THERE HE GOES AGAIN

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00901R000600430009-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 15, 2005
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: October 26, 1985
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2005/12/14: CIA-RDP91-00901FJ000600430009-9
APTICLE AFP ABED BOSTON GLOBE .
ON PAGE 2 ,_,.._. 26 October 1985
There he goes ag
After President Reagan went on television
yesterday morning to tell the American people
that some 1900 Marines and Army Rangers
had invaded the Caribbean island of Grenada,
the former director of the CIA, Admiral -Stans-
field Turner, was asked to explain the purpose
of - such a retrograde colonialist- venture.
Though he acknowledged that Grenada repre-
sents a; "minor threat" to the United States,
Turner did not hesitate to tell the-
early-morn-ing audience that there was a need to prevent
the advance of Marxism and communism.
Turner then said something bizarre. He said
that, since Grenada had not been ruled demo-
cratically. there was no way'of knowing what
the people there really wanted. Therefore, he
said, when the time comes to turn the govern-
ment back to the Grenadans, the United States
could be embarrassed If they don't want to
change their government.
Turners anxiety about, future shock
amounted to an inadvertent revelation of the
arrogance that underlies Reagan's -invasion` of
Grenada. The guiding assumption behind the
operation is that Reagan and his advisers have
the right to decide what kind of regimes can,
and cannot, exist in this hemisphere.
The Reagan Administration has not hesitat-
ed. however, to embrace fascistic military jun-
tas in countries like El Salvador, Chile and Ar-
gentina.: to put the US government stamp of
approval on death squads, torture chambers,
n .
book burping and rule by secret police terror.
In the days to come, Americans will be ask-
ing: Why did Reagan invade Grenada? The jus-
?tifica.tions he offered on television yesterday
must be judged more as pretexts than as genu-
ine reasons. There was no danger to the lives of
the 1000 Americans on the island-In fact, the
director of the US medical school in the capital
city; St. George's,, said that the Marine landing
created -a danger where none had existed.
The with to "forestall further chaos" is -dis-
ingenuous...Reagan and his advisers refused to
reach an accommodation with the assassinat-
ed former Prime Minister of Grenada, Maurice
Bishop, when- he traveled to Washington 'last
June in an overt effort to work out some modus
i'ivendi with America. Hence Reagan may have
been partly responsible for the "chaos" he now
decries.
An American Administration that certifies
progress on human rights every six months in
blood-drenched El Salvador can hardly expect
to be granted the moral or political authority to
"assist in the restoration of conditions of law
and order" in Grenada. Compared with the
governmental gangsterism Reagan has tolerat-
ed in "friendly" dictatorships In this hemi-
sphere, the recent struggle for power on Gren-
ada seems like a Saturday night gang fight.
Reagan's invasion of Grenada represents a
shameful and senseless misuse of American
power:
Approved For Release 2005/12/14: CIA-RDP91-00901R000600430009-9