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Accession Number:
ADA516158
Title:
US Strategic Options in Nicaragua
Descriptive Note:
Journal article
Corporate Author:
ARMY WAR COLL CARLISLE BARRACKS PA
Report Date:
1988-03-01
Pagination or Media Count:
14.0
Abstract:
The Sandinistas are not harmless. They pose a clear threat to US interest in the creation of a stable environment for democratic and socioeconomic development in Central America. And they continue to be confident of ultimate triumph in two wars the present war against the insurgents and the prospective one they most fear-an invasion by the United States. The Sandinistas are Marxist-Leninists closely tied to the Soviet Union, Cuba, and the East bloc. Their military power is at least comparable to that of all the other Central American countries combined. They have gained a seductive revolutionary image by naming their movement after Augusto Sandi no, an anti-US, nationalist Nicaraguan hero of the 1920s and 1930s, and by adapting to modern-day geopolitical realities. Yet they fit well the mold of Latin American revolutionary movements their roots lie in a history of political violence, a Marxist subculture, Castros example, and a powerful, visceral hatred of the United States The principal pillars upon which the Sandinistas power rests are stronger than ever. The Popular Sandinista Army has improved steadily in the last three years, especially in its capacity to wage a counterinsurgent war. The state security apparatus is widely recognized as streamlined, efficient, and on a roll in terms of controlling and eliminating pro-resistance support and the internal opposition. And Soviet and East Bloc military and economic support continues. Military and military-associated cargo deliveries broke previous highs in 1986, making it a banner year, with roughly 23,000 metric tons provided. Substantial deliveries continued in 1987.
Distribution Statement:
APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE
