SIG MEETING ON HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE FOR NICARAGUAN RESISTANCE FORCES, NOVEMBER 5, 1985

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87B00342R000100040002-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 20, 2010
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: November 5, 1985
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified and Approved For Release 2013/03/18: CIA-RDP87B00342R000100040002-1
Senior Interagency Group No. 54
PARTICIPANTS: See List Attached
DATE AND TIME: November 5, 1985, 4:30 p.m.
PLACE: Deputy Secretary's Conference Room
SUBJECT: SIG Meeting on Humanitarian Assistance for
Nicaraguan Resistance Forces, November 5, 1985
The Undersecretary opened the meeting by noting that NHAO
appears to have made real progress in getting the humanitarian
assistance program underway. He then asked Deputy Assistant
Secretary Michel for a report on activities related to the NHAO
program in the Inter-Agency Group chaired by Assistant
Secretary Abrams. Mr. Michel noted that the Inter-Agency Group
had met several times since the first SIG meeting, and had
satisfactorily resolved policy issues on NHAO presented at that
level. Policy guidance has been provided with sufficient
detail and rapidity to assist NHAO in developing its
operational structure and to reassure the democratic resistance
that humanitarian aid was being disbursed as quickly as
possible. The Undersecretary asked Mr. Michel if there were
any issues in the Inter-Agency Group which should be addressed
in the SIG. Mr. Michel indicated that there were none.
The Undersecretary noted that all participants had
received copies of the draft report to Congress on NHAO
disbursements to date, and asked Ambassador Duemling to brief
the group on its contents. Ambassador Duemling noted that $5.5
million had been obligated to date, and that disbursement
activity has accelerated considerably as the program has
progressed. There was some discussion of the advisability of
flagging in the report the needs of the resistance forces for
other types of assistance than those presently provided by
NHAO. It was agreed that the report should be submitted to the
Congress as written. The Undersecretary stated that we should
be prepared to brief appropriate members of Congress in further
detail on NHAO activities. He also requested that the policy
issue of whether NHAO should provide other categories of
assistance and the need for Congressional consultations on this
issue be examined in the Inter-Agency Group.
DECL:OADR
btchi ',1,,.2str, 26 37o
Declassified and Approved For Release 2013/03/18: CIA-RDP87B00342R000100040002-1
Declassified and Approved For Release 2013/03/18: CIA-RDP87B00342R000100040002-1
SECRET
- 2 -
The Undersecretary asked Ambassador Duemling if he
anticipated any problems in disbursing the full $27 million in
humanitarian assistance by the March 31 deadline. Ambassador
Duemling noted that in some respects the program was
"front-loaded" in that NHAO disbursement has been responsive to
accummulated resistance needs. It was difficult to anticipate,
but he has pressed for estimates of projected requirements.
Mr. Michel noted that full NHAO funding could be obligated, if
not completely expended, before March 31.
SECRET
DECL:OADR
Declassified and Approved For Release 2013/03/18: CIA-RDP87B00342R000100040002-1