Of Contras and Freedom Fighters

On Aug. 1, 1985, View ran an article titled, “Adventurer Devotes Energy to Anti-Communist Causes” (by Paul Dean); I feel this is a disgusting piece of anti-Soviet propaganda.

This piece would have been more appropriate for Soldier of Fortune magazine rather than a journalistic newspaper with a responsibility to be objective.

Allow me to categorically refute the claims made by Jack Wheeler in this gross piece of disinformation.

Early in the piece, the Soviet assertion that Jack Wheeler is an ideological gangster is revealed. There was a time when the humanistic ideas of the West were fought on the floor of the United Nations or the World Court. Today, the Jack Wheelers fight for “free market enterprise” in the jungles.

It is mentioned that one of Wheelers “dealings” . . . have been with the moujahedeen “freedom fighters” in Afghanistan. These “freedom fighters” operate from bases in Pakistan. Pakistan has one of the world’s worst human rights records, and its military dictatorship is solely dependent upon the West for support.

The so-called freedom fighters fighting the government of Afghanistan cross international borders and seek to overthrow an internationally recognized government. So they aren’t freedom fighters at all, but international gangsters.

Although the article doesn’t take on the specific role that Wheeler played in forming the so-called anti-communist alliance known as Democratic International, it does mention that he founded the Freedom Research Foundation, with assistance from (an employee of) the “National Security” Division of Rand Corp., and on an annual budget of $50,000 from “private” donations; this foundation led to the first meeting in June of the alliance, which Wheeler attended. This is an international terrorist organization. Their purpose is to overthrow existing governments.

Jack Wheeler admits to helping the Unita guerrillas that are fighting in Angola. These “freedom fighters” are ideologically connected to South Africa’s racist regime and do its dirty work in suppressing revolutions of national liberation. In Nicaragua, where Jack Wheeler and the powers that are behind him are fighting a strong, popular, democratically elected government which almost every nation in the world has recognized, he can in no way prove his claim that the socialist government of Nicaragua is a product of “Soviet imperialism.” There are no Soviet troops in Central America. Can the United States say the same? Of course not!

Wheeler states (the insurgents’) “goals are the same, the arguments and rhetoric similar, and it is anti-imperialism.” This just isn’t true. In fact, it is doublespeak. The imperialist is claiming to be anti-imperialist. The United States is the only imperialist in Central America. The Monroe Doctrine saw to that. Imperialism and socialism are contradictory terms. Imperialism is a word first used by Karl Marx and he said, “Imperialism is the final stage of capitalism.” To read (Wheeler’s) claim to be anti-imperialist is what I mean by disinformation. It is rhetoric for the naive and uninformed.

This entire “article” is just one big advertisement for civilian soldiers, it should be summarized and put in the classified section:

WANTED

International terrorists. Must be willing to work with Pol Pot in Cambodia; must work with the military dictator Zia in Pakistan; the racist Botha in South Africa; and must be able to publicly mutilate peasants in Central America.

RICHARD GREEN

Garden Grove