Banana Diplomacy Nic

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Banana Diplomacy Nic CHRONOLOGY 1981 JANUARY 20: Ronald Reagan inaugurated as President. APRIL 1: Reagan terminates $118 million in U.S. aid to Nicaragua (obtained by Jimmy Carter) despite report of tbe U.S. ambassador in Managua that Sandinistas had halted transshipment of arms to leftist guerrillas in El Salvador. APRIL: At a meeting with CIA Director William Casey, Honduran army Colonel Gustavo Alvarez Martinez proposes that the United States hack anti-Sandinista insurgents based in Honduras in a plan leading to direct U.S. intervention to oust the government in Managua. AUGUST: Casey's newly appointed operations director for Latin America, Duane Clarridge, twice visits Honduras to signal U.S. go-ahead for Alvarez proposal. AUGUST 11-12: Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Enders ^ discusses a negotiated resolution of differences with the Sandinistas, centering on their military buildup and support for leftist insurgen cies. AUGUST 11; Nicaraguan Democratic Forces (FDN) formed in Guatemala. $19.95d.ir, million approves in support for contraproposal rebels. to provide 1982 AUGUST 20: Enders outlines U.S. policy on Nicaragua in San Francisco speech, adding democratization to list of U.S. condi tions for normal relations. DECEMRER 8: Democratic-controlled House bans covert aid for purpose of overthrowing the Sandinistas. 1983 MAY 27. Enders fired; Tony Motley appointed to replace him. JULY—DECEMBER: U.S. military stages unprecedented 16 CHRONOLOGY 17 sea and land exercises in and around Honduras to intimidate Nicaragua, Cuba, and the Salvadoran rebels. JULY 28: For the first time since Reagan took office, the House votes down contra aid. 1984 JANUARY—FEBRUARY; CIA mines Nicaraguan harbors. MARCH 31; Alvarez ousted in Honduras. MAY; NSC adviser Robert McFarlane secures Saudi pledge of $1 million a month to contras. JUNE 1; Shultz travels to Managua and launches new nego tiating round aimed at resolving U.S.-Sandinista differences. SEPTEMBER 5-6; U.S. envoy presents U.S. position at Manzanillo. OCTOBER 10; Congress suspends U.S. aid to contras. NOVEMBER 4; Daniel Ortega elected president in Nicara gua. NOVEMBER 6; Reagan reelected in forty-nine-state land slide. 1985 JANUARY 18; United States announces suspension of Man zanillo talks. FEBRUARY 11; Saudi king Fahd pledges another $24 mil lion to contras, for total of $32 million. APRIL 30; Motley resigns; replaced by Elliott Abrams. MAY 1; U.S. economic embargo against Nicaragua. JUNE 12; House approves $28 million in "humanitarian aid to contras. JUNE 30-JULY 1; After meeting contra military leaders in Miami, Oliver North implements plan to raise funds and deliver arms to contras through offshore enterprise managed by Richard Secord. DECEMBER 6; North tells Israeli official of plan to divert profits to contras from secret sale of arms to Iran. 1986 JUNE 25; House approves $100 million, including $70 million in military aid to contras. OCTOBER 5; U.S. supply plane shot down over Nicaragua. Crew member Eugene Hasenfus parachutes into captivity. 18 CHRONOLOGY NOVEMBER 3: U.S. arms-for-hostages talks with Iran re vealed in Beirut magazine. NOVEMBER 4: Democrats win control of the Senate. NOVEMBER 25: U.S. aid diversion to contras revealed by Attorney General Edwin Meese; Oliver North fired, John Poin- dexter resigns. DECEMBER 15: CIA Director William Casey disabled by stroke. 