El Salvador
A game of diplomacy
• • •
By Ron Hunt
Uncle Sam hates to lose at
dominoes.
But some games are more
important than others: Uncle
Sam thinks the stakes are
higher now in El Salvador than
they were in Vietnam.
Is he right? Is U S. invol
vement in El Salvador essential
to maintain national security?
Or is elderly Sam dangerously
close to repeating the game
plan he used in Vietnam?
Dominoes Is it the game? Or,
as some of Uncle Sam s critics
suggest, is the real action going
on in another arena?
‘Decisive battle'
The Reagan administration
says the domino theory does
apply: the outcome of the civil
war in El Salvador is crucial tor
American security
Assistant Secretary of State
Thomas Enders told a Congres
sional hearing recently, “We
believe that the decisive battle
for Central America is under
way in El Salvador. If. after
Nicaragua El Salvador is cap
tured by a violent minority, who
in Central America would not
live in tear? How long would it be
before major strategic U S in
terests — the (Panama) canal,
sea lanes oil supplies — were at
risk?"
This belief has led the admin
istration to allocate at least $184
million in military and economic
aid to Pres Jose Napoleon
Duarte's junta for 1982. to send
at least 50 military advisors to
the Central American country,
and to train Salvadoran soldiers
in Fort Benning. Ga , and Fort
Bragg. N C. This basic-training
program for about 1,500 sol
diers. begun in January, is the
largest program of its kind in
U S history
"I believe very strongly," says
Deane Hinton, U S Ambas
sador to El Salvador, "that we
have to give El Salvador what it
needs to defend itself against
communism ”
Robert Cocklin, former U S
Army major general, says, "I
don't like to get into the buzz
word business of saying we re
saving people from commun
ism," but "a stable Latin Amer
ica is very important to the Unit
ed States.” He says he couldn’t
identify the objectives of leftist
guerrillas but "any Communist
subversion in Latin America" is
dangerous for the United
States
Those who criticize U S
training of Salvadoran soldiers
have, says Cocklin, forgotten
that American training of for
eign soldiers has been going on
for years — at the School of the
Americas in Panama, for exam
ple
"It gets out of context when
people forget it's not a brand
new thing "
William Taylor, director of
political-military studies at the
Georgetown Center for Stra
tegic and International Studies,
says Pres Ronald Reagan's as
sistance to the junta has been
very slow very measured
Reagan is appropriately cau
tious" and has made no
precipitous decision
Is El Salvador caught in the
middle of an East-West tug of
war? Secretary of State Alex
ander Haig says. "The threat to
democracy from opponents of
peaceful change is particularly
acute in El Salvador .”
“If you assume " Taylor says
"that the Soviets are behind all
this and the Cubans
as Soviet proxies, anu >•
Cubans are able — with the help
of the Soviets — to orchestrate
revolutions in the area, then
you’d certainly have to agree
with Haig's position.’’
The debate over Cuban infil
tration centers around a Feb
23. 1981, state department
white paper. “Communist Inter
ference in El Salvador.” which
allegedly documents Cuban
arms shipments to Salvadoran
guerrillas via leftists in Nicar
agua The white paper has
received extensive criticism
regarding its accuracy
“I think there is Cuban in
volvement.’’ says Taylor "I
thought it was a pretty thorough
report," he says, adding some
shortcomings do not invalidate
the report
Doug Green, vice-chairer for
the University chapter of Col
lege Republicans, says, "The
Communist forces ought not to
have carte blanche’’ in El Sal
vador
Critics of U S policy in El Sal
vador, however say the Central
American nation is in civil war
primarily because Salvadoran
peasants are opposing an un
just economic system con
trolled by an elite group of
landowners Even if the state
department's white paper is ac
curate they say the amount of
Cuban arms is miniscule in
comparison to the amount of
U S arms sent to the junta
Michael Klare director of in
ternational security studies for
the Institute for Policy Studies
says the extent of outside Com
munist influence envisioned by
the Reagan administration is a
figment of their imagination ”
The Cubans are interested he
in Ei Salvador and is sustained
by the guerrillas' own efforts
The white paper was estab
lished as a fraud," he adds
The civil war is an "indigen
ous struggle against the ruling
junta" and the reason the
Reagan administration is trying
to pin it on the Soviet Union is to
"justify escalated American ac
tion,” Klare says
Laurence Shoup, author of
The Carter Presidency and
Beyond Power and Politics in
the 1980s," says "I don't think
the U S should be there at all."
