CENTRAL AMERICA AND THE HUMAN COST OF COMMUNISM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP89G01126R000100110006-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 22, 2011
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: August 23, 1985
• Content Type: MEMO

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Central intelligence Agency
3 AugustJ1985
MEMORANDrJM FOR: David E. Randolph
Office of Public Diplomacy for
Latin America and Caribbean, S/LPD
Department of State
SUBJECT: Central America and the Human Cost of Communism
REFERENCE: NSC ES Memo of 8 May 1985, same subject
1. Reference memorandum sought our input on "The Human
Costs of Communism: The Central American Experience in
Historical Perspective."
2. We have provided you such information we have on
Central America, and especially the Nicaraguan aspect. Regarding
the broader question of the human costs in all Marxist-Leninist
states, we have combed our intelligence files and I enclose
cosies of these reports that my have some relevance. This
particular topic has not been the object of substantial targetted
intelligence research. There may be some material available in
the open literature, and an external contract with an academic
specialist might well be a substantially more fruitful avenue to
pursue if additional information is required.
R. I regret we could not be more helpful in this, and if
'.',.re are some specific intelligence questions for which we can
provide support, please let me know.
Executive Assistant to the DDI
Attachments:
CIA Reports
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SUBJECT: Central America and the Human Cost of Communism
Distribution:
Original - Addressee (w/att)
1 - ExSec (w/o att)
1 - DDI Action File (w/o att)
1 - DDI Registry (w/o att)
(23AUG85)
STAT
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.,6NCZOWSKI
rank talk about dangers
Forces bound by a common thread
J t is often unpleasant to resur-
rect what many think are the
unpleasant ghosts of the past.
Unfortunately, that is what we
do when we talk frankly about the
forces of "international commu-
nism" at work in our hemisphere.
It has long been politically the
safe thing to do to ridicule any men-
tion of this alleged phenomenon.
Professors and pundits have assured
us for years that "international com-
munism" as such no longer really
exists - which is why it is ridiculed
as a "phantom," the object of irratio-
nal phobias of extremists, know-
nothings, or people living in the past.
It has been explained to us that we
can no longer clinically and accu-
rately use this loaded expression
because of the Sino-Soviet split, the
Yugoslav-Soviet split, the Albanian-
Soviet split, and other manifesta-
tions of polycentrism.
Perhaps, indeed, communism is
no longer a monolithic force sub-
suming all Marxist-Leninist states
under the Soviet banner. Neverthe-
less, how can one label the presence
today in Nicaragua of Cubans, Bul-
garians, Libyans, Czechs, North
Koreans, East Germans, Vietnam-
John Lenczowski is director, Euro-
pean and Soviet affairs, at the
National Security Council.
ese, Soviets, and Communist ele-
ments of the Palestine Liberation
Organization?
If this is not some facsimile of
international communism, then we
are at a loss as to how to explain the
common thread that binds these
forces together. If we must pay our
dues to the gods of polycentrism,
then perhaps we might refine our
terminology by calling this phenom-
enon "Soviet international commu-
nism," since neither Maoist, Titoist,
or Albanian brands of communism
are at work here.
Since we so rarely discuss the
facts about international commu-.
nism as such, there are a few which
should be remembered in the con-
text of our current debate on Nica-
ragua: The people do not want
1
1~J~5 ~r1,7J~G vl ~, ~~S
( O J u n e / 5
Pc L 1 D
communism. Never in history has a
majority of a free electorate demo-
cratically chosen a Communist form
of government. (There is only one
exception: the minuscule state of
San Marino. In the case of Chile, Mr.
Allende, although a Marxist, did not
run for office as 'a Communist with a
Communist Party in tow, or with an
avowedly Communist political pro-
gram. Neither did he win a majority
of the vote.)
? Communists have always come
to power through violent takeovers.
These takeovers have always
involved seizure of power by a well-
organized and externally assisted
minority over an unorganized and
unwitting majority. Such takeovers
consistently entail the use of a "pop-
ular front" of Communist and non-
Communist elements; the
establishment of a Communist Party
see LENCZOWSKI, page 2D
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Wish ideological
vast evi-
"
, en t le
From this they esta can be no doubt, 91
J~SKI' falsehoods as the standards of right
by Ndence we icaragua his ebecoming accumulated,
another
D and wrong and the standards ed;
e 1 which deviationism is measur
n uses an ideological party line from this stems the systematic Cuba Communist regimes, including
,o enforce internal conformity and denial of all individual human the Nicaragua regime, spend vast
The quality of life always deterio- resources on disinformation - to
identify and eliminate deviationists; rights.
