U.S. Intervention in Latin America

Conine’s enlightening and educative column should clear the ambiguous and inconsistent relationship America has with the cancer called Nicaragua.

The Sandinistas were completely committed to Marxist-Leninist dogma under the aegis of Cuba and Russia even while they were deliberating the sharing of power with the democratic factions after the overthrow of Somoza.

This is an oft-repeated scenario of communist takeover in many parts of the world. First they ostensibly share power, then oust the democratic opposition by ruse, deception, arrogance and intimidation.

The transcendent importance of facing this threat seems to be only dimly understood by America. This bridgehead of Marxism is sponsored and championed by the most tenacious and insatiably predatory forces in the world.

It is of the greatest importance to the Warsaw Pact countries to possess and cling, with the determination of a zealot, to this soft underbelly of U.S. power, and then fan out from there to a vulnerable part of the world with their “communism recognizes no boundaries” as their creed and greed.

The gravity of this situation has not yet reached the level of awareness commensurate with the mortal menace, to act with determination and resolve.

The paltry $100 million is an example of the Alice In Wonderland mind-set of the benign posture to this ominously darkening cloud on our assailable doorstep in Central America.

The meager aid bestowed four years ago to the contras was scarcely enough to keep them barely operating against the devastating firepower of Soviet helicopters and modern fighter aircraft of the strongest nation in Central America, and we have the audacity to complain why they haven’t captured and held towns, villages and countryside.

What is indisputably vital is to commit ourselves to support and encourage the contras with $100 million a year for 10 years to send the message to the Warsaw Pact countries that we are not about to “run out of breath” soon.

Make no mistake, this is a global conflict waged on a local scale, it’s called creeping communism.

LOUIS E. HYMAN

Los Angeles