In the Sept. 1 issue of The Northern Star, Mr. Clifford Hughes treated us to a lecture on “ideological myopia” and “mental encumbrance” concerning the Contra picture on Aug. 31.

What Mr. Hughes overlooks is that a number of Contras are leaving rather than fighting due to the installation as commander of the Contras of CIA-picked former National Guard Colonel Enrique Bermudez. This Somocista has succeeded in alienating other Contra leaders by sabotaging the recent peace talks. Indeed, they left first and went to Miami to form their own directorate.

If the Nicaraguan government was so unpopular, the armed citizenry (nearly everyone is armed) could simply march on Managua and overthrow the Sandinistas. It is time congress takes this into account and heeds the opinions of the Nicaraguan people, 80 percent of U.S. citizens, and several thousand battle-weary Contras and end this stupid war.

Akiva ben Abraham

Senior