<P> The first witness called by Nicaragua was Nicaragua's first Vice Minister of the Interior, Commander Luis Carrion . Commander Carrion had overall responsibility for state security and was in charge of all government operations in the "principal war zone". He was responsible for monitoring United States involvement in military and paramilitary activities against Nicaragua, directing Nicaragua's military and intelligence efforts against the contra guerrillas . </P> <P> Commander Carrion began by explaining the condition of the contras prior to United States' aid in December 1981 . Commander Carrion stated that the contras consisted of insignificant bands of poorly armed and poorly organized members of Somoza's National Guard, who carried out uncoordinated border raids and rustled cattle (presumably for food). </P> <P> In December 1981, the U.S. Congress authorized an initial appropriation of 19 million dollars to finance paramilitary operations in Nicaragua and elsewhere in Central America . Because of this aid, Commander Carrion stated that the contras began to become centralized and received both training and weapons from the CIA . During 1982 the contra guerrillas engaged the Sandinista armed forces in a series of hit and run border raids and carried out a number of sabotage operations including: </P> <Ol> <Li> the destruction of two key bridges in the northern part of Nicaragua, and </Li> <Li> the planting of bombs in Nicaraguan civil aircraft in Mexico and in the baggage area of a Nicaraguan port . </Li> </Ol>

Case concerning the military and paramilitary activities in and against nicaragua