1987 AUGUST 5: Wright-Reagan plan for peace presented. AUGUST 7: Central American leaders agree to peace plan drafted by Costa Rican president Oscar Arias. NOVEMBER 5: Sandinistas announce readiness for indirect talks with contras. 1988 JANUARY 15-16: At Central American summit, Daniel Or tega agrees to direct talks with contras, lifts state of emergency. FEBRUARY 3: House defeats contra funding request, killing the military aid program. MARCH 11: Robert McFarlane pleads guilty to misde meanor charges arising from Iran-Contra affair. MARCH 16: John Poindexter, Oliver North, Richard Secord, and Albert Hakim indicted on criminal charges. MARCH 16: Reagan dispatches 3,200 troops to Honduras in a show of force" after a reported Sandinista incursion into Honduras. MARCH 23: Sandinista and contra leaders sign tentative eease-fire. 1 T H E P A T T E R N I S S E T IN JULY 1980, when Republicans gathered in Detroit to nomi nate Ronald Reagan as their presidential candidate, Nicaragua was not even on the party's agenda. Yet on July 15, barely one year after the Sandinistas had taken power in Managua, Re publicans adopted a platform calling for their overthrow. Party experts had not recommended this position. Nor had it been reviewed by the platform committee. The language was inserted by a staflF aide to North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms in a back-room nianeuver. On July 8, Representative Jack Kemp of upstate New York, a former professional football quarterback who viewed himself as a prospective president, had been in the chair of the Subcommittee on Foreign Policy and Defense in Room 2040 of the Cobo Hall convention center when the Latin American plank came up. Kemp 19.
Recommended publications
  • The National Security Council and the Iran-Contra Affair
    THE NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL AND THE IRAN- CONTRA AFFAIR Congressman Ed Jenkins* and Robert H. Brink** I. INTRODUCTION Early in November of 1986, newspapers in the United States carried the first reports that the United States government, in an effort to gain release of United States citizens held hostage by terrorists in Lebanon, had engaged in a covert policy of supplying arms to elements within Iran.' Later in that month, following a preliminary inquiry into the matter, it was revealed that some of the funds generated from those arms sales had been diverted to support the "Contra" 2 forces fighting the Sandinista government in Nicaragua. The events giving rise to these disclosures became known collectively as the "Iran-Contra Affair." Both elements of the affair raised serious questions regarding the formulation and conduct of our nation's foreign policy. In regard to the Iranian phase of the affair, the Regan administration's rhetoric had placed the administration firmly in op- position to any dealings with nations supporting terrorism, and with Iran in particular.' In addition, the United States had made significant * Member, United States House of Representatives, Ninth District of Georgia. LL.B., University of Georgia Law School, 1959. In 1987, Congressman Jenkins served as a member of the House Select Committee to Investigate Covert Arms Transactions with Iran. ** Professional Staff Member, Committee on Government Operations, United States House of Representatives. J.D., Marshall-Wythe School of Law, College of William and Mary, 1978. In 1987, Mr. Brink served as a member of the associate staff of the House Select Committee to Investigate Covert Arms Transactions with Iran.
