Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The Bush administration warned Saturday that the leftist Sandinista party in Nicaragua, which hopes to return to power in elections next month, has maintained ties over the years with Iraq and Libya.
It was the second time in three days that the administration sought to link the Sandinistas to international terrorism.
In addition to Iraq and Libya, both listed by the administration as terrorist countries, the Sandinistas also have maintained contact with the leftist FARC rebels in Colombia and the ETA separatist movement in Spain, State Department spokeswoman Eliza Koch said.
Both groups are on the State Department’s list of foreign terrorist organizations.
The Sandinistas, who ruled Nicaragua from 1979 to 1990, are seeking a comeback in elections on Nov. 4. Sandinista presidential candidate Daniel Ortega is running neck-and-neck with conservative candidate Enrique Bolanos, according to polls.
The U.S. statements suggest the Sandinistas cannot be counted on to support the international anti-terrorism coalition the administration has been attempting to forge since the Sept. 11 attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.
"As we stated previously, there is no middle ground between those who oppose terrorism and those who support it," Koch said.
Secretary of State Colin Powell discussed the Nicaraguan elections with Foreign Minister Francisco Aguirre on Thursday.
Afterward, State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said the United States has "serious concerns about the Sandinistas’ history … of confiscating properties without compensation, destroying the economy and maintaining links with those who support terrorism."
The Sandinistas insist the party has abandoned the socialist policies and anti-American rhetoric of the past.
Koch’s statement Saturday indicated the administration has doubts about the claims of moderation.
Still, Koch said, the United States will respect the outcome of a free and fair election in Nicaragua.
She added: "Nicaragua deserves the best possible stewardship of their country at a time when it faces difficult economic challenges and when the world is confronting an unprecedented threat to freedom and security."
Copyright ©2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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