pie, has k~ some of his support in the
last year. "He's become a media dar-
ling," several .San Job journalists later
j told me.
j Antonio and Comandante Miguel said
that although there was a chance Pastors
had been shot dawn by Sandinistas or ''
had had mechanical problems with the
helicopter, itwas more likely that the in-
cident was "just part of a show."
I "He'll show up in a day or two saying
~ his helicopter went down and he had to
j battle his way through hordes of Sandi-
f nistas;_but in the end he triumphed and
~ made `it safely back to camp," Miguel
said scornfully.
('That afternoon, Pastora's helicopter
was found in Costa Rica The next day,
he was reported to have "miraculously"
gaped serious injury and" to have re-
turned safely to one of his camps. in
southern Nicaragua,)
We finished our breakfast--stealc-and
onions, fi esh bread, cheese-and set off'
yeeP for FARN headquarters. We traw
e on a rutted dirt road, past rice fields
and cacao plantations.
After half"an hour, we pulled up to a
small wooden building. Several armed
men sat out front: A poster of RaEaet Cal-
deron; acandidate in Costa: Rica's. 1986
Presidential election, decorated one
wall
espeaaally interested in FARM because it
has received most of its funding from
private U.S. groups such as Soldier of
F,orncne. I wanted to see what life was
like in one of its camps, so I asked one
of my U.S. sources for a FARN contact in
San Jose. He gave me Antonio's name.
Antonio arran to meet me in the
bar of the small tel where I was stay-
ing in San Jos@. He arrived several min-
utes early. A stocky man with curly hair
i and brown eves, Antonio said he moved
his family from Nicaragua to San Jose
several years ago because he found the
Sandinistas' policies too repressive.
Shortly after arriving in Costa Rica, he
began working with the Nicaraguan re-
bels. Ihad assumed we would conduct
our meeting in Spanish, but Antonio
said he had gone to school in the United
States, and proceeded to speak the rest
of the evening in beautiful, idiomatic
English,
He said FARM had had "serious prob-
lems" obtaining supplies and equip-
ment, although the situation had im-
proved in the previous months. He
added that private U.S. aid had enabled
FARN to survive, but the group really
wanted continuing help from the U.S.
government Antonio said the non-mili-
tary assistance approved by Congress
this summer was a start He pointed out
that it would enable the rebels to use
money they now allocate for food, cloth-
ing and health rare to buy weapons and
ammunition instead
When I told Antonio I wanted to see
visit. Sevetal-days Ater he arrived at my
hcxel: dressed in Jor~klache jeans, a short: `
sleeved shirt and.old combat boots. We
climbed into.a slightly baaered orange
Fiat at 4:15 in the afternoon and set off
for the war'. - .
We drove for. houts.~ttrough Coss.Ri~
can- mountains:. The : s?iati-u~iral frr
tia~c~, a deep gt~tt ~11t shfmmered
in the evenitliglsti: As darkkness fell- it
began tQ.and tht~~:k~e~e heavy
withtl~:st[ o#the fertile soil _:
~? "C. Rita. a~beatrtiifizl' co~n-
try,-E~~.a lot of4}~ple here dort'cseem~.
toy rv~list,~ why a~ serlous~ sitdarion.;-
~,'~#o:sai~;'~'hey thit~s be
ait~:~~~ acrd"d~c,"
[fiat tfiey_ k~r;avtxid; dealtntt.w~" what is'
"FAI~I;~"nEat~ilita~i bases in
Costa Rica: Ally onr:bases are in southern
Nk~a. We lielleve Costa Rica is one
of the great democratic countries. We
respect Costa Rica's neutrality."
But Antonio admits that members of
Costa Rica's. public security forces are
supporting. the mntras' military effort,
which is aviolation of the countrv's neu-
trality, but he isn't troubled by tfvs. The
Costa Rican government "can't control
what individuals do in some cases," he
shrugged
Four hours after we started, we
tamed onto an isolated dirt road, which
quickly deteriorated into a mass of rocks
and potholes. We were in a high, wide
valley, surrounded by darkness. Occa-
sionally aflash of lightning from a storm
over the distant mountains illuminated
~` hate being on this road at night,"'
Antonio said. "Bad things ran happen
-around here."
Ten minutes later, a rear fire explod-
.ed Antonio was furious. He was also
nervous. He opened his small leathei
bag, took out a gun and slipped it in his
waistband.
The jack was broken and the car
wouldn't stay up. Finally, three campesi-
nas wandered by and offered to help.
They lifted up the car and held it steady
while Antonio changed the tire.
