European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - May 5, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Daily Magazine rebels sandinista regime Nicaragua contras in a slump by Tim Golden United press International Enrique Bermudez runs his War against the nicaraguan government from a wooden Cabin decorated with a Viva Reagan polished Silver spurs and a plaque from Soldier of Fortune Magazine commending his fight against we dont understand the twisted paths of american the guerrilla commander bemoaning Congress refusal to release million in new Aid to the rebels despite a Reagan administration lobbying what More endorsement do you want than the presi Dent of the United states calling us Freedom fighters for three rebels of the nicaraguan democratic Force which the 52yearold Berr Viudez com saw millions of dollars in Aid arrive at their re Mote Mountain base Camp in boxes stuffed with honduran and nicaraguan the Spanish Slang for were trained by military advisers from the United and other All arranged for by the Central intelligence but their fortunes have deteriorated since last when Congress Cut off once Covert funding after providing an estimated Contra leaders called government Aid crucial to their ability to continue fighting the marxist led sandinista govern in late the contras were a band of several Hundred exiles dominated by remnants of dictator Anastasio Somoza debacles brutal National that president Reagan ordered Cia which began their transformation in less than four years into the largest and bes equipped guerrilla army in Central american when we Bermudez says of his Early Days fighting Managua triumphant we thought we could do but never with Dimen Sions like we were he recalls in an interview in the Camp on the honduran nicaraguan the exact location of which could not be revealed As a condition of this reporters we were romantic the furnishings of the sprawling Sanctuary Are evidence of past american it has an xray equipped a dental clinic that manufactures its own training an improvised baseball rough Hen shacks and hundreds of Green plastic All Are guarded by soviet antiaircraft apparently captured Stock passed on to the rightist parked in the Sanctuary is a shiny truck filled with sophisticated radio the fun includes nearly fighters and hundreds of such As the total is three times the number of sandinista guerrillas who led to Somoza overthrow in july according to both fun leaders and nicaraguan Interior minister Tomas the Border Camps head of said that at any Given moment More than rebels Are at the fans four bases inside about of them at Bermudez Headquarters near the nicaraguan Armando the fans head of logistics and Bermudez says a Lack of supplies has caused fun forces fighting inside Nicaragua to dwindle to about from last october High of More than dozens of stacks of ammunition for soviet ak47 automatic rifles and belgian fals filled a Supply along with Spanish assembled assault rifles donated by a Friendly but Supply officers say the flow of bullets is and the Lack of boots and uniforms is the fun is one of five rebel groups fighting the none of the others enjoy the close Cia ties of the fun or have its wide array of private Aid and they appear to be faring considerably the Sandino revolutionary an offshoot of the democratic revolutionary Alliance led by former sandinista guerrilla hero Eden commander Zero has been Able to maintain Only about 500 troops inside according to a close Pastora the who recently met several times with pastoral military said Pastora also has More than guerrillas in Costa Rica and could probably recruit More with adequate Pastora has said publicly his troops Are in a military a rebel Force made up primarily of miskito indians with a smattering of sumo and Rama tribes continues to operate in the Northern Atlantic coast Region of but its once close ties to the fun Are we have told them it cannot Misura Leader Adan Artola says of what he described As the fans arrogant attitude toward Indian we have to make ourselves be Artola claims Misura has some troops in Nic although Only 260 carry arms and ammunition and their activities have been sharply Cut Misura leaders say they received More than million in Aid directly from the Cia Between october 1983 and March depending on the fun at other they say that Channel dried up before the fans Aid ran president Reagan is our Only Misura spokes Man Roger Herman a rival Indian Contra has abandoned offensive operations in Nicaragua Central Atlantic coast according to its Brooklyn interviewed in said he ordered his troops not to attack sandinista targets while he continued peace talks with the but the talks have made Little and Rivera admits mis Rasata has found no Supply sources since it broke a two year Alliance with Pastora at the beginning of the Rivera says pastoral angry at his talks with the ambushed and killed 17 mis Rasata soldiers april 3 just South of Atlantic coast City of now we have to defend ourself not just from the sandinista but from the other he they Are killing our people in a massive a tiny fifth rebel Force of Ardeli troops under Paslo Ras former exiled businessman Alfonso and military commander Fernando 111 negro Cha have Allied with the fun but Are not known to have conducted any unlike other Contra fun officials say they have received a flow of private Aid from including executives of major political groups groups coordinated by re tired John the former commander of troops in South the outspoken Singlaub was removed from the Post by president Carter in May 1977 for publicly protesting plans to pull ground troops out of civilian military a has donated Large amounts of military equipment and sent several groups to train fun two members of the group were shot Down and killed flying a helicopter into Nicaragua a Contra attack last sep mercenary enthusiasts associated with Soldier of for tune Magazine have provided equipment and trainers on a smaller the rebels several members of the fun directorate said the like has been helped with Large amounts humanitarian Aid food and medicines from including Louisiana state Louis Woody Jenkins denies Aid from his friends of the reaches the he says his group works very closely with the embassy in a senior Pentagon official said shipments of private humanitarian Aid to nicaraguan refugees in Honduras in army cargo planes began in Early april with a shipment from the army does not oversee distribution of the Singlaub claims he has been collecting Money from americans and sending it to the contras in Cash and Calero estimates fans monthly expenses run to but the Lack of compounded by difficulties in obtaining planes to drop supplies to troops in Nicara has forced the guerrillas to change their Contra officers the rebels use of Supply aircraft has been limited since two c47 cargo planes Given them by the Cia were shot Down in 1983 and according to fun continued on Page 14 where nicaraguan rebel groups operate nicaraguan Force fun an estimated fighters and noncombatants some in others in bases in six directors in Honduras and Miami Are conserva Tive anticommunist who Call or democracy and a tree Market most top Milmary leaders Are veterans of the Somoza dictatorships National Misura is sol Alliance of sumo and Rama indians based in Eastern Honduras and led by Steadman whom Honduras deported closely Allied to fun and also backed by Alt communist May have lighters but less than said to be in democratic Alliance arde pm last year into two faction political Arm Tod by Altonso Robelo and Attyd with it diary Armol up to Costa Rica based guerrilla Stod by Lormer sandinista hero Eden Pastora sources say Only 500 lighters Are inside Pastora favors socialist and to Auy with Pri Marily because of Somoza  ibb Alliance of the same Indian toes Tod by Brooklyn but torn by internal pow Cal conflicts about fighters formerly aided with conduct no offensive military Rivera negotiating for Indian autonomy with Sand Eias up Tore May 1985 the stars and stripes Page 13