Nicaragua War White Paper
Encyclopedia
The Nicaragua White Paper, drafted by a young intelligence officer named Jon D. Glassman, was a sensationalized piece of psyops propaganda
published by the U.S. State Department in February 1981; its purpose was to use public diplomacy
to justify the U.S. military intervention in Nicaragua
. Sources for the document were allegedly Salvadoran
rebel documents. The fallacy-filled paper described a "smoking gun" linking Salvadoran insurgents, Nicaragua, Cuba
, and the Soviet Union
.
The deception was discovered by Jonathan Kwitny
, a Wall Street
reporter who analyzed the documents and determined various failures of fact. When confronted, Glassman admitted to Kwitny that he had manufactured figures, lamely claiming that he'd justified 'extrapolations' on embellishments of various figures pieces of information, including but not limited to figures related to Salvadoran insurgent use of Soviet weapons.
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
published by the U.S. State Department in February 1981; its purpose was to use public diplomacy
Public diplomacy
In international relations, public diplomacy or people's diplomacy, broadly speaking, is the communication with foreign publics to establish a dialogue designed to inform and influence. There is no one definition of Public Diplomacy, and may be easier described than easily defined as definitions...
to justify the U.S. military intervention in Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
. Sources for the document were allegedly Salvadoran
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
rebel documents. The fallacy-filled paper described a "smoking gun" linking Salvadoran insurgents, Nicaragua, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
, and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
The deception was discovered by Jonathan Kwitny
Jonathan Kwitny
Jonathan Kwitny was a Jewish American writer and investigative journalist. He received the University of Missouri School of Journalism's honor medal for career achievement. His book jacket biographies record that his reporting forced J...
, a Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
reporter who analyzed the documents and determined various failures of fact. When confronted, Glassman admitted to Kwitny that he had manufactured figures, lamely claiming that he'd justified 'extrapolations' on embellishments of various figures pieces of information, including but not limited to figures related to Salvadoran insurgent use of Soviet weapons.