But opposition to the European imperialists is far less developed.
While a majority in Britain opposes Pershing, unilateral nuclear disarmament is still opposed by three-quarters population. Large scale opposition exists in France to US policy in Central America, but few voices were heard raised against French intervention in Chad, and only a small fraction opposes the force de frappe.
Opposition to the EEC itself, the central mechanism of the West European imperialist states, is almost nonexistent across Europe, and under attack in Britain 'Neither Washington nor Moscow, but Brussels' has become the de facto orientation of much of the European left.
Today no European state can stand ON WIN militarily omically. Only through closer collaboration can West 'defence' be strengthened, and that's exactly what the West European Union wil auscuss later unis vedu Our slogans should of course say Down with the US, US our of Europe, Down with NATO. But they must go beyond this opposing all British nuclear weapons and the force de frappe posing the EEC and saying no to West military cooperation. will have to be the orientation of the European left in the years to come.
del days town was used as the base 'provisional government'. months trying to purpose.
tivity (see map).
Sandinistas Ine scale US invasion.
00W1. foray complete the FDN of the of the country movement, led by Eden Pastora.
Sandinista gone.
the CIA con pretended inat solely the work of the contras, their US-supplied opby This Nicaraguan waters. Strategy on as normal in capture Nicaraguan town, precisely for this The capture of San Juan del Norte was part of a long buildup of contra acThis offensive is designed to pin down and exhaust the damage LIC economy, as a holding operation until elections coming November. Once the elections are out of the way, the scene is set for the fullwhich is the only way that the Sandinistas can be brought The attack on San Juan del Norte was accompanied by a simultaneous Nicaragua's northern border by hundreds of contra rebels of (Nicaraguan Democratic Front). The fact that operations are being coordinated in the north and south demonstrates that the CIA now has firm control over the ac tivities of the Costa Rica-based ARDE While the FDN has always been a simple tool of the CIA, Pastora has attempted to posture as being both antianti-American. Last autumn the CIA engineered a coup in his movement which removed him leader. Now Pastora is back, but all pretence at political independence has The current offensive of the contras comes hard on the heels of the mining of the Nicaraguan ports, organised by and condemned bv Senate. For weeks the US administraIne mining was using speed boats. The news that the CIA was actually providing the mines from a boat just outside Nicaraguan territorial waters, was followed by the revelation that last October's contra attack on the oil storage facilities at Corinto was also supervised the CIA's control boat outside flop.
cessful In the present phase of the war. there is little danger of the Sandinista revolution being brought down. Last week press reports talked of life going Managua, and of Soviet and West German boats being unloaded at Corinto. The Sandinistas claim that now most of the mines have PUNTA March 3 March 5 EL SALVADOR Gulf of Fonseca March 3 PUNTA COSIGUINA Маго 20 -CORINTO Arch 7 1 27 1 20 1 30 cific ocean rillas out of the province; to win the 'hearts and minds of the population through economic aid and public works projects; anu to construct villages and a local militia, again on the Vietnamese model.
The San Vicente project was a total Since the autumn of 1983, the FMLN have returned to San Vicente in force and launched two highly suemilitary offensives. disasters in El Salvador have increased US determination to destabilise the FSLN government in Nicaragua.
There is now growing direct US involvement in the Central American HONDURAS SAN JOSE • TELPANEC 1 March 1:
Tegucigalpa 44 March 12 INICAR CHINADEGA March 28 PUERTÓ SANDINO March 20 ch 30 SAN JUAN DEL SUR March 7 war. US pilots have been overflying Nicaragua. siderable evidence that contra attacks fortified deep inside the country have been carTried out by troops parachuted in from Honduras. The American. In El Salvador it has recently been admitted that US pilots flying training missions over territory 'might from time to time have The been drawn into combat'. In addition reconnaissance flights over El Salvador have been organised from Honduras. By far the most significant military action however is the tinuous build-up of troops duras. Currently at least A STUBBORN CONTRA OFFENSIVE Antileftist rebels recruited, trained and financed by the CIA have fought stubbornly but have attracted little support in Nicaragua. Their current strategy: attacking the country's feeble economy. in part by mining ports SANDY BAY March 29 LEIMUS March 6 VILLA NUEV larch 13 A GU A MONTELIMAR • March 6 PENAS BLANCAS ch 13 C ST A RICA used for There is con- major Grenadero pilots could well be guerrilla-held US in Hon5000 US AIR ATTACK SPEEDBOAT ATTACK • HELICOPTER ATTACK • MINE EXPLOSION CONTRA ATTACK A CONTRA CAMPS EL BLUFI Feb. 25 SAN JUAN DEL NORTE troops are participating in their third exercise 1. Whether the United States will first decide to use troops in El Salvador or to invade Nicaragua is far from certain. What is certain is that the escalating military build-up in the recion is not just for show or for unex pected contingency.
The decision to overthrow the San. dinistas has been taken. The US does not intend to 'lose' Central America. The invasion of Grenada shows tha this US government is determined to use whatever force is necessary. Only the timing is in doubt.