the use of camouflage to disguise the rates under communism: the milita- deceivg the international media and
party's true intentions and full polio- rization of society; the destruction foreign political decision-makers.
cal program; the use of propaganda of the consumer economy; the A principal goal is to disseminate
and disinformation to manipulate rationing of food; the deterioration false information about the nature of
h se of ff; ?ient s stem; the principal dis-
u
s
n
.
their ow
the international media, t e
of existing housing and insu i
violent and ruthless methods to new construction to meet population information theme of all Communist
thers that
eliminate all organized opposition, growth; the destruction of medical regimes is to convince o
including ethnic minorities, organ- care through lack of medicine and they are not really Communist.
lies (despite all the pro- This is done in many ways by the
ont religion, non-government- edicalsupp prominently
ized
controlled media and the "class m agands about free universal medi- Sandinistas but most p
f ad the
r- paganda h uided tour." Countless
le
m
p
the use o g
enemy;" and finally, te e,
ualism in the process of eliminating cal care intheU.S.S.R., forexa
, a 900-bed hospital in Moscow gets an American visitors are taken on this
do allocation of 250 hypodermic nee- guided tour and see nice things and
opposition and implementing inter-
nal security - so that the people dies per year -- a supply insufficient talk to "average citizens" who tell
not realize what is happening to for one day in a Western hospital - them what the regime wants them to
them until it is too late. with instructions on how to hear.
? No Communist regime that has straighten them, clean them and de- Nobody wants to believe that he
consolidated its power has ever been rust them); the destruction of reli- has been or can be fooled. But if Con
consolidated
and replaced by a non- gion (in Russia in 1914 there were gress is to believe the testimony of
(The only excep- 77,000 Orthodox churches, whereas constituents and reporters who base
information on the "guided
re are
t order
h
i
i
e
s
t
r
the
Commun
. lion is Grenada). Every other form today in the entire U.S.S.R. of government offers people the only some 7,000); the destruction tour;' Congress may as well believe
d - -
l
i
an
a
tem of tr
chance to retain a sys error. It is easy to overthrow a Shah
or a Somoza after trial has been
granted and error perceived. But
once communism is firmly in place,
the possibility of trial and error is no
more.
A vote against aid to the Freedom
Fighters is a vote to consign Nicara-
f no f ree
d
o
gua to an indefinite perio
thing they are told on the iden
every
dom of choice. and political control of education. tical guided tours in Moscow,
m
to
i
f hi
s
s
The human cost of commun
and culture; the rewriting o
ry, wildly exceeds most Americans' and the destruction of monuments to Havana, East Germany, North Korea
d the or any other totalitarian state.
ge; an
expectations. the national herita The numbers of people murdered assault on family life and parental Congress must decide whether it
by Communist regimes (outside of jurisdiction over children. will resist international communism
war deaths) are approximately: low on our continent or let it prosper.
estimate, 60 million; high estimate ? Soviet-style communism invari- Isolationists in the Congress may
export of terrorism, base their opposition to the adminis-
(more accurate in light of recent viobly lence,nande revolution to other tration on the principle that other
scholarship), 150 million. countries. Soviet proxy states par- countries should be allowed self-
The greatest tide of refugees in ticipate in an efficient division of determination.
world history flows from Commu- labor in this sphere: Cubans as
nisi states to non-Communist ones, troops, Bulgarians and Vietnamese Unfortunately, in Nicaragua today
c no self-determination,
an be
h
ere
t
today it comes from Ethiopia, as arms suppliers, East Germans as Afghanistan, Indochina, East secret police trainers and military because of the reality of "foreign-
Europe, and Nicaragua. (During the advisers, etc. force determination." The foreign
force is the Soviet Union and its
entire Vietnam War there was nary, , otherwise known as the
a refugee fleeing from Indochina. It Since it is Soviet annot oouraconn-- forces proxies, international communism.
was not until communismnism tri proxies who o are are present
people be
me so unbear- tinent today, it is not an accident that
IXT the
b
d that life eca
umphe able that people of war fled to the an active cunist ollaborator in ths di vi- gi en enough assistance so that they
i
withstand decades will be able to determine their future
seas). sion of labor. on the basis of a balance of foreign
Communism invented the concen- ? The Sandinistas are Commu- forces, or will Congress permit an
tration camp. Millions have been nists. As Defense Minister Ortega imbalance, an imbalance against
imprisoned, executed, or worked said: "Marxism-Leninism is the sci- democracy, an imbalance against
and starved to death in these camps. entific doctrine that guides our rev- any system of trial and error?
