European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - September 3, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes wednesday septembers 1986 columns William Buckley Case for sandinista appeals to weak minds Here is the line the Avant Garde is taking on the sandinista. It is All Laid out in the rolling witty prose of the suave anti american irishman Conor cruise o Brien. In the 70s he went through a Brief period of sobriety in Ireland to Rusl up from his labors on behalf of the Oki a Yafo the redeemer As they used to Call Kwame Nkrumah dictator of Ghana be fore he was overthrown while off in China fawning at the altar of Mao tse lung. O Brien served As vice Chancellor of the University of Ghana. Before that he was a functional of the United nations Active in anti american activity on All International fronts taking extracurricular time to defend Algor Hiss and defame Whittaker Chambers. He is Back now taking pretty much the soviet line on the sandinista. In a big piece in the Atlantic called god and Man in Nicaragua he is telling us what to think about our policy in opposing he sandinista. The line is 1. The sandinista movement is 100 percent nationalist anti imperialist and Christian. 2. The christianity of the sandinista is incorporated in their Mono Al Dios do los porcs the god of the poor. He is to be distinguished from inc regu Flora Lewis Lar god of Lalin americans who is the god of the Rich. 3. When Pope John Paul ii visited Nicaragua three years ago lie committed a terrible Blunder by publicly castigating fall or Ernesto Cardenal the Sandinia. Las minister of culture while aligning himself with Cardinal Obando y Bravo l he outspoken critic of the sandinista. 4. The sandinista have absolutely no intention of becoming a soviet satellite. In the event that this should happen. Why the blame will clearly be that of Ronald Reagan for supporting inc con Ira movement. All Clear now recent data from Nicaragua document that the Standard of living there has fallen to approximately so percent of inc eco nomic level of life under Somoza. Why should that be Well president Daniel or Tega has just completed a tour of he United slates in which he gives the reason for such reversals it is As easy As that any country that has to fight a civil War backed by the United states obviously has to give first priority to the War for Independence. In is not explained Why this should have been necessary Given that the United Stales actively supported a the overthrow of Somo 73. B the sandinista government until it became universally Clear that the sandinista movement had been taken Over by marxist Leninist. The sandinista proceeded to Institute a repressive government impeded Only by the great defections of original sandinista. These deserted the movement when it became obvious that it was Bent not on instituting personal Liberty political democracy and economic Progress but marxist militarism. It became Clear even to economically shortsighted observers that the god of the poor under the Sandi nistas was engaged in multiplying poverty. The Only economic accomplishment marxist socialism is capable of is the elimination of the wealthy and the Middle class. If god is involved in helping the Noor in Nicaragua there Are unmistakable grounds Here for religious agnosticism. The line tells us that religious persecution in Nicaragua is a trivial thing it is directed merely at persecuting overt ene Mies of the sandinista movement such As Cardinal Obando. Since or. O Brien s piece appeared the sandinista expelled Bishop Pablo Antonio Vega. The leaders of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua arc not permitted to publish even the sermons they deliver. And As we All know the principal anti Somoza Organ of the revolution la Prensa is now shut Down the country is under martial la. President Ortega slavishly supports the soviet line in All inter National affairs travels to the soviet Union for counsel and receives huge military shipments from Cuba Eastern Europe and the soviet Union with the aim in mind not Only of defending Nicaragua from the con tras but of exporting its revolution to neighbouring countries. While it is True that there is much pop ular support for the sandinista within Nicaragua this should not Surprise any cosmopolitan observer of this Century s awful record of Public support for tyrants. Ortega is popular with nicaraguans As Hitler was popular with Ger mans Stalin with russians Mao with chinese Peron with argentines. That Ortega has been shrewd enough to co opt god for his sordid Enterprise perhaps adds blasphemy to his sins but blasphemy is a trivial offence for a tyrant routinely engaged in torture genocide the suppression of civil rights and military aggression. But that is the line carefully cultivated to Appeal to exactly the same weak mind who appeased Castro and before him Mao Stalin and Hitler. The uni jul Aniis Mhz White House message to Qadhafi confuses All the Campaign of agitation about Libya is stranger than a political thriller. A cons from Washington say that inc . Air Force and naval moves the carefully leaked hints of trouble ahead. Are White House efforts to Send a Mes Sage to col. Moa mar Qadhafi that there will be heavy retaliation for renewed terrorist acts. Thir reports also say this is being publicized to disorient and unnerve the libyan Leader perhaps to provoke him to another irrational strike that would pro vide an excuse for an american attack and Spur his own uneasy military to at tempt a coup. That is in fact. Gadlli Achsh behaviour that ill suits american Power. In reflects Noi Confidence in . Strength but peevish frustration and it cd namely suggests that american policy makers have lost sight of Basic goals. In conjures an elephant maddened by a Fly. Obviously this is an exercise in pub lie diplomacy distributing information in a Way intended to preclude action made politically obligatory by so Many threats. Otherwise the threats would be revealed As Bluff. Public diplomacy is not to be con fused with open  which re quires reasonable explanation for policy decisions and avoidance of secret engagements. It makes no sense in the circumstances. In is working to bewilder America s friends and foes alike when the National interest would require Mak ing sure thai they do not miscalculate . Mentions Washington has been ambivalent about the results of last april s raid on Libya at some Points claiming it a Greal Success in teaching Qadhafi a lesson and at others warning that he is a mad dog bound by his own nature to strike. The Campaign is like the sequel to a hit movie with the same characters and plot. But in fact the libyan raid did not do at All Uell at the Box office 11 caused Sharp Strain in the Western Alliance and panicked american tourists. What save the Tojo Cru nomic Summit conference in maj from tension and recrimination was the greater distress caused by inc chernobyl nuclear Accident just before. That distracted minds and catalysed Accord. Since then allies have stiffened their attitude to Libya for their own Protection since More europeans have been victimized by terrorism than americans and in order to placate he United slates but it would be a mistake to suppose that last Spring s arguments would not be re Vived even More intensely if there is an other american attack out of proportion to the provocation. A conspiracy theorist puzzling out Why on Earth Washington seems so determined to repeat the performance and its predictable aftermath might imagine that it is to pressure moderate arabs to choose sides or to head off pressure to move toward a nuclear test ban and As sure a soviet-. Summit meeting. Mos cow called off the preparatory meeting Between american and soviet foreign ministers after the april raid and might feel obliged to repeat. President Reagan s washing Ion appears Loo divided Loo narrowly focused on disjointed issues without a sense of How the world picture fits to Gether for such a theory to be plausible. But then it is also a masterly image Mak ing machine and All these Peculiar moves Are pre eminently about imagery in any Case there is no visible sense in the Campaign no evident policy purpose beyond stirring things up without due regard for Likely consequences. The very most Washington could Hope to achieve by its mane vering would be the Over throw of Qadhafi. But there Are not the slightest grounds to suppose his successor would be More palatable to the United slates. Quite possibly a new libyan Leader would be even More amenable to soviet influence than the unpredictable Qadhafi and More hostile to american interests. Whatever happens to the colonel american action would reverberate Tor the worse in relations with everybody else europeans russians arabs the third world in general. There seems to be Little awareness of the inevitable Impact no concern about How much Libya should count in Overall policy goals. It is As though America chose to play poker with Libya holding the Power aces but counting on not having 10 pay he Price of using them. In poker there is a new Deal after each hand. That is nol so in foreign policy. Every act sets inc circumstances for what can follow. Without a Clear idea of longer direction winning a hand can re sult in great loss c Taw fort twin Amnet