Can the Contras Win?

In the crude Contra camps in the tropical forest near the border of Nicaragua, morale is high. I visited the camps last month and saw thousands of young Nicaraguan farmboys confidently working together, in a reasonably well-organized way, to do a difficult and dangerous job. I arrived in time to see a unit being issued new boots, hammocks, and uniforms from the United States, courtesy of the appropriation signed by the President last October. With the arrival of this equipment, they were looking forward to re-establishing themselves deep inside Nicaragua and regaining the positions they had won in 1983 and 1984, positions that had to be abandoned when U.S. aid was cut off.

But even with the best equipment, the best morale, and the best farmboys, the question remains: Can the Contras win? In Washington the question is sometimes asked insincerely: To argue that their efforts are futile can be more effective than denigrating their mission. But even for those who know what the Sandinistas are and understand the importance of defeating them, it is an important question; for, if the Contras cannot win, another solution must be found, and quickly.

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Max Singer

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In the crude Contra camps in the tropical forest near the border of Nicaragua, morale is high. I visited the camps last month and saw thousands of young Nicaraguan farmboys confidently working together, in a reasonably well-organized way, to do a difficult and dangerous job. I arrived in time to see a unit being issued new boots, hammocks, and uniforms from the United States, courtesy of the appropriation signed by the President last October. With the arrival of this equipment, they were looking forward to re-establishing themselves deep inside Nicaragua and regaining the positions they had won in 1983 and 1984, positions that had to be abandoned when U.S. aid was cut off.

But even with the best equipment, the best morale, and the best farmboys, the question remains: Can the Contras win? In Washington the question is sometimes asked insincerely: To argue that their efforts are futile can be more effective than denigrating their mission. But even for those who know what the Sandinistas are and understand the importance of defeating them, it is an important question; for, if the Contras cannot win, another solution must be found, and quickly.