Communist regimes will not permit olution ... without Sandinismo we if Congress chooses to deny the fri enterprising Western reporters any- cannot be Marxist-Leninist and San-
a
where near these camps, so You dinismo without Marxism-Leninism Nicaance raguan
for self deterrnination%it will
don't hear about them on the evening cannot be revolutionary"
news. The identical pattern of Commu- be voting in favor of the first victory
of the Soviet strategic offensive
Communist regimes recognize no. nist takeover methods, internal poli on
restraint on their absolute power., ci es, and external behavior is our own continent.
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The Unwanted: Displaced Khmer
Along the Thai-Cambodian Border
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Popular Discontent
If corruption, delinquency, apathy, emigration, and black market activi-
ty are fair gauges of popular discontent and disaffection with the govern-
ILLEGIB
ment, Castro appears to be headed for trouble. Because of the Marxist na-
ture of his regime, Cuban society is highly politicized. There is no middle
ground. Each individual is expected--indeed, social institutions are specifi-
cally designed to compel every Cuban--to make a choice to join the revolution
and cooperation with it or to remain outside of it. Each individual is judged
by his or her daily actions and virtually every action has a political connota-
tion. A college student who is found to be attending church regularly, for
example, will be expelled from school
because study at the university is a privilege reserved for the
politically faithful, and attending church services is a sign of political weak-
ness. Good revolutionaries do not practice religion, take bribes, patronize
the black market, engage in vandalism, or take part in antisocial behavior or
other activities incompatible with revolutionary morality. Most of all, good
revolutionaries do not turn their back on the-revolution and its leaders by
opting to leave all possessions behind and seek a new life in another country.
It seems safe, therefore, to equate a high crime rate, a high incidence
of corruption, widespread black market activities, and high levels of other
types of anti-revolutionary behavior with a high degree of popular dissatis-
faction with many of the regime's policies and perhaps even with the leader-
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Central Inidl noe AgnCy
DIRECTORATE OF INTELLIGENCE
15 July 1985
ETHIOPIA: Interference in Relief Operations
Summary
US Embassy and other reporting over the last year reveals
that Addis Ababa has used the famine crisis and international
relief aid for military and political purposes. Despite
professing cooperation, the Mengistu regime has frequently
interfered with relief operations, undermining the credibility
of its generally non-political relief commission. In our
judgment, the Ethiopian government will continue to view
Western-backed relief efforts with suspicion and manipulate aid
operations to enhance its control of the country.
The Ethiopian Relief Effort
Famine operations in Ethiopia are conducted through the Relief and
Rehabilitation Commission (RRC), which was established approximately ten
years ago as a non-political organization. It was formed by the military
government to coordinate relief operations in the aftermath of the 1972-73
drought in Ethiopia. Most senior RRC officials are Western-trained and
This memorandum was requested by Mark Edelman Assistant Administrator for
Africa, AID. It was prepared by East Africa Branch,
Office of African and Latin American Analysis. It was coordinated with
the Directorate of Operations. Comments and queries may be directed to
the Chief, Africa Division
ALA-M 85-10074
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REMARKS OF WILLIAM J. CASEY
DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
THE METROPOLITAN CLUB OF NEW YORK CITY
1 May 1985
Metropolitan Club
One East Sixtieth Street
New York, New York 10022
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The total number of refugees who have fled Communist
apression in its many forms is not known. The following partial
list covers the period 1959 to the present and is based on the
1984 Country Reports on the World Refugee Situation published by
the Department of State. Data for this report were gathered from
US foreign missions in April and May of 1983 and have been
updated, where possible, by Geography Division analysts. All
figures with the exception of that for Loas represent "official"
refugees receiving protection and assistance from the
international community and may be considered conservation.
The Soviet Union and Eastern Europe (Czechoslovakia,
German Democratic Reublic, Poland) 1971-1983. It is
impossible to estimate the total number of refugees that
have fled the Soviet Union since the Balskevik revolution
in November 1917. The figure is certainly in the
millions dispite closed borders and severe restrictions
on internal movement. During the past decade and one
half, however, over 250,000 Soviets, mostly Jews, have
been allowed to emigrate. The primary sources of
refugees among the 'Eastern European countries are
Czechoslovakia
(12,000 fled in 1982), Poland (100,000
since martial law was declared in 1901), and the German
Democratic Republic (130,000 between 1973 and 1983).
Apart from those who have fled the Eastern bloc
countries, one recent emigre from the Soviet Union who is
knowledgeable on the subject estimates that 50 million
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