berman@ihlpg.UUCP (Andy Berman) (08/08/85)
-------------------------
For those who haven't heard, today's news reports indicate that
the Nicaraguan contras have kidnapped and are holding hostage 29 American
religious workers who were on a boat in the San Juan River in
Nicaragua.
The contras are the terrorists who are armed and trained by
the CIA, and defended by President Reagan as "freedom
fighters". They seek to overthrow the popular and
democratically elected government of Nicaragua.
According to the New York Times (August 8, 1985),
"Rebels fighting to overthrow the Nicaraguan
Government have been receiving direct military
advice from White House officials on the National
Security Council. ...The direction include[s] advice
and tactical influence on the rebels military operations
as well as help in raising money..."
In layman's terms, the terrorist scum holding Americans
hostage are the bosom buddies of the Reagan Adminsitration.
Some questions:
1) Will the outcry about Americans being held hostage
be promoted by the government and the media when those
responsible for the hostage taking are allies of the
Administration?
2) Will the dullards on the net who spouted know-nothing
attacks against the Shi'ites be heard from when Reagan's
pals are the terrorists?
3) How much longer will the American people stand for a bullying
foreign policy that shames our own heritage and helps
those who hold our own people as hostages?
Andy Berman
...ihnp4!ihlpg!berman
--------------------------tw8023@pyuxii.UUCP (T Wheeler) (08/09/85)
Not so fast with the accusations Andy. The reports from the jungle are not all in yet. Depending on who you want to believe, the captors are either Contra or Sandinista. There have been no conformations of who the captors are, as of this writing. The only information I have heard so far is that the people were released late Thursday afternoon, unharmed. Now, until they get to someplace they can be interviewed and the identity of their captors ascertained, let us withhold judgement. T. C. Wheeler
padraig@utastro.UUCP (Padraig Houlahan) (08/11/85)
> ------------------------- > > For those who haven't heard, today's news reports indicate that > the Nicaraguan contras have kidnapped and are holding hostage 29 American > religious workers who were on a boat in the San Juan River in > Nicaragua. >... > 1) Will the outcry about Americans being held hostage > be promoted by the government and the media when those > responsible for the hostage taking are allies of the > Administration? A distinction must be made between innocent bystanders and a group that deliberately places themselves in a dangerous situation. I have no sympathy for the latter when they get into trouble. > 2) Will the dullards on the net who spouted know-nothing > attacks against the Shi'ites be heard from when Reagan's > pals are the terrorists? If the above distinction is made, there is no need for condemnation. (Of course all of this assumes that you know enough to be able to make the distinction.) > 3) How much longer will the American people stand for a bullying > foreign policy that shames our own heritage and helps > those who hold our own people as hostages? > > Andy Berman What bullying foreign policy? Which country greets its citizens returning from abroad in coffins? Which country promises retaliatory action against perpretrators of violent acts on its citizens, but fails do anything about it? Who's bullying who? Who's carrying the shame? Who's doing nothing about it because dullards gripe that hitting the guy that kicks your teeth in is a bullying act? Padraig Houlahan.
arig@cvl.UUCP (Ari Gross) (08/12/85)
> For those who haven't heard, today's news reports indicate that > the Nicaraguan contras have kidnapped and are holding hostage 29 American > religious workers who were on a boat in the San Juan River in > Nicaragua. > > The contras are the terrorists who are armed and trained by > the CIA, and defended by President Reagan as "freedom > fighters". They seek to overthrow the POPULAR and > DEMOCRATICALLY elected government of Nicaragua. > > Andy Berman > ...ihnp4!ihlpg!berman > Glad to know the Sandinista thugs were democratically elected. But then , haven't you heard, so was Michael Gorbachev -- or have you cancelled your subscription to Pravda ??? Ari Gross
wfi@rti-sel.UUCP (William Ingogly) (08/12/85)
In article <710@cvl.UUCP> arig@cvl.UUCP (Ari Gross) writes: [Andy Berman] >> For those who haven't heard, today's news reports indicate that >> the Nicaraguan contras have kidnapped and are holding hostage 29 American >> religious workers ... [Ari Gross] > Glad to know the Sandinista thugs were democratically elected. >But then , haven't you heard, so was Michael Gorbachev -- or have >you cancelled your subscription to Pravda ??? And I thought we buried Joe McCarthy years ago. I deeply resent, Mr. Gross, the way you and your 'buddies' on the right automatically condemn anyone to the left of Bill Buckley as a Bad American with ties to the Soviet Block. I, too, am a taxpayer and a voter in this country and intend to fight the attempts of a vocal minority to force an ultraconservative agenda on this country with my votes and political contributions. I find the left's breast-beating over people who deliberately placed themselves in a situation where they KNEW they would probably be kidnapped or worse by the Contras as naive as their bemoaning the murders of the Communist Workers Party members in Greensboro by the Klan a few years back (sane people do NOT hold a 'Death to the Klan' rally in Klan country!). This is no cause for your suggesting that someone you disagree with might be a Communist, however. I find your smug condemnation of anyone who disagrees with your politics revolting, Mr. Gross. You and your kind are no better Americans than those of us with more liberal aspirations. -- Bill Ingogly
bill@persci.UUCP (08/13/85)
In article <185@pyuxii.UUCP> tw8023@pyuxii.UUCP (T Wheeler) writes: >[...]The reports from the jungle are >not all in yet. Depending on who you want to believe, the captors are >either Contra or Sandinista. There have been no conformations of who the >captors are, as of this writing. [...] >Now, until they get to someplace they can be interviewed and the >identity of their captors ascertained, let us withhold judgement. >T. C. Wheeler Do you think we can believe them even then? These people are not innocent bystanders, they have incurred the expense of going down there in the first place because of their political beliefs, and have now been given an excellent soapbox upon which to preach, no matter who 'captured' them. -- William Swan {ihnp4,decvax,allegra,...}!uw-beaver!tikal!persci!bill
ray@rochester.UUCP (Ray Frank) (08/14/85)
> Not so fast with the accusations Andy. The reports from the jungle are > not all in yet. Depending on who you want to believe, the captors are > either Contra or Sandinista. There have been no conformations of who the > captors are, as of this writing. The only information I have heard so > far is that the people were released late Thursday afternoon, unharmed. > Now, until they get to someplace they can be interviewed and the > identity of their captors ascertained, let us withhold judgement. > T. C. Wheeler What difference does it make who the captors are? Americans have no business purposely traveling to a war zone. I consider those American as combatants. Andif they are hurt or killed, that is their fault as a result of their arrogance.