European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 16, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes wednesday August 16.1989 columns George Gedda contras can count both pluses and minuses the decade began with their creation and. If All goes according to plan it will end with their demobilization. As the clock runs out on the nicaraguan contras. They have fallen Short of achieving their principal goal but can still Point to some successes. The Bush administration has tried to put the Best face on a Central american plan to dismantle the contras by Decem Ber pointing out the rebels arc under no obligation to do anything unless Safe democratic conditions arc established in Nicaragua permitting their voluntary return. The administration would have much preferred that the contras stay together in their Camps along the honduran Bor Der until after the feb. 25, 1990, elections serving As an incentive for the sandinista to carry out a fair election process in the interim. But even if the contras manage to sur Vive their december death sentence there is almost no possibility they will Ever again be a major Factor shaping the destiny of their Homeland or of Central America itself. Not much has gone right for them since president Reagan signed legislation in october 1986 providing the c9ntras $100 million in economic and military Aid less than a month later the Iran Contra scandal claimed two of their most ardent backers in the administration. It. Col. Oliver North and National Security adviser John Poindexter. Another setback occurred with the death nearly 1987 of another Stalwart supporter Cia director William Casey. In August 1987, the Central Ameri can peace agreement was signed requiring the United Stales to end its support for the contras. This considerably strengthened the hand of the anti Contra bloc in the Congress. In february 1988, the House rejected an administration request for additional Aid for the contras. Soon after an informal cease fire was agreed to in Nicaragua and the Contra exodus to the base Camps in Honduras began. Since then there has been no serious discussion of resuming Aid to the con Tom Wicker tras. Secretary of state James a. Baker Iii made Clear his sentiments last March when he declared the Reagan administration s policy toward the contras a fail ure. The contras arc feeling even More abandoned following the Central Ameri can Summit in Honduras. The meeting was preceded by an agreement Between nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega and the country s internal opposition Declar ing that the time had come for the con tras to go Home in peace. Previously the contras and opposition parties enjoyed an informal Alliance viewing each other As partners in their quest to remove the sandinista from Power. The opposition s disassociation from the contras made it easier for the Cen trial american presidents to set their de Cember timetable for the rebels demobilization. Appeals from the bus administration for a less ambitious dead line were ignored. The rebels arc now reduced to ragtag status in the Border Camps and their remaining backers in Washington Are reduced to no More than a die hard few Here and there. But there Are those who recall with nostalgia the contras heyday an with trepidation the what might have beens in Central America. One former Reagan administration official insists the contras made More of a contribution to . Interests than Baker and other critics give them credit for. For example they were such a Nui Sance that the sandinista had to forgo efforts to carry out subversion elsewhere in Central America enabling these coun tries to get a Start on establishing demo cratic systems. All still have elected presidents. Also it was primarily because of the Contra military threat that the Sandinia tas agreed to sign the 1987 peace agreement in Guatemala. At that meet ing the sandinista won support from other governments in the Region for an end to . Aid to the contras but also made unprecedented commitments to bring democracy to Nicaragua. Although sandinista performance in carrying out these commitments has not been perfect the country has no turned into what the Reagan administration feared most an expansionist totalitarian one party slate modelled after Cuba. George Gedda has covered feign Alan los to Tow associated Tess since 1968. Doubts not swaying Louisiana from execution Ronald s. Monroe is scheduled for execution by the state of Louisiana Between Midnight and 3 . On aug. 30. Yet persuasive new evidence never heard by a jury is available to show that he did not commit the crime for which he was convicted the stabbing murder of Lenora Collins a neighbor on sept. 10, 1977. Collins former husband George Linson who was seen in the Vicinity of Hei House on the night of her murder later was convicted of the stabbing death of another wife Erma Jean Lorton. Stinson also had at tempted to kill his first wife Marie Lendo Lee in another stabbing. While under investigation in Michigan in 1980 for the murder of Lorton Stinson told a cellmate that he had killed both Lorton and Lenora Collins. The cellmate told the Michigan police the Michi Gan police told the Louisiana police but the Louisiana police did not Tell defense counsel for Monroe. Even Wilhour the new evidence inc conviction rests solely on the testimony of Collins children who were ii and 12 when their Mother was murdered. There is no forensic evidence of any kind against him no murder weapon no fingerprints no Matching bloodstains. Monroe s Mother swears that he was at Home asleep at the time of inc murder. In 1988. Evidence Lur cd up thai indicated George Linson had sexually abused and intimidated Theodise Collins Lenora Collins daughter and one of the two underage witnesses against Monroe. The two children s identification of Monroe was suspect anyway because icy gave iwo different descriptions of what inc assailant was wearing. Now 34, Monroe was 22 and had no record of felonious or violent behaviour when he was arrested in 1977. He has been in prison for 12 years on Dalh Row for nine. He has an 1q Between 73 and 77, which Means his intellectual and emotional functions arc those of a 10 to 12-year-old child. In 1980. Monroe s first counsel appears not to have pressed an aggressive defense Al his irial. His pres Cal counsel contends that his original trial was tainted by pervasive errors arising from improper jury instructions and improper prosecutor Al argue. Ment violations that might have been the Deci Sive Factor inducing the jury to impose a death sen  in 1984. A Federal Dis Ricl court held that the Loui Siana police had violated Monroe s constitutional rights by withholding from his defense the information about George Stinson s confession to his cell mate in Michigan a confession the court said lend ing to show that Monroe was innocent. In 1988, a few Days before Monroe was to be executed the Louisiana pardons Board after extensive questioning of the accused and Theodise Collins recommended that gov. Charles buddy to cmdr com mute the deals sentence. The governor did not acl bul the Louisiana supreme court stayed the death sentence then stayed another that was set for december 1988. Nevertheless Monroe remained scheduled for exe cution by inc state of Louisiana Between Midnight and 3 . On aug. 30. The . Supreme court with its new emphasis on expediting executions even of the mentally re larded and i Host who were children Al the time of i hair crimes has Isicc refused to review the Case. The Feder Al Dis Ricl court that held Monroe s constitutional rights to have been violated did not explicitly order anew trial so Louisiana has not provided one. Rocker still has not acted. On july 11, without prior notice to Monroe or to his counsel the third execution Dale of aug. 30 was set. On july 26, in criminal District court in the Parish of Orleans an application for Post conviction Relief was  who believe in the death Penally argue thai the occasional mistaken execution of an innocent per son is the necessary Price to be paid Lor Law and order. Even they do Noi argue however that people should be electrocuted or gassed in spite of specific and sub Stantial doubt about their  the aug. 30 state of Louisiana s execution Date remains for Ronald s.