Newsgroups: alt.activism
From: mfriedma@uucp (Michael Friedman)
Subject: Re: 'terrorists' vs. 'freedom-fighters'
Organization: Oracle Corporation
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 1992 03:45:09 GMT
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In article <1992Jul26.154015.10065@panix.com> wlarkin@panix.com (Ward Larkin) writes:
>In article <1992Jul24.062359.9504@oracle.us.oracle.com> mfriedma@uucp (Michael Friedman) writes:
>>In article <1992Jul23.150625.25828@uvm.edu> aforum@moose.uvm.edu (autonome forum) writes:

>>>Hmm...the FMLN guerrillas were strict adherents to international modes of 
>>>conduct; the same can't be said for El Salvador's death-squads which were
>>>armed and trained by the US. 

>>Really?  Perhaps you forgot the time the FMLN kidnapped President
>>Duarte's daughter?  Or was she a combatant?  

>I agree that the FMLN has committed their fair share of terrorism.

>>Also, would you like to discuss the murder of two wounded US
>>servicemen whose helicopter the FMLN shot down?

>But this is a bad example.  The U.S. helicopter was flying at low
>altitude in El Salvador ( where they didn't have permission to be )
>over an FMLN occupied war zone.

Whether or not the FMLN was justified in shooting down the copter
(arguable, I'll admit) are you seriously suggesting that they had the
right to murder the US soldiers after they were captured?  Because
that's what happened and the FMLN has admitted it.

>>When you're done with that perhaps you'll tell us what happened to the
>>prisoners taken by the FMLN.  They didn't release very many.  Gotta
>>wonder what happened to them.

>>By the way, Autonome, who the heck are you?  Most people who post
>>don't need to hide behind pseudonymns.

>>>And what about Iran-Contra? Not only were the
>>>contras 'terrorists'

>>Depends on who you ask.

>You're calling the FMLN terrorists ( which I won't argue ) but
>you're not willing to call the contras terrorists.  Every
>well respected human rights monitoring organization I know of
>called the contras terrorists.  Groups like Human Rights Watch,
>Amnesty International, the American Friends Service Committee.

Cite incidents.  I did. 

>>>that clandestine scheme violated all national and
>>>international laws.

>>Re national laws, name one.  Walsh hasn't been able to get a single
>>conviction on that basis.  You, however, seem to have the inane idea
>>that it violated evey single federal law.  I'm not sure why you post
>>that kind is silliness since I;m sure even you don't really velieve
>>it.

>Actually Walsh did get convictions, but they were later over turned.

I seriously suggest that you educate yourself on this subject before
continuing.  The convictions Walsh got were for lying to Congress
after the fact, not for conducting the operation itself. 

>>As far as international law goes, there we get into neat questions
>>like the right to retaliate.  After all, the Sandinistas were helling
>>out the FMLN and even continued to do so after Chamorro took office.
>>(Remember that missile delivery?)

>Wow!  Talk about hyprocricy.  It's OK for the U.S. to force Honduras
>essentially to give the contras a free center of operations.  It's
>OK for the U.S. to spend $1,000,000s to create, to train, to 
>perpetuate the contras.  It's OK for the U.S. to mine Nicaraguan
>harbors, which the United Nations, the Organization of American
>States and the World Court all censured in strongest terms.

>But it's not OK for Nicaragua to send food, clothing, ammunition
>and for the most part small arms to the FMLN.  David MacMichael,
>member of the CIA from 1981-1983, says that's all the Nicaragua
>gave to the FMLN during that period.

Maybe you should take a reading comprehension course.  I never said
what you responded to.  I just said that if they helped out the FMLN
then it is hard to argue that we weren't allowed to help out the
Contras.  Now you can argue that we hit back harder than they hit our
friends, but that's what happens when you pick on the friends of
people who are bigger than you are.

>>>but none of the government officials responsible are in
>>>prison.

>>Why should they be?  Among other things, international law has no
>>punitive provisions and no national laws were broken.

>But national laws were broken.  
 
See above.

>And how much can one trust Lawrence
>Walsh who has gone on record to say that it is difficult to prosecute
>people that he likes and respects.

Well, here we have another strong piece of evidence that you aren't up
on this subject.  Walsh is no longer playing an active part in the
Iran-Contra process.  It's all being run by his deputy who is a young
Turk on the make and out for scalps.
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