Dirty Wars

THE Cold War in Central America will soon be refought in Congress, thanks to President Bush’s selection of a slew of Reaganites for key foreign-policy positions. The refighting is already on, actually; certainly the Left, broadly defined, has been campaigning against these choices for several months. The arguments are much the same as they were in the 1980s: Did President Reagan act rightly in Central America? Did his men? Many of the players are the same as well: not only the Reaganites, but left-leaning senators such as Christopher Dodd and John Kerry, and leftist and leftish reporters and editorialists. The tactics are the same, too, with liberal smearing of the Reagan men, as lovers of war and enemies of human rights. Many in Washington are uttering the old line, “It’s déjà vu all over again.” The battles in Congress will be, at base, battles over recent history: Who proved right in Central America?

The two nominations that will be most strongly contested are that of John Negroponte, to be U.N. ambassador, and that of Otto Reich, to be assistant secretary of state for the Western Hemisphere. The betting is that the Left (again, broadly defined) will not be able to stop Negroponte; instead, they will Ashcroft him, roughing him up, tarnishing his reputation, sending a message. Reich is the nominee they really want to take down, the “human sacrifice,” as one insider puts it, that they think is their due, particularly now that the Senate has gone Democratic. The administration is confident that both men will be confirmed, if after some pain. For one thing, Negroponte and Reich are competent and seasoned men. For another, they reflect precisely what the president wishes to do—a point the White House can be expected to stress.

About the Author

Jay Nordlinger

Jay Nordlinger was a senior editor of National Review and a book fellow at National Review Institute.

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THE Cold War in Central America will soon be refought in Congress, thanks to President Bush’s selection of a slew of Reaganites for key foreign-policy positions. The refighting is already on, actually; certainly the Left, broadly defined, has been campaigning against these choices for several months. The arguments are much the same as they were in the 1980s: Did President Reagan act rightly in Central America? Did his men? Many of the players are the same as well: not only the Reaganites, but left-leaning senators such as Christopher Dodd and John Kerry, and leftist and leftish reporters and editorialists. The tactics are the same, too, with liberal smearing of the Reagan men, as lovers of war and enemies of human rights. Many in Washington are uttering the old line, “It’s déjà vu all over again.” The battles in Congress will be, at base, battles over recent history: Who proved right in Central America?

The two nominations that will be most strongly contested are that of John Negroponte, to be U.N. ambassador, and that of Otto Reich, to be assistant secretary of state for the Western Hemisphere. The betting is that the Left (again, broadly defined) will not be able to stop Negroponte; instead, they will Ashcroft him, roughing him up, tarnishing his reputation, sending a message. Reich is the nominee they really want to take down, the “human sacrifice,” as one insider puts it, that they think is their due, particularly now that the Senate has gone Democratic. The administration is confident that both men will be confirmed, if after some pain. For one thing, Negroponte and Reich are competent and seasoned men. For another, they reflect precisely what the president wishes to do—a point the White House can be expected to stress.