Ghost of Contra War in Nicaragua
The US embassy to Nicaragua insisted on Monday for the destruction of the SAM-7 ground-to-air missiles in the hands of the local Army, and defended Honduras right to renew its air fleet.

According to a communique by the diplomatic entity, "the US government expects that Nicaragua continues the path already established for disarmament and destruction of all SAM-7 missiles."

This is Washington s reply to declarations by Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, who said on Friday the new Sandinista government opposes Nicaragua s unilateral disarmament, while other countries are renewing their air forces.

"While there will be renewal of the Honduran military air fleet, on the other hand, they are asking us to destroy rockets. That would be absurd, inconceivable," Ortega asserted in statements to the local press.

In reference to the Sandinista leader s denunciation OF the United States probably giving new aircraft to the neighboring country, the US embassy said Tegucigalpa "does not need another government s approval to renew its air fleet."

According to the text, Washington will only give eight small spotter aircrafts to the Honduran government to be used against drug traffic, for search-and-rescue operations and natural-disaster situations.

Nicaragua lacks an air force and only has a small fleet of helicopters from Soviet times that fulfil defense tasks only.

The SAM-7 missiles also were given by the former Soviet Union to the Sandinista government in the 80s to protect Nicaraguan air space during the civil war organized and financed by the United States.

During the conflict, Honduras served as the operation base for the groups that were fighting the Sandinista Revolution, while the United States turned that country s military installations into provision centers for the "Contra" (counterrevolutionaries).