No Pact with Ortega

On Capitol Hill, the fear is growing among members of both parties that if Daniel Ortega signs the Contadora peace treaty, it will derail President Reagan’s $100- million Contra aid package, which has failed once already in the House but which Congress has been expected to pass eventually. Eight House Republicans led by Dan Burton (Ind.) sent a letter to the President asking him to clear up the “mixed signals” coming out of the White House. On the one hand, the Administration advocates Contra aid unconditionally; on the other hand, the aid is made contingent on whether Ortega commits himself to a treaty that is “verifiable, comprehensive, and binding on all parties simultaneously.” Which is it?

Although a few experts give even odds that the Sandinistas will sign, consensus opinion on the Hill is swinging hard in the other direction. “Neither side is ready to sit down with each other,” says Representative Sonny Montgomery (D., Miss.), who led a delegation to Managua ten weeks ago. Representative Ken Gray (D., Ill.), who accompanied Montgomery on the trip, likewise offers little hope for reconciliation. “The Sandinista military buildup shows what they’re made of,” he asserts. “How can we trust anyone who talks peace and carries a gun?” Gray, by the way, opposes military aid.

JM

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John McLaughlin

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On Capitol Hill, the fear is growing among members of both parties that if Daniel Ortega signs the Contadora peace treaty, it will derail President Reagan’s $100- million Contra aid package, which has failed once already in the House but which Congress has been expected to pass eventually. Eight House Republicans led by Dan Burton (Ind.) sent a letter to the President asking him to clear up the “mixed signals” coming out of the White House. On the one hand, the Administration advocates Contra aid unconditionally; on the other hand, the aid is made contingent on whether Ortega commits himself to a treaty that is “verifiable, comprehensive, and binding on all parties simultaneously.” Which is it?

Although a few experts give even odds that the Sandinistas will sign, consensus opinion on the Hill is swinging hard in the other direction. “Neither side is ready to sit down with each other,” says Representative Sonny Montgomery (D., Miss.), who led a delegation to Managua ten weeks ago. Representative Ken Gray (D., Ill.), who accompanied Montgomery on the trip, likewise offers little hope for reconciliation. “The Sandinista military buildup shows what they’re made of,” he asserts. “How can we trust anyone who talks peace and carries a gun?” Gray, by the way, opposes military aid.