questioning the new ambassador to nicaragua: a coordinator of the contra war?

8/14/2019 Questioning the New Ambassador to Nicaragua: A Coordinator of the Contra War?

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Questioning the New Ambassador to Nicaragua: A Coordinator ofthe Contra War?

By Rick La Torra

Witness for Peace NicaraguaMarch 12, 2008http://www.witnessforpeace.typepad.com/nica/

25 years ago, Witness for Peace started its work in Nicaragua toexpose the truth about the U.S. funding the Contras and thehorrible ramifications of that support in Nicaragua. Wedocumented the atrocities of the war and organized against U.S.intervention in Nicaragua. Partly because of our work, the actionsof many of the architects of that U.S. policy were mostly

discredited and their competence and respect for law questioned.

Now some of those discredited actors in the Contra war, who alsohelped steer recent failed Iraq war strategy, are again in positionto greatly influence Nicaraguas sovereignty. John Negroponte,former director of national intelligence and current deputysecretary of state, recently helped secure the appointment ofRobert Callahan as the newly named U.S. ambassador toNicaragua.

The two were part of a team in Honduras during the 80s whenthe U.S. was funnelling training and financial support for theContras through the embassy. John Negroponte served as theAmbassador and Robert Callahan, press attach, was hisspokesperson and speechwriter. This was the same setup theyhad until as recently as 2005 in Iraq where they had the role ofpromoting another U.S, initiated war. Not surprisingly, the pressrelease from the White House fails to mention either position bypointing to such non-controversial appointments such as: Earlierin his career, he served as a Public Affairs Officer in Rome.

Due to their time in Honduras they were later shown by the WorldCourt to be coordinating war efforts in Nicaragua from theirdiplomatic posts in the neighbouring country. As part of theWorld Court ruling, the U.S. was supposed to pay $17 billion forits role in the Contra war. That money was never paid.
http://www.witnessforpeace.typepad.com/nica/http://www.witnessforpeace.typepad.com/nica/


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Appointing someone with Robert Callahans dubious pastrelationship with Nicaragua has raised many concerns amongobservers. "I find it quite strange," said Edmundo Jarquin, aneconomist who was a left-leaning candidate in the 2006presidential election. "It's very provocative."

Author and the New York Times correspondent in Nicaraguaduring the 80s, Stephen Kinzer, was less conciliatory. Ratherthan finding an ambassador to Nicaragua who could begin thisassignment with experience as a conciliator, the Bushadministration has chosen one who some Nicaraguans will see asstained in blood.

The appointment comes at a time of when Nicaraguan and U.S.diplomatic relations have been shaky at best. Bush administration

officials openly opposed the election of the current president,Daniel Ortega, the Sandinista president during the Contra war.Since winning office, Ortega has been associated with anti-Bushforces such as Iran and Venezuela, launched diatribes against theimperialism of the United States, and even recently,substantiated a proposal by Chavez to create a regional army tooppose any aggression by the USA.

On the other hand, Ortega supports and is implementing theDominican Republic - Central America Free Trade Agreement (DR-

CAFTA), has signed a new agreement with the InternationalMonetary Fund, actively seeks out foreign investment and thebusiness communitys support, and recently held a pressconference with the current U.S. ambassador praising thebenefits of the U.S.-led Millennium Challenge Account.

While the official response of the Nicaraguan government hasbeen welcoming (President Ortega approved the nominationimmediately), many wonder about the message this appointmentsends to the Nicaraguan government. The naming of Callahan

occurs at a time when many Latin America governments aremoving towards more socially-focused orientations and slippingaway from Washingtons influence. Appointing someone withsuch hard-line credentials like Callahan might be an attempt bythe Bush administration to draw a line in the sand; a way ofsaying to the Ortega administration in a common Bush way,either youre with us or youre against us.


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A recent article in the daily newspaper, El Nuevo Diario, titled AHawk the New Director of the U.S. Embassy? expressed avariety of opinions from political leaders about how RobertCallahan will act in Nicaragua. In the article, deputies from all

political persuasions in the National Assembly expressed concernabout potential U.S. impingement of Nicaraguan self-determination.

A right-wing member deputy, Jos Pallais, stated that the newrepresentative of the United States government should maintainhimself at the margin of the internal affairs of Nicaragua,especially the politics of an election year.

At the same time, the president and deputy of the Sandinista

Renovation Movement (MRS), Enrique Saenz, insisted on respectfor the auto-determination and sovereignty of Nicaragua.

There seems to be much speculation about the intentions of theState Department with Robert Callahans appointment. Some saythe appointment might stem from the Bush Administrations needto place someone of confidence in the role after the currentadministration no longer calls the shots at the State Department.

The new ambassador is expected to serve into the next U.S.presidents term and will survive the expected change in foreign

policy and shake-up of state department staff. The currentpresidential candidates maintain that they will construct aconsiderably different foreign policy than the often inflammatoryone of the Bush Administration.

A new U.S. president in 2009 brings hope for a change in USpolicy towards Latin America, a policy which has been oftendescribed by Ortega and leaders hes aligned with asimperialistic. However, with the appointment of a man who wasinstrumental in orchestrating the Contra war (potentially the

United States most disgraceful and paternalistic action in LatinAmerica), this hope for change is somewhat depleted and worryincreases about what stance Callahan will take towardsNicaragua. We must hope that he was just doing his job whenhe was defending and promoting violent U.S. policies in his postsin Iraq and Honduras.


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In summary, the appointment of Robert Callahan is worrisome.The recent conflict with the Bush-aligned Colombia governmentand Venezuela over the violation of Ecuadors bordersdemonstrates that the traditional clash between U.S.-ledcapitalist and socialist forces in Latin America is still intense. If

Callahan ends up becoming another neocon ideologue from theBush administration, then its possible to see him instigatingmore clashes in Latin America. If that happens, then realisticdesires for a peaceful future free of U.S. intervention and aprogressing and developing Nicaragua are in trouble. After 25years of documenting U.S. manipulation of Nicaraguas internalaffairs, we hope thats not the case. We long for a day when ourgovernment is beyond that.

questioning the new ambassador to nicaragua: a coordinator of the contra war?

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