About 10:30 we pulled into a small
Cc~.sta Rican farming community near
the Nicaraguan border. We were going
to spend the night with a family sympa-
thetic to FARN. The family provides
food, shelter and transportation for
members of the group, and its house is a
rendezvous point for rebel leaders.
The house did not look like a center
of guerrilla activity. A child's bicycle sat
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I was introdured to mite J'c~se
Robe}o; FARN's second in corrrnk We i
climbed into another jeep for the jour-
ney to FARM headquarters, which lies in
(the middle of a farm that Robeio said
was donated to the group.
It was a 30-minute journey through
rain forest. They jeep lurched through
mud a foot deep':.. Sorriedntres the road
got so bad the R;obelts- s' ~ drawe
through the trees; and vve d~ a~ the-
branches whipped throug}~,-the. opetr
windows. -
About hatfvray through the?'tril~= Rra-
belo turned to me and sud,;="~?tt are: in
Eventually we carne to a si~t~
read, "Mined: Entry Prohibitt~t:1~+1Ittary
We passed several meet; tit--cpnaT~at? is
dgues carrying autorrratic:~,; ~'~pons.
They waved as we drove by: ~."t< ..
Finally we entered anothclearing
about half a mile inside' Niearagt~ )x was
dominatedb+y;~r~~ ; a
corrugated tin- roof '`has='. a
farmhouse, painted, brighe~: ttasa~twise
the.F:c~~le-agreed w ~ axe
visit: Sewerali? ',later he arrived at-r3x~r
hotel dressEd in Jordache fans; a shtar;
sleeved,sh~ and old mrnbat bootstq~
cliurberf=iirto a slightly battered
Fiat a~?i.~ in the afaernoon and set ca4?:
for tlx.war: T ~ '-:'`
Vie. five hours. tf:iimugh- Costi~:l
cause"maa>s:..The i-tropie~.
Ila~:~ ;deep tltr~ sh+~~.
irr.the G~$,lrg ~'.~ felt it
begrttt~.and t~iI~vy.
try; #i~sc a tot a~e:~#~er+e d+~?t seems
tct'j.t wla3~serlous~_
eaxi~ t ~e ~,*f awl
that-tl'l~~t~ avoid>de~alin~~wittr wh2iFS5?.
hapl~~lElt~at. = ~ ~ '_
Hede t~'~f~s-acv
cursing ,, t~blerias, list Costa I~Ca; .which;
uttallty in the ~ Ceti:rraf~
n
has: de~
t
~.
~,~
g
~
,.
"P lt:ft~ry:~
Costa~icat:.Al~~t~;bases are In soutfrerrrE-
Nicard~ia. We bellev~; Rica is-one:.
of the great democratic countries. We
respeex Costa Rica's neutrality.,,
- But Antonio admits that members of
Costa- Rica's public security forces are
sttppo~ting the contras' military effort,
which is a violation of the country's neu-
trality; but he isn't troubled by this. The
'~: ~ Ric n government "can't control
~_ vvKatfindividuaLs do in some cases," he
shntgged
Four hours after we started, we
turned. onto an isolated dirt road, which
quic~ydeteriorated into a mass of rocks
acrd potholes. We were in a high, wide
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sionally a flash of lightning from a smrm
'`.over the distant. mountains illuminated
'~I ~ beuig~on this road at night,"
Antonio said. "Bad things can happen
around here."
Ten minutes later, a rear Lire explod-
".ed: Antonio was furious. He was also
l nervous:. He opened his small leathei
bad took vut a gun and slipped it in his
waistband..
~ The jack was broken and the car
wouldn't stay up. Finally, three carnppsi-
nas wandered by and offered to help.
They lifted up the car and held it steady
while Antonio changed [he tire.
About 10:30 we pulled into a smaII
Costa Rican farming community near,
the Nicaraguan border. We were going,.
to spend the night with a family sympa-
thetic to FARN. The family providesF:.
food, shelter and transpot'tatioit. fo[
members of the group, and its house is a Y
rendezvous point for rebel leader ;.
The house did not look like a cerrtee
of guerrilla activity. A child's bieycle.sat.
near the front door. The comfortable liv-
ing room had two overstuffed chairs; a,~
TV and a vase of silk flowers on the cof-
fee table. A ceramic late hanging in the.
dining room read, ` Que la paz del Se-
norsea en este hogar " ("May the peace
of the Lord be in this house").
We awakened at 6 a.m. It seemed like
a normal day. The children were getting
ready for school. Madonna's "You're an;
Angel" blasted out of the radio: The ara
ma of fresh coffee wafted out of the
kitchen. The only incongruous elements
~ were the gun sitting on the dining room
table and the crackling of the shortwave
as Antonio and his Costa Rican host
I made contact with the FARN camp.