    [Show full text]
  • Independent Counsel Investigations During the Reagan Administration
    Reagan Library – Independent Counsel Investigations during the Reagan Administration This Reagan Library topic guide contains a description of each Independent Counsel investigation during the Reagan Administration. “See also” references are listed with each description.. The Library has a White House Counsel Investigations collection with series for all of these investigations, and often has a specific topic guide for each investigation. Links to both types of related material is included here. INDEPENDENT COUNSEL INVESTIGATIONS DURING THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION: INDEPENDENT COUNSEL INVESTIGATION OF SECRETARY OF LABOR RAYMOND DONOVAN Special Prosecutor Leon Silverman Counsel to the President, White House Office of: Investigations, Series II Topic Guide: Investigation of Raymond Donovan During January 1981, the FBI conducted a standard background investigation of Secretary of Labor designate Raymond J. Donovan. Summaries of the investigation were furnished through the Assistant Attorney General's Office of Legislative Affairs, Department of Justice, to the U.S. Senate Committee on Labor and Human Resources, the President Elect’s Transition Office and later to the White House Counsel’s Office. This first report contained some allegations regarding Donovan’s ties to organized crime. Based on this information, his confirmation was held up for several weeks in which Donovan testified in Congress multiple times and vigorously maintained his innocence. He was confirmed as Secretary of Labor on February 4, 1981. Throughout 1981, the Senate Committee
    [Show full text]
  • Noriega, Arms & Drug Traffic by Deborah Tyroler Category/Department: General Published: Friday, April 8, 1988
    University of New Mexico UNM Digital Repository NotiCen Latin America Digital Beat (LADB) 4-8-1988 Summary: Mcneil Testimony On U.S. "obsession With Nicaragua," Noriega, Arms & Drug Traffic Deborah Tyroler Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/noticen Recommended Citation Tyroler, Deborah. "Summary: Mcneil Testimony On U.S. "obsession With Nicaragua," Noriega, Arms & Drug Traffic." (1988). https://digitalrepository.unm.edu/noticen/1972 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Latin America Digital Beat (LADB) at UNM Digital Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in NotiCen by an authorized administrator of UNM Digital Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. LADB Article Id: 075095 ISSN: 1089-1560 Summary: Mcneil Testimony On U.S. "obsession With Nicaragua," Noriega, Arms & Drug Traffic by Deborah Tyroler Category/Department: General Published: Friday, April 8, 1988 On April 4, Francis J. McNeil testified before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's subcommittee on terrorism, narcotics and international operations, chaired by Sen. John Kerry. McNeil, a 31-year Foreign Service officer, left the State Department in February 1987, due to "clashes" with Asst. Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs Elliott Abrams. At the time of his resignation, McNeil held the position of Senior Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Intelligence and Research. Among other posts in his career, McNeil served as US Ambassador to Costa Rica, and Deputy Asst. Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs. McNeil's testimony on selected topics is summarized below. "Obsession with Nicaragua" Leads U.S. to Subvert Anti-Drug & Support for Democratization Policies In his testimony, McNeil argued that some US officials' "obsession with Nicaragua" precluded "rational decisionmaking" regarding other US policy objectives, particularly commitments to curb international drug trafficking and terrorism, and to support democratization in Latin America.
    [Show full text]
  • National Security Council, Third Party Funding for Anti-Sandinistas, 1984
    National Security Council, Third Party Funding for Anti-Sandinistas, 1984 All of the key foreign policy officials in Ronald Reagan’s administration participated in this National Security Council meeting. Their conversation dealt with growing opposition in the U.S. Congress to support for the anti-Sandinista Contras. SECRET June 25. 1984; 2:00-3:00 P.M.; Situation Room SUBJECT: Central America PARTICIPANTS: The President, The Vice President The Vice President’s Office: Admiral Daniel J. Murphy State: Secretary George P. Shultz, Mr. Michael Armacost, Mr. Langhorne A. Motley Defense: Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger, Dr. Fred Ikle OMB: Dr. Alton Keel CIA: Mr. William J. Casey, Mr. Duane Clarridge USUN: Ambassador Jeans J. Kirkpatrick JCS: General John W. Vessey, Jr., Admiral Arthur S. Moreau White House: Mr. Edwin Meese, III, Mr. Robert C. McFarlane, Admiral John M. Poindexter NSC: Dr. Constantine C. Menges Mr. McFarlane: The purpose of this meeting is to focus on the political, economic and military situation in Central America: to offer a status report, and to discuss next steps needed so keep our friends together while continuing to make progress toward our overall political goals. There is good news and bad news from Central America, as is always card case. The good news includes the fact that Congress will provide S62M in additional military assistance for El Salvador – $30M of which has already been spent. At the same time, we continue to need the additional S116M in aid for El Salvador which we have requested in the FY 84 supplemental, and we need to continue pressing for that.
