LETTER TO HONORABLE EDWARD P. BOLAND FROM FREDERICK P. HITZ

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81M00980R003000090031-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 11
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 26, 2004
• Sequence Number: 31
• Publication Date: October 23, 1978
• Content Type: LETTER

CLC R"EURD COPY
THE DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20505
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.OLC 78-5275/d
3 LWT +;97 C
Honorable Edward P. Boland, Chairman
Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence
House of Representatives
Washington, D. C. 20515
Dear Mr. Chairman:
This letter is in response to your request for a statement
from the Agency regarding the allegation that CIA has been
involved with and providing support to the Sandanista (FSLN)
guerrilla movement in Nicaragua as alleged in the September 28, 1978
article by Paul Scott.
As you may know, it is the policy of the Central Intelligence
Agency to neither confirm nor deny allegations of Agency activities.
To deny those activities which are readily deniable would establish
a security damaging precedent in that, in those select instances
in which there indeed were vital national secrets to be protected,
Agency silence could correctly be interpreted as confirmation of
the allegation.
I am sorry that we cannot be more helpful to you in this
regard.
Sincerely,
>>f
Frederick P. Hitz
STAT
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Letter to Chairman Boland responding to his request for a statement
from the Agency re the allegation that CIA has been involved with
and providing support to the Sandanista (FSLN) guerrilla movement
in Nicaragua
NOTES
COORDINATED WITH (list names as well a
s offic )
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Signature please
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13 October 1978
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THE DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE
Mr. Thomas K. Latimer, Staff Director
Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence
House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
OLC 78-5275/b
Thank you for your letter of September 27, 1978.
I am forwarding a statement on the Agency's lack of
involvement with the Sandanistas in Nicaragua which
the Committee may wish to use in responding to
Representative Eldon Rudd. I hope that you will find
that the statement meets your needs.
Sincerely,
I
Assistant Legislative Counsel
Enclosure
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There is no truth to the allegation that the Central
Intelligence Agency has provided assistance in any form
to the Sandanista Liberation Front (FSLN) in Nicaragua.
The allegation that "covert CIA agents in Nicaragua,
Mexico and Costa Rica have ..." met "... with guerilla
leaders ..." is similarly untrue. Additionally, CIA is
not using any third parties (as neutrals or otherwise)
.to channel food, medicine and money into the Sandanista
Liberation Front.
These allegations have been looked into with
considerable care and have all been found to be without
foundation.
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 EDWARI P. to LA vediFPM Release 2004/03/25: CIA-RDP81 M0098OR003000090031-6 ROOst H-405, U.S. CAPITAL
!CLEMENT u. ZASLOCKI. WIS. (202) 2Z5-4121
BILL- D. SLRUSON. MO.
MORGAN F. MURPHY, ILL.
CHARLES ROSE, N.C. U. S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ROMANO L. MAZZOLI, KY.
NORMAN Y. MINETA, CALIF. PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE I_OLC WYHE FOWLER, JR., QA. ON INTELLIGENCE #78'jPZ~'"`J
BOA WILSON, CALIF.
JOHN M. ASHBROOK, OHIO WASHINGTON, D.C. 20515
...
J KEN ERT MCCLORN,
J. . KENNETH ROBINSON, I ROBINVA.
THOMAS K. LATIMER, STAFF DIRECTOR
MICHAEL J. O'NEIL, CHIEF COUNSEL
September 27, 1978
Assistant Legislative Counsel
Central Intelligence Agency
Washington, D.C. 20505
Dear Pete:
Per Mr. Boland's request, we would like a
written comment from the Agency on the charges
made in the attachment. Thank you.
