U.S. Wants Nicaragua to
Destroy Missiles
Nicaragua and the U.S.
are negotiating the
destruction of hundreds
of Soviet-made SAM-7
missiles that Nicaragua
acquired to fight
U.S.-backed rebels in
the 1980's.
The U.S. government has
long pressured Nicaragua
to destroy the
shoulder-fired
anti-aircraft missiles
as part of a global
effort to eliminate old
weapons that could fall
into the hands of
terrorists.
Nicaragua already has
destroyed about half of
its 2,000-missile
stockpile. In July,
President Daniel Ortega
offered to destroy 651
of the remaining 1,051
in return for U.S.
medical supplies and
helicopters or planes to
fight drug trafficking
and illegal logging.
Talks on that offer
began Tuesday and
continued Wednesday with
Ortega along with U.S.
Ambassador Paul Trivelli
and Deputy Assistant
Secretary of State
Richard Kidd.
"I want to confirm my
willingness to continue
working toward peace,"
Ortega said.
The United States backed
the Contra rebels in
their decade-long fight
to overthrow the
Soviet-allied Ortega
during his first run as
Nicaragua's leader.
Ortega returned to
office in January after
winning last year's
presidential elections.
Last month, he accused
the U.S. of imposing a
worldwide dictatorship
and defended the right
of Iran and North Korea
to pursue nuclear
technology
But he has maintained
relations with
Washington and accepted
U.S. military and
humanitarian aid
following Hurricane
Felix, which devastated
Nicaragua's remote,
western coastline and
killed at least 100
people. |
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