    [Show full text]
  • How Reagan Promoted Genocide by Robert Parry, February 21, 2013, Promoted-Genocide
    Rights Action May 9, 2013 UPDATE: Genocide Trial In Guatemala Closing arguments were made today (May 9, 2013) in the genocide trial against retired Generals Rios Montt and Rodriguez Sanchez in Guatemala City. The prosecution has asked for a 75 year prison sentence for the two generals. A decision is pending. Assuredly there are more legal manipulations and trickery to come; assuredly there will be more appeals and motions to strike. Tensions and threats of repression remain very high in Guatemala. PLEASE CONTACT YOUR OWN MEMBER OF CONGRESS and insist that they and the U.S. government make on-going public statements in support of the rule of law in Guatemala, in support of the genocide trial and in support of all trials against the material and intellectual authors of war crimes, crimes against humanity and human rights violations. MORE INFORMATION ON TRIAL: http://www.riosmontt-trial.org/ ******* ARTICLE: How Reagan Promoted Genocide By Robert Parry, February 21, 2013, http://consortiumnews.com/2013/02/21/how-reagan- promoted-genocide/ [Special Report: A newly discovered document reveals that President Reagan and his national security team in 1981 approved Guatemala’s extermination of both leftist guerrillas and their “civilian support mechanisms,” a green light that opened a path to genocide against hundreds of Mayan villages, reports Robert Parry.] Soon after taking office in 1981, President Ronald Reagan’s national security team agreed to supply military aid to the brutal right-wing regime in Guatemala to pursue the goal of exterminating not only “Marxist guerrillas” but their “civilian support mechanisms,” according to a newly disclosed document from the National Archives.
    [Show full text]
  • Upholding the Monroe Doctrine: American Foreign Policy in the 1954 Guatemalan Coup D'etat
    Portland State University PDXScholar Young Historians Conference Young Historians Conference 2014 Apr 29th, 10:30 AM - 11:45 AM Upholding the Monroe Doctrine: American Foreign Policy in the 1954 Guatemalan Coup d'Etat Nadjalisse C. Reynolds-Lallement Lakeridge High School Follow this and additional works at: https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/younghistorians Part of the Political History Commons, and the United States History Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Reynolds-Lallement, Nadjalisse C., "Upholding the Monroe Doctrine: American Foreign Policy in the 1954 Guatemalan Coup d'Etat" (2014). Young Historians Conference. 13. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/younghistorians/2014/oralpres/13 This Event is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Young Historians Conference by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. Please contact us if we can make this document more accessible: [email protected]. UPHOLDING THE MONROE DOCTRINE: AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY IN THE 1954 GUATEMALAN COUP D’ETAT Nadjalisse C. Reynolds-Lallement Dr. Karen E. Hoppes HST 201: US History June 5, 2013 UPHOLDING THE MONROE DOCTRINE: AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY IN THE 1954 GUATEMALAN COUP D’ETAT In June 1954, the American CIA collaborated with a small army of Latin America exiles to depose the democratic administration of President Jacobo Arbenz in Guatemala. In a few short weeks, the United States covertly, almost casually, took advantage of its military influence in order to dramatically change the future of an entire nation of people. Dwight D. Eisenhower, the then-president of the United States, was commander-in-chief of an administration that felt that it had the right, even the duty, to drastically alter the lives of millions of Guatemalans, just as in past foreign interventions conducted by the US.
