The World : U.S. Reports Contra Gains

Nicaraguan rebels are making slow and steady progress in their guerrilla war against the leftist government in Managua, but they still suffer “serious shortcomings” in discipline and training, a U.S. military official said. In a formal State Department briefing, the official, whose name and rank cannot be divulged under ground rules of the session, said the contras have “had major success in terms of sabotage and destruction of the power grid system in Nicaragua.” He said that U.S. intelligence agencies estimate the rebels now have about 14,000 armed men inside Nicaragua. But he added that the contras still suffer from political disunity and uncertain discipline.