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

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The Race to Destruction<br />

Classics <strong>in</strong> Politics: <strong>Turn<strong>in</strong>g</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Tide</strong> <strong>Noam</strong> <strong>Chomsky</strong><br />

310<br />

efforts aimed at “foment<strong>in</strong>g and support<strong>in</strong>g unrest and revolt <strong>in</strong> selected<br />

strategic satellite countries” and “foster[<strong>in</strong>g] <strong>the</strong> seeds of destruction<br />

with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Soviet system,” <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> hope that <strong>the</strong> US might eventually<br />

“negotiate a settlement with <strong>the</strong> Soviet Union (or a successor state or<br />

states).” 59<br />

The USSR presumably did not take k<strong>in</strong>dly to <strong>the</strong> reconstruction of <strong>the</strong><br />

Nazi apparatus <strong>in</strong> Germany, which had virtually demolished <strong>the</strong> country<br />

and massacred millions of its citizens, or US support for Hitler’s allies<br />

who cont<strong>in</strong>ued fight<strong>in</strong>g with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> USSR with CIA support. But all of this<br />

is passed over lightly here; we prefer to see ourselves at <strong>the</strong> mercy of<br />

Soviet aggressors. One might ask what <strong>the</strong> reaction would be if <strong>the</strong><br />

situation were reversed.<br />

Perhaps <strong>the</strong> best-known of <strong>the</strong> Nazi war crim<strong>in</strong>als <strong>in</strong>corporated <strong>in</strong>to<br />

US operations <strong>in</strong> Europe was Klaus Barbie, “<strong>the</strong> Butcher of Lyon,” who<br />

was responsible for numerous crimes <strong>in</strong> France and was duly placed <strong>in</strong><br />

charge of spy<strong>in</strong>g on <strong>the</strong> French by US <strong>in</strong>telligence. When he could no<br />

longer be protected <strong>in</strong> Europe, he was sent by <strong>the</strong> US to Bolivia, where<br />

he became a central figure <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> fascist network <strong>the</strong>re, his best-known<br />

achievement be<strong>in</strong>g his role <strong>in</strong> organiz<strong>in</strong>g a murderous coup <strong>in</strong> Bolivia <strong>in</strong><br />

1980 with <strong>the</strong> assistance of Italian fascists, Argent<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong>telligence<br />

agents who allege that <strong>the</strong>y were tra<strong>in</strong>ed by US and Israeli specialists<br />

and that Barbie was <strong>in</strong> close contact throughout with US <strong>in</strong>telligence,<br />

<strong>the</strong> Moon cult (work<strong>in</strong>g with US <strong>in</strong>telligence), and with a foreign<br />

mercenary army recruited for <strong>the</strong> fascist coup, <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g Germans and<br />

two Israeli agents, accord<strong>in</strong>g to Hermann. The US subsequently turned<br />

aga<strong>in</strong>st <strong>the</strong> coup regime when it became clear that <strong>the</strong> generals were<br />

more <strong>in</strong>terested <strong>in</strong> coca<strong>in</strong>e profits than <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> anti-Communist crusade,<br />

and <strong>the</strong> Argent<strong>in</strong>e <strong>in</strong>telligence agents went on to Central America. One,<br />

who also claims to have been <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> P<strong>in</strong>ochet coup <strong>in</strong> Chile <strong>in</strong><br />

1973, says that <strong>in</strong> 1982 he went to Guatemala where he “worked

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