America needs a more sophis
ticated approach, he says,
because most countries want
independence from both the
Soviet Union and the United
States
The U S government has
supported the oligarchy pattern
in case after case" during the
20th century Shoup says In
Guatemala for example the
government initiated a
moderate program of land
reform — bruising the United
Fruit Co — so the U S spon
sored a group to overthrow the
government in 1954 he says
The oligarchies do the U S
bidding." and oppressive
regimes protect corporate in
terests. Schoup says, but adds
that the geographical location
of El Salvador is more important
to the United States than those
economic considerations
Margaret Thomas, of the
Eugene Council for Human
Rights in Latin America, echoes
the point the majority of Sal
vadorans are protesting an un
just system run by a "small
ruling elite who are very tied in
to international interests "
"Making it a test of East-West
relations is an insult to the Sal
vadorans "
Death squad’
Another key component in the
El Salvador controversy is
human rights violations —
primarily executed by govern
ment forces
Since Duarte's government
took power in October. 1979,
about 35,000 Salvadorans have
died in political violence, say
religious and human rights
groups as many as 1,000 peo
Graphic by Man Daftungs
Or another Vietnam?
pie disappear or are murdered
each month. These groups have
repeatedly challenged the
Duarte junta s record on human
rights
The U S. Congress reacted to
the allegations last December
by demanding that Reagan cer
tify that the junta has made a
"concerted, significant" effort
to eliminate brutality by its sol
diers, made "continued pro
gress” in economic and political
reforms, and made "good faith
efforts" to investigate and pro
secute the murders of four
American churchwomen at San
Salvador on Dec. 2, 1980.
Five soldiers in El Salvador’s
National Guard were charged
with murder in that case on Feb
10 But there was some
criticism: "Why all of a sudden
are people arrested just as our
President is trying to get more
aid for the the Salvadoran
government?" asked a sister of
murdered nun Maura Clarke
On Jan 29, Reagan told Con
gress that the Duarte junta was
making progress in human
rights. On Jan 31, 20 civilians
were killed in a San Salvador
slum
Rep James Oberstar, D
Minn , says he and two other
congressmen were told in a
meeting with Gen Jose Guiller
mo Garcia, defense minister,
that the civilians were caught in
a crossfire between soldiers
and leftist guerrillas
Garcia's explanation "just
doesn't wash; it was a massive
cover-up," says Oberstar
Government soldiers "went into
homes in the middle of the
night, dragged people out and
assassinated them," he says.
Taylor, a member of the
Council on Foreign Relations,
says human rights violations are
“hotly debated” and he's with
holding judgment until he sees
both sides.
Green, of the College Repub
licans, says there are "atrocities
on both sides” and the
"Democrats smell blood," ad
ding that El Salvador is a "very
complex and difficult situation."
Author Shoup calls the junta s
army a "death squad.” Training
Duarte's soldiers on U S. soil
“leads you to be somewhat re
sponsible for what they do.”
Poland's president was trained
in the Soviet Union, for exam
ple; "I don’t think that's an in
significant fact."
A group of Salvadoran sol
diers trained by the Green Be
rets, Shoup says, went through
a village, killing 1,000 civilians.
And, although he doesn't know
the accuracy of the following,
Shoup says the story by a Sal
vadoran deserter should be
considered. The deserter says
he observed Green Berets pres
ent at torture sessions conduct
ed by government soldiers.
"It angers me," Shoup says;
"it’s denigrating" to our ances
tors who founded the United
States. "It doesn’t help our na
tional interest to help people do
evil deeds."
ECHRLA’s Thomas says
Duarte realizes U S. support
depends to a large extent on
how the junta handles the trial of
the alleged nun-killers. “They
have to look like they’re doing
something — which they haven’t
done for a long time.”
‘We say no’
Beseiged by criticism, the
Reagan administration appears
to be awaiting the March 28
Salvadoran elections (leading
to a new constitution) like a
student anxiously waits for a
grade from an unpredictable
professor — muted hope, re
strained frustration.
The administration s hopes
may turn sour, however.
Duarte’s Christian Democrat
government appears vulnerable
as strength grows for several
far-right groups.
Roberto D’Aubuisson, of the
Nationalist Republican Alliance,
is Duarte’s primary opponent.
“Major Bob" has been labeled
— by former U.S. Ambassador
Robert White — a “psychopath
ic killer.” His platform calls for
Duarte and government officials
to be tried for treason.
Duarte, however, says
right-wing opponents like
D'Aubuisson are guilty of
“nothing short of treason.” The
president calls them “retro
grades” and saye, “If they suc
ceed, the people will rebel,
become more radicalized The
retrogrados are fools and are
succeeding only in helping the
extreme left."
The left is boycotting the
election. Ruben Zamora, in
Washington, D C., recently as a
spokesman for the guerrillas,
says “Our whole leadership is
on a death list Every day 15
people are assassinated and
sometimes brutally tortured. We
see a press controlled by the
government. Under all these
conditions they say, Come be a
candidate.' We say no We will
not be crazy and get killed."
Instead, the left is pushing a
negotiated settlement “It
seems to me,” Zamora says, “a
political settlement would
strengthen the democratic
process and strengthen plur
alism.”
While urging a settlement, the
Continued on Page 4B
This edition of Emerald Special Reports is
brought to you by...
Gabriel, who — can I be frank? — provided his
electronic-wordsmith-blue pencil, as well as
much-needed appreciated encouragement at 11
bear,” scarfed down his Domino's Pizza” and
pen-tnked some high-quality graphics Nothing new,
but it’s fit to print
Sally, who succumbed to charming Managing
Editor lobbying efforts aimed at running a special
p.m (give or take five hours)
John, who added his characteristic zest for design
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Max, who, although he thought his assignment a
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Annie, prodos, advertisos (thanks for the ad stack)
and
and yours truly, Ron John, who hereby dedicates
this report to the one El Salvador is named after
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