CIA ACCUSED OF INVOLVEMENT IN NICARAGUA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01070R000100630005-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: March 13, 2007
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: March 30, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

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RADIO TV REPORTS, INC.
4701 WILLARD AVENUE, CHEVY CHASE, MARYLAND 20815 656-4068
Good Morning America
STATION WJLA-TV
ABC Network
March 30, 1983 7:00 AM CITY Washington, DC
CIA Accused of Involvement in Nicaragua
DAVID HARTMAN: This week, world attention has focused
again on Central America, now on Nicaragua.
Many people believe that the new fighting there could
develop into a full-scale civil war. Just this week there have
been reports of major battles between guerrillas and the army
of the Marxist government of Nicaragua. We just heard some
reports a few minutes ago on our newscast.
The roots of the fighting go back almost half-a-
century. For more than 40 years, Nicaragua was ruled by
members of the Samoza family. Anastasio Samoza was the last
dictator in the line. He was overthrown by rebels in 1979. At
first, our government gave some support to the new Sandinistas
regime, but that ended as the Sandinistas replaced the repress-
ive Samosa government with what is considered here to be a
harsh Communist government. Many of those now fighting the
Sandinistas were soldiers under Samoza. The Sandinista
government has charged that our CIA is deeply involved in the
fighting. Our govenrment has neither confirmed nor denied any
American involvement.
Victor Hugo Tinoco is Nicaragua's Deputy Foreign
Minister, and he is with us this morning here in New York.
Good morning, Mr. Deputy Foreign Minister. It's nice
to have you with us this morning.
VICTOR HUGO TINOCO: Good morning.
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HARTMAN: As you see it, exactly what charges -- what
are you charging the United States Government with doing?
TINOCO: We have made three different charges to the
Reagan Administration in the Security Council.
First, that the CIA is organizing and directing the
whole plan in the detail of the counter-revolutionary attacks
of the Sandinistas bands against Nicaragua.
Second, that a -- the Reagan Administration has
approved official funds to support the Sandinista bands trying
to overthrow the Nicaraguan government.
And, third, that there are counter-revolutionary camps
where Gringoes are training in U.S. territory.
HARTMAN: This morning, there are a number of news
reports in both the "Washington Post" and the "New York Times"
indicating that the amount of activity along the border in
Honduras is even less than usual. There is very little
military activity, that there are fewer guards than usual along
the borders.
The Honduran government denies these charges complete-
ly. What are you saying to that?
TINOCO: In reference to the concentration of Honduran
troops in the area near the Nicaraguan border, I want to
remember that yesterday, and before yesterday, the Foreign
Minister of Nicaragua -- Honduras, Edgardo Paz Barnica,
confirmed that they are massing troops in our border. But he
said they had no aggressive position against Nicaragua. That
was a month ago -- of preventing -- but they confirm that they
are massing troops.
HARTMAN: All right, they say they are preventing. On
Saturday, 12 Nicaraguan soldiers were arrested in Honduras
trying to get arms from Nicaragua into El Salvador. This was
on Saturday. I assume you know of the report. Twelve Nica-
raguan soldiers arrested by Honduras authorities in Honduras.
Why is that not a complete violation of international law?
TINOCO: Well, I read this report, but I want to
remember -- first of all, we haven't received any official
complaint from the Honduran government. I haven't heard about
a diplomat now, and that's very important [sic].
On the other hand, we have sent in the last 10 days
five official notes to the Honduran government complaining
because attacks from Honduran military units against Nicaraguan
military forces in our territory.
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HARTMAN: What proof do you have of the charges you're
making today?
TINOCO: Well, the shellings, the mortars against the
military force in the area.
Now, of course, we are -- in the next days, we are
planning to bring the press the -- we now concentrate many men
in our central areas of Nicaragua to the border area [sic].
But now it is just an area of fighting, and we're going to have
to take some measures.
HARTMAN: Communist governments -- we'll call them
Communist governments -- are the antithesis of what the
American form of life is. We believe in freedom of the
individual, freedom of speech, pursuit of life, liberty,
happiness, which is not the same as in Communist governments.
Why shouldn't the United States try to protect
themselves and their way of life from Communist governments?
TINOCO: Well, first of all, I want to call your
attention to the fact that I think in Nicaragua it's not a
Communist government. I want to remember you first that we
have a private enterprise in Nicaragua, and that the private
enterprise is the owner of more than 70 percent of -- of our
basis for production. We have more private enterprise that the
-- than Italy, for example, or something like that. And we
have a political parties [sic]. Of course, there are some
limitations of political activities because we're suffering a
migration, we are receiving attacks, and there are goals and
master plans, a deal managed by the Reagan Administration,
against our country. We are trying to create a democratic and
popular society in our country with a good margin for private
[words unintelligible], is a very difficult situation.
