Reagan's gunmen step up sabotage

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While many eyes have been focused on the missiles controversy in Europe, Reagan's main actual battlefront -Central America - has seen an escalation of CIA-backed counter-revolutionary troops (known as 'contras') have struck into Nicaragua from bases in Honduras in the North and Costa Rica in the South, attempting to destabilise the Sandinista leadership which toppled the Somoza dictatorship in 1979.

AIRFIELD UNDER CONSTRUCTION Part of the 'evidence' wheeled out by Reagan to support his claim of a growing 'Soviet threat' to the USA was a set of three aerial photographs — one of a new Cuban base, one of helicopters at Managua airport, and one of the new international airport under construction in the Caribbean island of Grenada. 'Grenada doesn't even have an air force. Who is The question came as Grenada's Foreign Minister complained of regular incursions by US fighter jets into Grenadan air space, which have become a hazard to civil aviation The government has warned of the danger of a US-backed attack on the island, and the militia is on full alert. rai elE thi de pr en thi tio DE as al tr to armed action and bloodshed. The American-sponsored iding parties have built up an aborate - and expensive -ree-tier command structure, signed to give Washington actical overall direction, while suring that Reagan can argue at he has honoured legislain passed unanimously last acember.

The legislation, including in a ler to the Defence Departent's appropriations bill, fords the administration to use nas for: "military equipment, military aining or advice, or other suport for military activities, to ly group or individual, not part a country's armed forces, for е ригрое of overthrowing the ›vernment of Nicaragua or 'ovoking a military exchange etween Nicaragua and onduras"

The fact is, however, as 'ime' and 'Newsweek' maganes have revealed, that the IA has backed the 'contras' to ie tune now of $30 million -11 million more than the figure vealed by Newsweek last ovember.

The CIA operation in Hondur3 involves the training • and rming of upwards of 2,000 unmen, including former omoza National Guards toether with a handful of disruntled Miskito Indians from le North of Nicaragua and 'ould-be gangsters.

The operation is run by a comlex hierarchy of leadership -t the head of which, according , Time magazine, is an allimerican body of CIA experts nd representative s of the US Another victim of the 'contras' America. But if the Sandinistas themselves are fighting to survive, then the pressure is on them"

Meanwhile in El Salvador itself three US Congressmen have reported that contrary to President Reagan's assurances there has been a worsening of human rights violations by the military regime. As if to prove their case, the press conference in POINT SALINES, GRENADA San Salvador at which they announced this view was broken up by the Defence Minister, General Garcia.

Meanwhile guerilla fighters of the FMLN reported a major victory in which they claim to have virtually wiped out a whole company of the crack Ramon Belloso battalion in a single day's fighting.

• FUEL STORAGE NEW CUBAN A CRACK TEAM OF EXPERTS TO ADVISE US ON THE PROJECT...