A Comparison Of Reagan Administration’s Policies Towards Afghanistan And Nicaragua

The Reagan Administration adhered to the "push back strategy" in the ThirdWorld and took a variety of interventions for Afghanistan which was directlycontrolled by the Soviet Union and Nicaragua which was indirectly affected by theSoviet Union at that time. There exist both similarities and differences between theseinterventions taken by the administration. To study the similarities and differences ofthe policies against Afghanistan and Nicaragua taken by the Reagan Administration,we can gain a more profound understanding of the Reagan Administration’s foreignpolicies during the Cold War. Besides, the research can deepen the study ofinternational relations during the Cold War.The first chapter introduces the historical review of policies on Afghanistan andNicaragua adopted by the United States.During the initial Cold War, the United States was not greatly interested inAfghanistan and did not show great ambition towards Afghanistan. The United Statesacquiesced in Soviet Union’s forces in Afghanistan. The United States mainlycooperated with Afghanistan in the fields of education, administration, engineering,and sales of agricultural products. In the early stages of the Soviet Union dispatchingtroops to Afghanistan, the Carter Administration just provided the anti-governmentforces with limited assistance and tried to establish a “military presence” deterrent tothe Persian Gulf region. However, the United States failed to achieve the goal for thegovernment was coming to the end of its term. The relationship between United Statesand Nicaragua has a long history, and in support of the United States, the Somozafamily had imposed brutal rule on Nicaragua for forty-three years. The SandinistaNational Liberation Front (“Sandinista Front” in abbreviation), which wasanti-imperialist and anti-dictatorship, won a great victory in the Nicaragua Revolution.In face of the Sandinista coming into power that was pro-Soviet, the Carter Administration tried to win over them through recognition of the regime, but thetendency of Nicaragua’s pro-Soviet policy was increasingly obvious. When RonaldReagan took office, the government put forward the "Reagan Doctrine" to competewith the Soviet Union in the Third World. Afghanistan and Nicaragua becameimportant places to practice the Reagan Doctrine. Reagan Administration had takenvarious means of interfering Afghanistan and Nicaragua in terms of military, economy,politics and diplomacy as well as public opinion etc.The second chapter presents the similarities of U.S. policy on Afghanistan andNicaragua during Reagan years.For the dual concerns of ideology and geopolitics, the United States implementedan all-round interfering policy on Afghanistan and Nicaragua. Of the policies on bothcountries adopted by two countries, the common ones are as follows. Firstly, theUnited States started paramilitary interference, which was characterized by assistinganti-government armed forces, supporting the neighbors of the twocountries---Pakistan and Honduras and assigned CIA to carrying out specific activities.Secondly, the United States propagandized greatly, and thirdly enforced political anddiplomatic activities in the form of negotiations. Besides, in the both countries thegoal of the initial interference was basically realized. By means of these policies, theUnited States achieved the purpose of weakening Soviet power in Afghanistan. InNicaragua, pro-US forces defeated the Sandinista National Liberation Front and wonan election victory and then successfully organized the cabinet.The third chapter summarizes the differences and explores the reasons why theReagan-Administration took different policies on Afghanistan and Nicaragua.After the implementation of Reagan Doctrine, the specific representations of it inAfghanistan and Nicaragua were not in accordance. For Nicaragua, ReaganAdministration adopted stringent economic sanctions and trade embargo; in terms of military, the administration held large-scale military exercises with its neighboringcountries. In the meanwhile, the Reagan Administration attempted to isolateNicaragua by installing its neighboring countries. In Afghanistan, although the UnitedStates took more cautious policies, it provided the rebels with the most advancedweapons-"Stinger" missiles. The reasons why the United States adopted differentpolicies toward Afghanistan and Nicaragua existed in the attitude of the U.S.Congress, the different positions that the two countries occupied in the Americanglobal strategy and the actual conditions of the two countries. The U.S. Congressprovided the Mujahideen in Afghanistan with substantial financial assistance, andstrongly supported the CIA to do covert activities in Afghanistan meanwhile. ForNicaragua, the Congress successively passed the Bolland Amendments third times toimpose restrictions on CIA operations in Nicaragua. The two countries did not occupyequal important position in the American strategy layout, which specificallymanifested in their relative positions with the United States. In addition, Afghanistanwas wholly occupied by the Soviet Union, while Nicaragua was only penetrated bythe Soviet Union, which was also a reason why Reagan Administration took differentpolicies toward the two countries.