Sincerely,
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 EL DON RuoDApproved For Release 2004/03/25: CIA-RDP81 M00980R0030006-Q00'3fiIF ON COMMITTEES
? EE N
MITT
WASHINGTON OFFICE:
1428 LONGWORTH BUILDING
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20515
[phone]
DISTRICT OFFICE:
6009 FEDERAL BUILDING
PHOENIX . ARIZONA 85025
[phone]
Qongrem of the Lniteb
Noma of lkepre5entatibe
a0bington, D.Qt. 20515
September 19
1 9 7 8
Honorable Edward P. Boland
Chairman
Permanent Select Committee on
Intelligence
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Chairman Boland,
taste
COM
INTERIOR AND INSULAR AFFAIRS
SUBCOMMITTEES:
MINES AND MINING
GENERAL OVERSIGHT
COMMITTEE ON
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
SUBCOMMITTEES:
ENERGY
TRANSPORTATION.
AVIATION. AND WEATHER
SPACE SCIENCE AND APPLICATIONS
I am enclosing a copy of the nationally syndicated news-
paper column of respected journalist, Paul Scott, which
was sent on September 13 to prominent newspapers through-
out the country.
This column makes the most serious charge that covert
.assistance from elements of the U.S. Central Intelligence
Agency has been given to the Communist. insurgency of the
Sandanista Liberation Front, which is leading efforts to
overthrow the duly constituted government of Nicaragua.
In addition to this alleged covert assistance to the
Communist revolutionaries by elements of our Government,
U.S. Ambassador, Gale McGee, yesterday made the shocking
statement that "generosity and sympathetic understanding"
would be required from the U.S. and other OAS members when
"the peaceful democratic solution" becomes a reality in
Nicaragua.
Implicit in the ambassador's statement is an acceptance of
the Marxist line that the Sandanista guerrillas are a part
of the "democratic solution," which is an outrage coming
from a member of our own Government's diplomatic corps.
Also implicit in the ambassador's statement was a veiled bribe
to the supporters and those who are not yet supporting the
Sandanista insurgency that the United States stands ready
to generously shell out foreign aid to help rebuild Nicaragua,
once the Communist-led overthrow of the Nicaraguan government
has taken place and the revolutionaries have wrecked the
country.
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Honorable Edward P. Boland
September 19, 1978
Page Two
I respectfully request and urge in the strongest possible
terms your Committee's investigation of allegations of U.S.
behind-the-scenes assistance and dealings with the Sandanista
Revolutionaries in Nicaragua. I am sure you share my belief
that Congress cannot stand by without investigating in official
hearings the alleged role of U.S. Government Officials in
Marxist efforts to overthrow the Government of an anti-Communist
U.S.. ally.
Sincerely,
Eldon Rudd
Member of Congress
ER:gj
cc: Honorable Bob Wilson
Ranking Minority Member
Honorable John Ashbrook
Ranking Minority Member
Subcommittee on Evaluation
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 THE SO @ffpaifor Release 2004/03/25: Cl (Jp $0R0030 QA'd RELEASE
From The Washington News-Intelligence Syndicate
6516 Elmhurst Street, S.E., Washington, D.C., 20028
Phone: 301 - 736-6834
CIA INVOLVED WITH NICARAGUAN GUERRILLAS
By Paul Scott
Washington, D.C? September 13 - -- The Sandinista guerrillas, whose
abortive offensive. against President Anastasio Somoza's government in Nicaragua
left more than one hundred dead, are receiving covert help from elements within
the Central Intelligence Agency and several U.S. journalists as well as from
Communist Cuba.
Anti-Castro Cubans, who have succeeded infiltrating the ranks of the
guerrillas, report that covert CIA agents in Nicaragua, Mexico, and 'Costa Rica
have been spotted meeting with guerrilla leaders.
What these intelligence agents are doing isn't completely clear although
the guerrillas usually-have large sums of money to use to buy military supplies
following the clandestine get togetAers.
There is also evidence that a "third party group",, operating as a neutral
in the fighting in Nicaragua, is being used by certain elements within the CIA
to channel information, food, medicine, and money into the guerrilla forces.
