Salvador's army is in a state of collapse the invasion of Nicaragua.
defeat on the the whole region by invading Nicaragua.
Throughout this year Us-backed 'contras' have stepped up their attacks on and Costa Rica. At the Salluc 'pacification' he san via.
the San cente province of El Salvaplanned by the US.
The total collapse of the US counter-offensive has now become apparent. In the month VILN guerrillas have taken the ottensive in ot the Coully s sixteen pro-US advisors talking about an imminent collapse LIC Salvadorean army.
facts speak for themselves the Chall tacts trom Us suul Les Since September more than town garrisons have been attacked. These attacks have opened up a of the country in which the so great is their freed or call move reely.
that Hovelicall say guerrilla colSOULLES umns are now moving by day in trucks, rather than at night by foot.
The most disturbing fact for the United States s that the 24.000 govern nent troops and Nationa Guard are showing less and less willingness to actually fight. Two weeks ago the FMLN attacked WHEN AMERICA'S United Nations delegate Jean Kirkpatrick came back from El Salvador in January she told Reagan that the Salvadorean government was on the verge of collapse. Reagan responded by boosting US forces in El Salvador, and by preparing The reasoning behind these moves was that in the short term it would be difficult to impose a complete guerrillas in El Salvador, but a devastating blow could be struck at the revolution in the garrison at Tejutepeque, 37 miles north of the capital. The 180 soldiers fl ed to nearby Ilobasco and changed into civilian clothes.
mented: A 180-mar commented: 180-man unit in defence should be able to hold out if they have their positions and stay and fight'. Two Cold ure the fleeing troop were ambushed on thei way.
The same sort of thing happened the following day in the large town Ciudad Barrios San Miguel The 80 National Guardsmen fled the town six hours after the attack began, and unwittingly wandered into guerrila-nek terriroty.
Two companies who were sent to relieve Ciudad Barrios 'elite' brigades who had just returned from training in Honduras ambushed In the same way as the relievers in Tejutepeque.
Worst of all is the total collapse of the US project San Vicente which was advertised as a 'make or break' Vietnamstyle operation to create fortified villages, feed the population concentrate military fire power to drive out the FMLN. This project •Wak what meant the to El Salvador army could do' Unfortunately for the US it has done just that. The whole thing said one us just sort advisor haguerills have COLl Vicente'.
The frustrations of the army are however creating a new upsurge in the activi. ty of the right wing death squads. Hundreds of people have been found butchered in the streets of San Salvador in the last few months.
Last week a new brutal massacre of 180 peasants by. the 'elite' Atlacatl brigade was uncovered in the San Nicolas area. John Carlin reported from the Malici last rriday s Times: 'As our group of journalists approached small house some 30 startl. co vulture - a sight common in El Salvador Tapped out of a hole in the roof "The floor of the house was coverea in putrinea human remains we counted about 20 skulls among the carpet of wellnicked bones. A guerrilla automatic not in out, automatic pistol told me that the slaughter was "a symptom of the army's agony at its inability to defeat us on the battlefield"
A further symptom of the decay in the army and government has been the silent 'coup' carried out by army. The army has lone army. army , has long been a battletield for fac tion fights between prootticers even more ultra-right groups many of whom have direct links with the fascist ARENA party and the death squads Now the pro-American Icade. Casanova finds himself surrounded by right wingers, and vir. tually powerless to contro the army's actions. San Salvador has been swept for a month by rumous of impending military coup to overthrow the government of President Magana their territory for two The former ARDE commander, Eden Pastora, in surprise development has warned the United States agains! invading stated that will be resisted by all Nicaraguans'.
Nicar wa preparations American-backed inva. sion are extensive. In addition to the introduction of conscription the local Sandinista Defence Com