HARTMAN: Mr. Deputy Foreign Minister, thank you for
joining us this morning.
We did invite, by the way, our Ambassador to the
United Nations, Jean Kirkpatrick, to join us this morning. She
declined, as did representatives from the White House and the
State Department.
In a moment, we'll talk with an expert on Latin
American affairs, and a congressman who says we should reshape
our American policy in Central America.
We'll be right back.
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The government in Nicaragua is not alone in claiming
our government is heavily involved in the fighting in that
country. There have been numerous reports in our news media
and in Congress that the United States is supporting the
rebels.
Michael Barnes, a Congressman from Maryland, Chairman
of the House Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere Affairs.
Riordan Roett, Director of Latin American Studies at Johns
Hopkins down in the Washington area, and they're both joining
us.
Congressman, good morning. And good morning, Pro-
fessor Roett.
CONGRESSMAN MICHAEL BARNES: Good morning.
HARTMAN: Congressman, you've said that this -- what
you say is American involvement in sending arms down to Central
America is the equivalent of the 1980 -- you call it a "1980
version of the Bay of Pigs." What do you mean?
CONGRESSMAN BARNES: Well, first of all, it's not just
what I say. The Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee,
Barry Goldwater, has said that the reports in the press are
basically accurate about what the U.S. role is.
The reason I say it's similar to the Bay of Pigs is
because the Bay of Pigs was an operation mounted by the CIA,
hiring exiles from Cuba with the purpose of trying to destabil-
ize or overthrow the government of Cuba, and that's essentially
what's involved here in Nicaragua. The CIA has reportedly, and
been confirmed by the Chairman of the Senate Intelligence
Committee, been authorized by the President to spend a lot of
money to mount an attack on -- on Nicaragua with the purpose of
destabilizing or overthrowing that government.
HARTMAN: Do you think we're trying to overthrow the
government?
CONGRESSMANA BARNES: Well, clearly, the -- the
guerrillas who we are supporting have that intent. They don't
make any secret about what they want to do. They want to
overthrow the Sandinistas and take over the country.
HARTMAN: What do you think we ought to do?
CONGRESSMAN BARNES: Well . . . .
HARTMAN: Or not do?
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CONGRESSMAN BARNES: Unfortunately, I think the United
States is making once again the kind of mistake we've made too
often in the past in Latin America. In Chile, in Guatemala,
you know, there's a long history of U.S. military direct and
indirect involvement in Latin America. What we really ought to
be doing in this problem is working with our friends in the
region, of which we have quite a few, to resolve this problem
through international means.
For the U.S., particularly through the CIA in this
way, to be getting involved directly militarily in Central
America just confirms all the worst instincts about the United
States and strengthens the people we say we want to get rid of
-- the Sandinistas.
It's very difficult for people who are opposed to the
Sandinistas within Nicaragua, the democrats, people in the
private sector, the free press, et cetera, to be critical of
them when they're under attack by the Gringoes, you know, by
the CIA when they have a legitimate threat to their country,
and there's a rallying-around going on. You may have seen the
piece yesterday in the "Christian Science Monitor" which quoted
opposition people in -- in Nicaragua saying that what the U.S.
is doing is making the Sandinistas stronger, not weaker.
HARTMAN: Professor Roett, in one minute, put this in
perspective for us, would you? You're an acadmeic. You look
at all sides to this thing. What should we do down there?
PROFESSOR RIORDAN ROETT: Well, first we need to
realize that the leadership of the Nicaraguan government, they
are really primitives ideologically. We are not dealing with a
very sophisticated group. And no one is arguing that the
United States should endorse the government in Managua. I
think we are saying that the U.S. does not want to be identi-
fied with any process or movement that will overthrow another
government that we must remember was a revolutionary government
when it came to power in 1979 and still retains a good deal of
popular support.
That support is diminishing because of their own
ineptitude and their mistakes.
What the United States should not do, it seems to me,
is become clearly and historically identified with another
disaster in Central America. As Congressman Barnes says, we
should work with our allies both in Europe and in Central
America first.
Second, we should make it very clear that Nicaragua is
not the main force fighting in El Salvador. El Salvador is a
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separate issue, and the Administration keeps trying to link
both issues.
HARTMAN: Professor Roett, thank you, and thank you
for your brevity at the same time.
And thank you, Congressman Barnes.
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