    [Show full text]
  • Report on the Central Intelligence Agency's Alleged Involvement in Crack Cocaine Trafficking in the Los Angeles Area
    -- · I REPORT ON THE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY'S ALLEGED INVOLVEMENT IN CRACK COCAINE TRAFFICKING IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA PERMANENT SELECT (COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENT(CE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED SIXTH CONGRESS SECOND SESSION FEBRUARY 2000 0 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 62-595 WASHINGTON : 2000 For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office, Washington, DC 20402 ISBN 0-16-060426-5 \\^"-d -_*-~.I------ ____·---------- I I_- PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE PORTER J. GOSS, Florida, Chairman JERRY LEWIS, California JULIAN C. DIXON, California BILL McCOLLUM, Florida NANCY PELOSI, California MICHAEL N. CASTLE, Delaware SANFORD D. BISHOP, JR., Georgia SHERWOOD L. BOEHLERT, New York NORMAN SISISKY, Virginia CHARLES F. BASS, New Hampshire GARY A. CONDIT, California JIM GIBBONS, Nevada TIM ROEMER, Indiana RAY LAHOOD, Illinois ALCEE L. HASTINGS, Florida HEATHER WILSON, New Mexico ,^"- (II) --" __ ~ __ _ · __ · Y ---- ---- ---- ----- - ---- , CONTENTS Page Introduction ... ........................ ........................ ......... .......... ........... 1 Context .................... ................................... 2 T he Allegation s .... .......... ... .......................... ....... ..... ......... .............. 6 Scope of Com m ittee Investigation .... .............................................................. 7 C om m ittee A ctions ...................................................................... ....................... 7 A. Review of Other Investigations
    [Show full text]
  • 107 STAT. 2606 PROCLAMATION 6518—DEC. 24, 1992 Grant Of
    107 STAT. 2606 PROCLAMATION 6518—DEC. 24, 1992 Proclamation 6518 of December 24,1992 Grant of Executive Clemency By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Today I am exercising my power under the Constitution to pardon former Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger and others for their conduct related to the Iran-Contra affair. For more than 6 years now, the American people have invested enor­ mous resoiux:es into what has become the most thoroughly investigated matter of its kind in our history. During that time, the last American hostage has come home to freedom, worldwide terrorism has declined, the people of Nicaragua have elected a democratic government, and the Cold War has ended in victory for the American people and the cause of freedom we championed. In the mid 1980's, however, the outcome of these struggles was far from clear. Some of the best and most dedicated of our coimtrymen were called upon to step forward. Secretary Weinberger was among the foremost. Caspar Weinberger is a true American patriot. He has rendered long and extraordinary service to our country. He served for 4 years in the Army during World War II where his bravery earned him a Bronze Star. He gave up a lucrative career in private life to accept a series of public positions in the late 1960's and 1970's, including Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. Caspar Weinberger served in all these positions with distinction and was ad­ mired as a public servant above reproach.
    [Show full text]
  • America's Alleged Intelligence Failure in The
    University of Calgary PRISM: University of Calgary's Digital Repository Graduate Studies The Vault: Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2017 America’s Alleged Intelligence Failure in the Prelude to Operation Iraqi Freedom: A Study of Analytic Factors Cake, Timothy Cake, T. (2017). America’s Alleged Intelligence Failure in the Prelude to Operation Iraqi Freedom: A Study of Analytic Factors (Unpublished doctoral thesis). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB. doi:10.11575/PRISM/24784 http://hdl.handle.net/11023/3688 doctoral thesis University of Calgary graduate students retain copyright ownership and moral rights for their thesis. You may use this material in any way that is permitted by the Copyright Act or through licensing that has been assigned to the document. For uses that are not allowable under copyright legislation or licensing, you are required to seek permission. Downloaded from PRISM: https://prism.ucalgary.ca UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY America’s Alleged Intelligence Failure in the Prelude to Operation Iraqi Freedom: A Study of Analytic Factors by Timothy Cake A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY GRADUATE PROGRAM IN MILITARY, SECURITY, AND STRATEGIC STUDIES CALGARY, ALBERTA APRIL, 2017 © Timothy Cake 2017 ABSTRACT In the prelude to Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), notables in the G. W. Bush administration declared Iraq to be an existential threat as it had weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and connections to transnational terrorist groups. After the 2003 invasion of that state, coalition forces engaged in a search effort that found no significant evidence of WMD.
