Noam Chomsky - Turning the Tide U.S. intervention in

Patterns of Intervention
Classics in Politics: Turning the Tide Noam Chomsky
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guerrillas and their allied political organizations,” the latter being “much
more important than the former” at the time. 86 The popular
organizations—“the only social force capable of resolving the crisis” in
the words of the assassinated Archbishop—were effectively eliminated
by means that merit comparison to Pol Pot but are regarded here as
either a great success or an unfortunate error. But the usual
consequence ensued: people joined the guerrillas, who became a
significant force, sure proof that the Russians are coming. The Reagan
Administration attempted to demonstrate this necessary truth in its
February 1981 White Paper. This was ridiculed abroad, initially
accepted at home. But a strong popular opposition caused the
government to back down from its moves towards expanded US
intervention, fearing that it would prejudice other programs such as the
planned military build-up, and segments of the media then undertook an
analysis of the White Paper, quickly showing that it was based on severe
misrepresentation and that the actual documents revealed virtually
nothing, perhaps a trickle of arms beginning in September 1980—that
is, well after Carter’s Matanza II was underway. The documents revealed
the unwillingness of the USSR and particularly Nicaragua to permit arms
shipments, and chronic shortage of arms on the part of the guerrillas. 87
The State Department conceded that the US has not intercepted “a
sizable number of weapons” since February 1981; in fact, the
government has provided no credible evidence of significant weapons
shipments or of Nicaraguan government involvement, despite extensive
surveillance. Intelligence analysts dismiss government claims as
“ludicrous,” and the Pentagon refuses to release documents to support
official claims. 88 In July 1984, a State Department “Background Paper”
was circulated to try to help the government case, though without
enthusiasm, because, as the press reported, it was virtually lacking in