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OUT OF CONTROL This research paper critically r

This research paper critically reviews Out of Control, by Leslie Cockburn, then a CBS News correspondent, on the secret and mostly illegal war waged by the administration of Ronald Reagan and its proxies, the Contras, on the Sandinista government in Nicaragua. This book provides a comprehensive and detailed account of the labyrinthian efforts and intrigues of the national security establishment to conceal from Congress and the public the truth concerning its efforts to finance, arm and control the Contras. The failings of the book relate to its excessive detail, disconnected themes, misuse of sources, poorly substantiated conclusions as to certain key questions, and preoccupation with tracing the dimensions of the conspiracy which became known as Iran Contra, as opposed to explaining some of the more fundamental causes and forces involved.

After noting President Reagan's plea that the American public put Iran Contra behind it, the author says in the preface that "it is essential that the American public know exactly what it is we are being asked to forgive and forget" (x). The Reagan administration came to power determined to foil what it perceived to be communist-inspired and -led plans to subvert governments in Central America.

The author's basic theme is that "the contras had been created and nurtured by the U.S. from the very beginning" (1). In polls taken during the 1980s, two-thirds of respondents opposed military aid to the Contras, as did large segments of Congress. Therefore, the decision was made early in the first Reagan administration (1980-1984) that "a very large-scale military operation three hours flying time from Miami would have to be covert, with official U.S. involvement muffled by layers of 'deniability'" (10).

Feeble attempts by the administration in 1984 to deny American involvement in the mining of western Nicaraguan harbors and disclosure of the infamous training manual prepared by the Central Int...

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OUT OF CONTROL This research paper critically r. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 03:33, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1709037.html