FARN's third in command, Coman-
dante Miguel, joined us. A report had
just come over the radio that Eden Pas-
torn-die famous Commander Zero, a~
former Sandinista leader who heads an~
other contra group in southern Nicara-
gua--had disappeared Reports said he
had been traveling- in his helicopter
over Nigtaguarr territory the previous
afternoon when his pilot. reported trou-
ble, then broke contact
There was ccrosiderabte speculation
about whether- Pastors had. run into
trouble or whether the whole thing was
a publicity stunt Pastors, who once en-
joyed widespread populat7ty among
contra leaders and' the Costa Rican peo-
plc, has lost some of his support in the
last year. "He's become a media dar-
ling,,, several. San. Jose journalists later
told me.
Antonio and Comandante Miguel said
that although there was a chance Pastors
hail been shot down by Sandinistas or
had had mechanical problems with the
heYrcopter, it was more likety that the in-
cident was "just part of a show."
"He'll. show up in a day or two saving
his helicopter went down and he had to
battle his way through hordes of Sandi-
nistas, but in.the end he triumphed and
trade it safely, back to camp, Miguel
said scornfully.
(That afternoon, Pastora's helicopter
was found in Costa Rica The neat day,
he was reported to have "miraculously"
escaped serious injury and to have re-
turnad -,safety to one of his camps in
southern Nicaragua)
We finished our. breakfast-teak and
onions, Mesh bread, cheese-and set off
lle~yy jeep for FARM. headquarters. We trav-
eledors a ruttfeddirtroad,past rice fields
and cacao plantations.
After tralf an hour, we pulled up to a
small wooden building. Several armed
rr~l1 sat out front. A poster of Rafael Cal-
deron; acandidate in Costa= Rica's 1986
presidential election, decorated one
wall.
I was introduced to Comar~arrte Jpse:
Robelo, FARN's second in cornrxtand. We
climbed into another jeep for the jour-
ney to FARN headquarters, which lies ire
the middle of a farm that Robeto said
was donated to the group.
It was a 30-minute journey through
rain forest. The jeep lurched through
mud a foot deep. Sometimes the road
got so bad that Robelo s' ly- drove
through the trees, and we ducked as the
branches whipped througtf? the. open -
windows. .
About halfway through tt~~trip RQ-
belo turned to me and sand, :You are in:
Nicaragua now."
Eventually we came to a' sign that
read, ' ~'vlined. Entry Prohibited.. Military
Zone."
We passed severs! men in combat fa-
tigues carrying automatic -~ "weapons.
They waved as we drove by.
Finally we entered another clearing
about half a mile inside Nicaragua It was
dominated by a wooden building with a
corrugated tin roo? This was ~ once a
farmhouse, painted bright turquoise
and fuchsia Now it is FARiv headquar-~
Lets. The paint has Faded almost to gray,
and several walls are camouflage green
and brown. A picture of the Sacred
Heart hangs over the main entrance:
Inside, five machine guns and camou- ;
flage gear hung on the walls. Several~a
other weapons were on a long wooden.=~
table covered with a red-and white
checkered tablecPoth.
About a dozen young men in canx~u-
flage gear were lounging on the porch,
eating lunch and watching a small black ,
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/03 :CIA-RDP90-009658000605740039-1
 Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/03 :CIA-RDP90-009658000605740039-1
tee}': AnvBier?was."t+eading a paperbat~;-!
~,~~ weapons-nastly- C.~~'.
'aticl~ Ail"f:>?a~dt _~r113~--were slcttc
aver thefir shoe Cfie youngsaldiet~?~
walked by with a madtine gun. in- one.;
Land ands a g~ipr !n the other: ; ....~:. w
- Sev~!"vrvorhett in fatigues wereeaok-.
~B' ~=spolae sr~ to a parrot sitting
an her shoal -.
Channt5tro cam?.o~arar
--- t,:I'iiCet`!?~:`~tiatttte Rio Frit~~in the east to the
1~ ~pr?the'west. He said FARIhas
.~_~ ~~e bases in the area,
-- ---~-t^~ ..., ,an...a,urauy
c~ttr+~ iritrctti'tierritorS,,. ~~ 4
,a~__.~~"'~ men are ~fiti}g."with~the..
sESOti~fiviti~iF ~ ~`~~`~?
~e1tCie Ut~ii~ls.'