This alarming information indicates the urgent need for an immediate.
full-scale congressional investigation to determine the involvement of these
intelligence "operatives" and their contacts with private foreign policy study
groups in the U.S. and State Department officials since there is no evidence that
President Carter has authorized tae.CIA or any other government agency to support
the guerrillas.
U.S. military intelligence sources, who will not discuss the CIA involvement,
report the guerrillas are receiving most of their arms from Cuba, Panama and
liexico vApO96d eleasVrM04/G 991RMAGR88 0~808ii Ji4aes set up in
Costa Rica by tie guerrillas. ~,.;
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These guerrilla bases are now being reinforced with newly trained terrorists
from Cuba for the "second wave" of the military action against the Nicaraguan
government. This is expected to take place later this month or early in October.
USING U.S. NMISiEN -- In addition to their meetings with CIA agents,
leaders of tae guerrillas also have been getting together with several far-left
U.S. newsmen, including Tad Szulc, former New York Times reporter and free-lance
writer, whose international communist links are carefully documented in U.S.
security files.
Since returning from a secret meeting with guerrilla officials, Szulc has
been making the rounds at the State Department. and on Capitol Hill spouting the
Marxist guerrilla's official line. It goes like this:
The U.S. should quietly increase its links with the Sandinista guerrilla
leaders, to lessen the anti-American feeling and, then create a situation in which
the revolutionaries would collaborate with the. non-violent opposition in
Nicaragua in ousting the Somoza government.
To accomplish the coalition, the guerrilla leaders would even accept
an inter-American peacekeeping rorce, dispatched to Nicaragua to arrange for the
transition from the Somoza government.
IHJTE NATIOI L TEPRCRIST GROUP -- What' Szulc isn't saying in trying to
influence these officials is that tine hard core Sandinista guerrillas are recent
volunteers for the transnational terrorist war against Israel.cnd want Nicaragua
as a base to carry out their activities against Jewish and anti-communist groups
in Latin America and the U.S. -
i
According to the highly respected publication' the Jewish Week;' the Sandinista
emerged early in 1978 as the "Latin American connection" for radical anti-Israel
activitity, malting a series of announcements aligning themselves with the Palestine
Liberation Organization (PLO) and other Palestinian groups committed to eliminating
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Little known outside Nicaragua until last month,the Sandinistas attracted
world attention by capturing more than 1,500 hostages in the presidential palace
and trading them for 58 political prisoners, $500,000 and safe passage to asylum
.in Panama.
The official name of the group is the Sandinista Front for the Liberation
of Nicaragua (FSLN). The group takes its name from Augusto Cesar Sandino, a
guerrilla leader killed fighting against the U.S. Marines who occupied Nicaragua
and helped put the Somoza family in power in 1937.
THE PLO CONNECTION -- On February 5, the PLO and the Sandinistas released
a "joing communique" in Mexico city, which according to Radio Havana, 'was to
"emphasize the bonds of solidarity which exist between the two revolutionary
organizations."
The communique attacked the "racist state of Israel" for its reported
military sales to anti-communist Latin American countries, for serving as an enclave
of "U.S. imperialism" in the 2.4iddle East, and particularly for alleged Israeli
economic and military aid to-Nicaragua.
Significantly, the communique was put out at a major Moscow-front gathering
called the Continental Conference of Latin America and the Caribbean for Peace,
Sovereignty and Economic Independence.
The conference was sponsored by Moscow's international "peace and disarmament"
organ, the World Peace Council, an organization reportedly run by the Central Cor itt
of Communist jarty,USSR, and the KGB,' the Soviet secret police and espionage
organization.
This newly established tie-in between the PLO and the Sandinistas and
their 2-ioscow and Cuban connections clearly indicates the international communist-
terrorist threat that would face the U.S. in Nicaragua if these forces shoot their
way to power., Congress must move now to force an end to any help that elements witty
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in the CIA is giving these terrorists.
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