In the early 1980s, the right-wing Reagan U.S. Government was determined to undermine or overthrow the leftist government of Nicaragua.
As part of this campaign, the Central Intelligence Agency produced a small illustrated booklet in both Spanish and English designed to destabilise the Nicaraguan Government and economic system.
It instructed disaffected individuals on acts of sabotage they could carry out to this end.
This is that manual.
This graphically illustrated CIA sabotage/terrorism manual was originally published for the Nicaraguan contras.
“A Practical Guide to liberating Nicaragua from oppression and misery”
Please Note: This is a redesigned booklet. It was redesigned by an Australian called Xerocorp. It therefore has “British-isms”, spelling differences from how the CIA would spell some words. The original (with ‘American-isms’) can be found here: geocities.com/eco-action/crapaganda/xcia.htm
Here is the online text that comes with the redesigned booklet:
The original document on which this one is based was a sabotage manual produced by the United States Central Intelligence Agency for distribution in Nicaragua in the 1980’s. It was hoped that if enough disenfranchised individuals undertook activities that subverted economic stability, the Leftist government would be more easily overthrown. The manual described itself as “a practical guide to… paralyzing the military-industrial complex… without having to use special tools and with minimal risk for the combatant.”
It continues, “Some might think that today’s armed struggle requires military supplies and economic resources only available to states or terorist bands… There is an essential economic infrastructure that any government needs to function, which can easily be disabled or even paralyzed without the use of armaments or costly and advanced equipment, with the small investment of resources and time.
The folowing pages present a series of useful sabotage techniques, the majority of which can be done with simple household tools such as scissors, empty botles, screwdrivers, matches, etc. These measures are extremely safe and without risk for those who use them, as they do not require equipment, skill or specialized activities that can draw attention to the doer.
One combatant can perform many of them, without having to turn to collaborators or having to make a detailed plan beforehand. These are acts that can be done practically in an improvised way every time an occasion presnts itself. Our sacred cause needs to have more men and women join its ranks in order to perform these sabotage tasks. However, necessary caution should be taken, and only when the task requires it, should another person or persons participate in or have knowledge of a given act.”
While the original document was intended to facilitate subversion of the Nicaraguan government, the techniques may be applied to any other state or ‘military-industrial complex’ with which the individual is aggrieved. NB: not only are some of these activities illegal, but encouraging people to engage in them is also illegal. With this in mind, this text is presented as a snapshot of the cold war mentality of intelligence agencies, and not as a practical guide to acts of sabotage.
www.geocities.com/SoHo/Opening/7482/ciaintro.html
The CIA had produced the book in Spanish to distribute in Nicaragua, and in 1999 an Australian activist redesigned the booklet, translating the text into English. And then had this to say:
“While the original document was intended to facilitate subversion of the Nicaraguan government, the techniques may be applied to any other state or ‘military-industrial complex’ with which the individual is aggrieved. NB: not only are some of these activities illegal, but encouraging people to engage in them is also illegal. With this in mind, this text is presented as a snapshot of the cold war mentality of intelligence agencies, and not as a practical guide to acts of sabotage.”
To read the manual ?
www.geocities.com/SoHo/Opening/7482/cia1.html
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Freedom_Fighter%27s_Manual
The Freedom Fighter’s Manual
| Learn moreThis article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2013) |
The Freedom Fighter’s Manual is a fifteen-page propaganda booklet that was manufactured by the United States Central Intelligence Agency and airdropped over Nicaragua in 1983, with the stated goal of providing a “Practical guide to liberating Nicaragua from oppression and misery by paralyzing the military-industrial complex of the traitorous marxist state”. The manual explains several methods by which the average citizen could cause civil disorder.[1] A Contra fighter gave the manual to a U.S. reporter in Honduras in 1984.[2]
Front cover of the manual
Contents
A page of the manual showing a man unnecessarily calling in sick to work, diminishing productivity, especially in the nationalized industries of a Communist country.
The publication describes many ways in which the average citizen could disrupt the everyday workings of the government. It begins with actions that require little to no risk at all, such as hiding or destroying important tools, calling in sick for work, and leaving lights and faucets on. It then progresses to instruct people to steal food from the government, release livestock from farming cooperatives, make false reports of fires and crimes, and sever telephone lines. Four pages are devoted to disabling vehicles. By the end of the pamphlet, there are detailed diagrams showing how to make Molotov cocktails and use them to firebomb police stations.
See also
- Oliver North
- Nicaragua v. United States
- Psychological warfare
- Psychological Operations in Guerrilla Warfare
- U.S. Army and CIA interrogation manuals
- U.S. Army Field Manual 30-31B
- United States involvement in regime change
References
- ^ Blum, William (September 2014). Killing Hope: US Military and CIA Interventions Since World War II – Updated Edition. Zed Books. p. 295. ISBN 9781783601776.
- ^ “Cold War Freedom Fighter’s Manual”. CNN. Archived from the original on February 10, 2006.