~ the saw ti^-?~'- Cliamorro and Rci. -
belo were careful- to ~ them=
se ves m e U.: en~~
insiste~eywoul : act t ? ass>.s-
tance onl~tf nos wf~~
T'Neither e or --"Fen -" - is
~tng to direct our m' nary tt,
morro_ said
He said FARM would alsii`: like tci re-
ceive more private militatyr training.lil~e
that provided by Soldier of 1~tr: Btu
he hastened to add that FARM- tt'i
want individuals like Steven. Can-:>rtyinj~
to join his group. "It would ate; cacise:
problems if we .accepted ~.
troops,' he said
Chamorro explainett-tliac~oneol` tip
Sandinistas' most objeciional~te-per
is that they have alk~ed`f+~ieign advis-
ers from Cuba and tine Soviet ~ til'?3c ui-
come to Nicaragua, "We :a~~ itireg
against interventionis~":'lf~e~'~
I find. it intet+esting:~ttiat~'rnorrv
does nor note the=irony in the fact that
the contras. have~~?ouragECi. advisers
frotn? the. United S to mn~: to ~Nica'=~
Ghamotio ofl~erec# _to , cite one of
the training bases where the Salriier of
Fortune team had worked. It was a half
hours march from headquarters. The
base consisted of a series of plastic tents,
where the soldiers sleep on wooden
pallets raised several inches above the
mud.
As we arrived, about three dozen sol-
diers were gotng through field exer-
cises. They work here a minimum of 15
days before being sent to camps deeper
in Nicaragua.
Most soldiers ranged in age from late
teens to early 30s, but one was a boy of
12. Antonio said the boy, Francisco, was
the unit's mascot. ,
ciseo's face as he came off the training
field. When he held his AK-47 upright, it
?as ~ilmost as tall as he. Francisco is an
orphan. "This is my home now," he said.
Chvnorro suggested visiting one of
the camps closer to the fighting.
The forest closed in on us 20 yards
from FARN's headquarters. Although it
was 2 in the afternoon, the trees formed
a canopy so thick that it looked like twi-
~ light.
We slogged along a narrow path that
at tirnc~s was little more than an animal
trail. The only sounds were die chatter-
ing of birds and the squishing of our
boots as we sank into the mud and rot-
ting foliage that covered the forest floor.
Ztvice we waded across streams, and I
scrambled to get my camera and note-
s books over my head as the water
climbed past my knees.
Crccasionally there were scenes of in-
credible beauty. At one point the trail
was blanketed by tiny purple blossoms.
At another, a family of tiny turquoise
frogs hopped across the path and tcx~k
refuge under a brilliant orange flower.
After an hour and a half we came to a
series of clearings where pcnple main-
tain small farms. They stared silently as
we marched bv.
We finally reached the outer perime-
ter of the camp and were greeted by sc~?-
eral armed FARN members drinking
Cokes. Shortly before we reached the
base, a cloudburst began. Within se-
conds we were walking through a wall
of water.
About a dozen armed men greeted us
as we arrived at the base, which Antonio
said was about a mile from the place
where FARIV troops had been fighting
the Sandinistas in recent weeks. The
unit commander, Emiliano, proudly
showed me his Soldier of Fomcne
shoulder patch. Antonio said many men
operating out of this base have them.
This camp, like the training facility,
consisted of a wooden structure on stilts
and a series of plastic tents. The building
contained a radio and a weapons room,
where assault rifles were neatly lined
up.
One wall was decorated with a group
of pictures. Antonio-wanted to make slue
[ saw one in particular. It was a shot of
Ronald Reagan talking with Adolfo Ca-
lero, head of the Nicaraguan Democratic
Force. The handwritten message under
the picture said, "To Adolfo Calero-
yourstruggle for justice and democracy
in Nicaragua will prevail. Ronald Rea-
l.,,
"That picture is in a lot of camps," An-
tonio said "It provides us with so much
encouragement." He added that the re-
bels are grateful that the president has
supported private eiiorts to raise funds
for the contras. "That enabled us to
move ahead," he said
C-n the way back to San Jost, our jeep
kept sinking past .its axle and getting
stuck in the mud The four-wheel drive
didn't work p , so a half-dozen
FARN soldiers ~ us. When the ve-
hicle got mired, we all got out and
helped them gush We. kept trying to
move the jeep off the side of the path,
but it kept slipping back into the same
[U[S.
I remembered the words of another
Chamorro, Edgar Chamorro, an FDN
leader who left the rebels and is now a
major critic of the U.S.-financed contra
war. "My people are dying and it's all for
nothing,". Chamorro has said. "We
have taken the wrong road."
It took us a long time to move the
jeep to solid ground ?
Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/03 :CIA-RDP90-009658000605740039-1