WHY THE BIG DEBATE?

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000303310002-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 23, 2010
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: March 17, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/23: CIA-RDP90-00552R000303310002-1
ARTICLE 0,!/?' RED
p1 MGE~
WASHINGTON POST
17 March 1986
Jeane Kirkpatrick L
Whv the Bir Debate?
Debate over aid to Nicaragua's con-
tras is bitter and intense. One wonders
why, of the $15-plus billion in economic
and military assistance that the United
States provides annually to diverse gov-
ernments in Africa, Asia, the Middle
East and Latin America, this particular
$100 million is so hotly contested.
Such opponents as Arizona's Demo-
cratic Gov. Bruce Babbitt say it is be-
cause "Nicaraguan rebels are not demo-
crats," but that is demonstrably wrong.
The contra leadership is drawn almost
wholly from men who actively opposed
Somoza, fought to overthrow him and
sought to bring democracy to Nicara-
gua. Can it be that Babbitt-who both-
ered to write an op-ed piece that op-
posed aid to the contras and was pub.
lished in The New York Times on
March 12-has not bothered to inform
himself about the background and be-
liefs of top Nicaraguan resistance lead-
ers Adolfo Calero, Alfonso Robelo and
Arturo Cruz?
Then, again, Babbitt says the contras
have fought a "notably dirty little war."
But that is also not true. War is violent
and terrible. But the contras have a
record of working hard to avoid harming
civilians. They have done nothing that
compares with the systematic brutality
the Sandinista government visits on dis-
senters and opponents. Is it possible
that Babbitt has not read the 1985 re-
port of the Nicaraguan Commission on
Human Rights, which documents the
shocking denial of rights and spread of
terror in Nicaragua?
Babbitt tells us to "begin from the
premise that the contras are not going
to win." And he argues strenuously
against giving them the arms necessary
to defend themselves against Soviet ar-
mored helicopters, missiles and heavy
weapons. Babbitt asserts that U.S. aid
to the contras helps the Sandinista gov-
ernment justify its repression. Appar-
ently he does not know that the repres-
sion of Nicaraguans preceded the con-
tras. Repression caused the contras, not
the contras repression.
Babbitt asserts that the contras'
struggle has a negative impact on Nica-
ragua's neighbors, all of whom now
enjoy democratic governments. Appar-
ently Babbitt is unaware that large ma-
jorities of neighboring populations re-
gard the Sandinista government as a
threat to stability in their own countries.
A poll conducted this winter by the
highly reliable Consultoria Interdiscipli-
naria in Desarrollo reveals that 92 per-
cent of Costa Ricans, 89 percent of
Hondurans and 63 percent of El Salva-
dorans regard Nicaragua as a military
threat to their respective countries.
Unlike Babbitt, a majority of Costa
Ricans, El Salvadorans and Hondurans
want the United States to provide mili-
tary assistance to the contras, accord-
ing to the same poll.
Like many other opponents of U.S.
aid, Babbitt believes the United States
should negotiate a settlement with Nica-
ragua and agree to "sever our bonds
with the contras provided the Sandinis-
tas agree to expel Russians and Cubans,
reduce their armed forces and forswear
the support of Marxist rebels among
their neighbors." He does not expiain
why the Sandinistas should' agree to
make such eons ssions- when he and so
many other congressional Democrats
are willing aid. , Ba bbt'a "deaunilaterally U.S
lt already
rejected by the Sandinistas, who
rely on public relations firms and the
Democrats to block aid for Nicaragua's
freedom fighters.
But why should the Democrats be so
reluctant to help freedom fighters so
close to our borders?
They-at Least many of them-un-
derstand that Nicaragua's rulers have
established a harshly repressive, Marx-
ist-Leninist dictatorship. They under-
stand that there has been a massive
flow of Soviet and Soviet-bloc arms and
material-totaling approximately $500
million to $700 million. They under
stand that Nicaragua has actively pro-
vided weapons and other support to
guerrillas in El Salvador, Guatemala,
Colombia and elsewhere, and partici-
pates in the drug and terror network
that wreaks havoc in the hemisphere.
They understand that neither the U.S,
government, nor the countries of ` Cen-
tral America, nor the Contadora group
has been able to persuade. the Marxist
commandantes who govern Nicaragua
to cease the militarization, Sovietiption
and totalitarianieation of Nicaragua.
The Democrats. in Congress James
that the Sandinistas already. legid. tftejr
country as a base for Soviet intelli-
gence gathering and other mflitarv ac-
tivities. What the uenux;rata in wu-
gress apparently do not understand is
that the Sandinistas use prolonged ne-
gotiations to further consolidate their
power over the economy, church,
schools, press, military-and all other
aspects of Nicaraguan society.
Nicaragua's exiled democratic polit-
ical parties and other democratic
groups, including trade union councjls,
have-formed a single umbrella organi-
zation called the Coordinacion Oposi-
tora Nicaraguense. CON recently ad-
dressed a letter to the foreign. minis-
ters of the Contadora countries in
which they pointed out that by pro-
longing negotiations the Sandinistas
give themselves time for definitive
consolidation of power. "This is very
important. Every day that they ac-
quire at the expense of your good in-
tentions is a day that our country loses
in its just struggle to achieve its inde-
pendence and. liberty."
Unilateral disarmament of., the. con-
tras in. the fad pf pie ?Spngjctas'
Soviet arms can eventually stop the war
in Nicaragua. But it cannot stop the ter-
ror that advances day by day.
c 1986, Los Angeles Times Syndicate
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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/23: CIA-RDP90-00552R000303310002-1