U.S. Troops in Honduras

President Reagan has repeatedly said, and there is ample evidence to back him up, that without American aid the Contras face certain defeat. Their outlook is bleak, however, because sympathy for their movement falls short in Nicaragua, not in Washington. Successful guerrilla operations depend on the support of the populace, and although many Nicaraguans don’t like the Sandinistas, few support Contra violence.

DAVE McCOMBS

Malibu