    [Show full text]
  • Rogue State a Guide to the World's Only Superpower
    Presents: Rogue State A Guide to the World's Only Superpower A recommended book by sheikh: Osama Bin Laden may Allah bless him Rogue State: A Guide to the World's Only Superpower was first published in the United Kingdom by Zed Books Ltd, 7 Cynthia Street, London Nl 9JF, UK. First published in the United States by Common Courage Press, Box 702, Monroe, ME 04951 in 2000. New updated edition, 2002 This edition published in South Africa by Spearhead, a division of New Africa Books, PO Box 23408, Claremont 7735. Copyright ゥ William Blum, 2001, 2002 Cover design by Andrew Corbett, Cambridge Printed and bound in the United Kingdom by Cox and Wyman, Reading The right of the author of this book has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN 1 84277 220 1 hb ISBN 184277 221 X pb In South Africa ISBN 0 86486 543 0 Pb "Critics will call this a one-sided book. But it is an invaluable correc-tive to the establishment portrait of America as 'the world's greatest force for peace.' Even confirmed opponents of U.S. interventionism can find much in this important book that will both educate and shock them." — Peter Dale Scott, former professor at U.C. Berkeley, poet, and author of Deep Politics and The Death of JFK "Whatever we think we know about U.S. foreign policy, Rogue State makes it clear that we don't know nearly enough.
    [Show full text]
  • Armed Groups
    Color profile: Disabled Composite Default screen 24 Disrupting and Influencing Leaders of Armed Groups Elena Mastors and Jeffrey H. Norwitz INTRODUCTION The United States has a superb capability to collect and analyze information about the rest of the world. Yet many decision makers still fail to adequately understand the leaders of armed groups. Dealing with and attempting to influence or disrupt the activities of these shadowy leaders cannot be achieved without understanding what makes them tick. Most of us don’t have direct access to leaders of armed groups or their close associ- ates. Thus, we have to work with indirect information such as speeches, letters, books, media interviews, and what associates say about these leaders. This is particularly true about al-Qaida. This chapter does not subcribe to a singular type of leadership analysis. We contend that if we only use one approach, we can miss some very instructive information about Dr. Elena Mastors is currently an associate professor in the National Decision Making Department at the Naval War College. Previously, she held various senior intelligence and policy positions in the Office of the Under Secre- tary of Defense for Intelligence and received numerous performance awards from the Defense Intelligence Agency. Dr. Mastors earned a BA in political science from Eckerd College and a political science MA from the Uni- versity of South Florida. She received her PhD in political science with a concentration in international relations and political psychology from Washington State University, where she focused on leadership, conflict, and terror- ism. She writes frequently on understanding leaders and group dynamics, from a political-psychological perspec- tive.
    [Show full text]
  • Everybody Had His Own Gringo: the CIA and the Contras by Glenn Garvin, 14 B.C
    Boston College Third World Law Journal Volume 14 | Issue 1 Article 9 1-1-1994 Everybody Had His Own Gringo: The IC A and the Contras by Glenn Garvin Kathleen Waters Follow this and additional works at: http://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/twlj Part of the Military, War and Peace Commons Recommended Citation Kathleen Waters, Everybody Had His Own Gringo: The CIA and the Contras by Glenn Garvin, 14 B.C. Third World L.J. 178 (1994), http://lawdigitalcommons.bc.edu/twlj/vol14/iss1/9 This Book Review is brought to you for free and open access by the Law Journals at Digital Commons @ Boston College Law School. It has been accepted for inclusion in Boston College Third World Law Journal by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Boston College Law School. For more information, please contact [email protected]. 178 BOSTON COLLEGE THIRD WORLD LAW JOURNAL [Vol. 14:163 KATHLEEN WATERS* EVERYBODY HAD HIS OWN GRINGO: THE CIA AND THE CONTRAS. By GLENN GARVIN. Riverside, NJ.: Brassey's. 1992. Pp. 288. News of the Nicaraguan war of the late 1980s filtered back to the United States in bits and pieces through assorted AP press reports and magazine articles. Having been released according to the political winds in the United States, the coverage was erratic and lacking in depth. If asked about the Nicaraguan war today, most people likely will remember only the infamous Iran-Contra scandal, and few know many details of even that except for Oliver North's name. Critical focus has always centered on the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the U.S.
    [Show full text]