User:Tyler1950

--Tyler1950 (talk) 00:35, 16 July 2008 (UTC)I think that the characterization of FLA as a "right-wing, terrorist, paramilitary organization" is a gross overstatement of FLA's violence and organizational strength. The quoted passage makes FLA sound more like the Irish Republican Army than the politically naive and militarily incompetent group that it was. Small, poorly organized and laughably armed and equipped, FLA also had no international support, either from European countries or the U.S. In fact, FLA's independence goals were strongly and repeatedly discouraged by the U.S., which was coordinating closely  with European governments to encourage democratic political parties in the rest of Portugal. FLA's principal action (seizure of a radio station, brief control of an airport and public demonstrations against Portuguese authorities) occurred over a single week-end, barely captured international attention and was quickly put down by Portuguese military forces in the islands. [Source: William P. Kelly, who was Officer in Charge of Portuguese Affairs for the U.S. State Department from Jan 1994 until late October 1996.] Tyler1950 (talk) 23:04, 21 May 2009 (UTC)