Terrorism and Legal Niceties

Raymond Price’s article (Editorial Pages, Oct. 18), “Terrorism Is War; Our Legal Niceties Don’t Apply,” reflects Reagan Administration policy. Terrorism is something about which we are all concerned. But getting tough will have no permanent affect as long as the United States maintains its present double standard about terror.

In particular I refer to U.S.-sponsored terrorism in Nicaragua. The war being waged by the contra forces is pure and simple terrorism. Anyone who has been in the war-affected areas of that country, as I was this past summer, can tell you that the prime targets of the contras are not the Nicaraguan security forces, but rather schools, clinics, government stores, electrical installations, agricultural projects, teachers, health workers, agricultural workers--the list goes on--anything that will impede the efforts of the government in its efforts to meet people’s basic needs. In addition, the contras kidnap, rape, torture and kill, for purposes of demoralizing people and recruiting for its own forces.

As long as the most powerful government in the world promotes such terrorism, what moral basis does it have for condemning terrorism elsewhere?

MERILIE ROBERTSON

Canoga Park