CBS EVENING NEWS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01070R000200730006-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 27, 2008
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: June 7, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

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CBS EVENING NEWS
7 June 1983
U.S./NICARAGUA/ RATHER: Good evening, this is the CBS Evening News. Dan Rather
OVERVIEW reporting. The United States late today retaliated for
Nicaragua's expulsion of three American diplomats yesterday. It
was a retaliation, Bill Mclaughlin reports, of unexpected scope
and severity, one that leaves U.S.-Nicaraguan relations dangling
by a thread.
MCLAUGHLIN: Nicaraguan Ambassador *Antonio *Harkeen was
summoned to the State Department this afternoon to get the U.S.
response to Nicaragua's expulsion of three U.S. diplomats
accused of trying to poison its foreign minister. The
ambassador was handed the stunning demand that Nicaragua close
down all six of its consulates in the U.S.: New York, Miami, New
Orleans, Houston, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, where the
moving has already begun, in 24 hours. The ambassador was also.
told that 21 consular employees and their families must leave
too. A Nicaraguan diplomat in Washington protested the action.
MANUEL CORDERO: It is obviously not a good step, we think.
MCLAUGHLIN: A. State Department spokesman said the tough
reaction was due in part to the treatment received by the three
expelled U.S. diplomats. They arrived back in the U.S. today
looking almost cheerful. LINDA PFEIFEL: We categorically reject
the absurd charges against us.
MCLAUGHLIN: Nicaragua's Sandinista radio claimed one victory
today when the House Foreign Affairs Committee voted 20 to 14 to
end all covert actions against Nicaragua. STEPHEN SOLARZ
(D-N.Y.): The primary purpose of what we're doing in Nicaragua
is not to bring about an end to the flow of arms from Nicaragua
to.Salvador, but in fact, to overthrow the Nicaraguan government
which is not in the final analysis the business of the United
States. 'HENRY HYDE I suggest that you haven't read
history if you don't know that Hitler would never have been
defeated without effective covert aid.
MCLAUGHLIN: The administration believes the House Committee
vote comes at an especially bad time. It is concerned that it
may weaken the bargaining position of its special envoy to
Central America, Ambassador Richard Stone, who is due to arrive
in Nicaragua for talks at the end of this week. However, at
this low point in relations between the two countries, those
talks may be restricted to mutual accusations. Bill McLaughlin,
CBS News, the State Department.
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ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT
7' June 1983
CONGRESS/ BRINKLEY: Another congressional committee controlled by the
NICARAGUA Democrats, House Foreign Affairs, voted today to deny President
Reagan any money for covert secret operations in Nicaragua. It
voted instead to give the money to other countries in Central
America and to see if they can do anything to help while keeping
the United States out of it. Here's ABC's Bill Greenwood at the
U.S. Capitol.
GREENWOOD: The committee spent three weeks secretly reviewing
the not-so-secret CIA operation in Nicaragua. Today the
committee's Democratic majority said it didn't like what's going
or., and voted 20-to-14 to halt funds for the covert activities.
The House Intelligence Committee had initiated the cutoff five
weeks ago. It shares jurisdiction and asked the Foreign Affairs
Committee to reinforce its decision. The result was a lot of
partisan finger-pointing. REP. HENRY HYDE Why do we
keep making the hemisphere safe for Russians and communism? We
do it again and again in the name of enlightened foreign policy.
It boggles the mind.
GREENWOOD: Democrats argued that the CIs's objective was not to
just halt the shipment of arms to El Salvador. but to also
topple the government of Nicaragua. RE?. LARRY SMITE (D-Fla.):
The whole world is laughing at us. Everyone knows exactly what
were doing. REP. GERRY STUDDS (D--?lass.): It has nothing
whatever to do with interdiction of arms. And they are actively
seeking to trigger a civil war in which thousands of innocent
people seem certain to'die.
GREENWOOD: Committee Republicans warn that a halt to covert CIA
help could 'cost the lives of Americans. RE?. GERALD SOLDMON (R-
N.Y.): As I see it the other alternative, one alternative, is
direct overt aid, which could lead the U.S. direct involvement,
(sic) including U.S. military people, fighting in a war.
GREENWOOD: Still, the result of all this may be more .
psychological than real. For even if the cutoff is approved by
the full house, it must survive the Reptiiblican-controlled
Senate, and the threat of a presidential veto. Bill Greenwood,
ABC News, on Capitol Hill.
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NBC NIGHTLY NEWS
7 June 1983
CONGRESS/
NICARAGUA
tUDD: By a vote of 2O-to-l4 the house Foreign Affairs Committee
this afternoon cut off what they called covert aid, undercover
aid, to the guerrillas in Nicaragua Who are trying to bring down
the- Sandinista government, but in its place the committee
approved an S80 billion in aid to friendly governments in the
? region. here's Lisa ?Byers on Capitol Hill.
liYERS: For the past two years, the CIA secretly has armed and
supplied anti-Sandinista rebels in Nicaragua and Honduras. The
bill would stop all such assistance. It also would prohibit any
future secret CiA activity that would support, directly or
indirectly, military or paramilitary operations in Nicaragua by
any nation, group, organiZatior., movement or individual. The
committee rejected the administration's claim that the covert
activity was aimed at stopping the flow of arms from Nicaragua
to leftist guerrillas in El Salvador. REP. STEPHEN SOLARZ
(D-N.Y.): The primary purpose of what we're doing in Nicaragua
is not to bring about an end to the flow of arms from Nicaragua
to Salvador but in fact to overthrow the Nicaraguan government
which is not in the final analysis the business of the United
States.
?MYERS: Republicans charged that the committee was aiding and
abetting communism. REP. HENRY HYDE Why do we keep
making the hemisphere safe for Russians and communism? REP.
LAWRENCE SMITE (D-Fla.): I resent very strongly the
implications that 1 hear from this administration and from
others who are suggesting that anyone who disagrees is not a
true American.
?YERS: For political protection committee Democrats authorized
S80 million in aid to help friendly Central American governments
combat the arms shipments. The bill is primarily a political
statement designed to embarrass President Reagan and to put
distance between Democrats and whatever happens in Central
America. Democratic leaders concede it has no chance Of
becoming law. Lisa ?Byers, NBC News at the L.S. Capitol.
?NUDD: because the bill has so little chance. the White house
reaction to the vote this afternoon was very subdued, and press
secretary Larry Speakes was content to say only, 'The vote
constrains the executive's policy tools to deal with the complex
situation.'
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ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT
7 June 1983
SECRET rUN'DS/ BRINt:'rY: An tit Force Major General. Richard Collins, years
G_T~nAI ago was in West Germany in charge of handling secret payments of
money for the CIA to intelligence sources. Now he is accused of
handling some of the money into his own, bank account ir1
Switzerland. He denies it. ABC's John heWethy, at the
Pentagon.
hCi+TETHY: Richard Collins retired from the Air force in 1978
with the rank of Major General. After he left the service,
government investigators discovered that Collins allegedly had
diverted 5445,000 in funds that were supposed to be used for
financing covert operations in'Europe. Pentagon sources claim
that Collins, in his job as Director of Plans and Policy for
America's European command in Stuttgart, West Germany,-was in
essence the banker for secret operations of the CIA and
military. Sources say be handled millions of dollars in
numbered Swiss bank accounts to pay informants, defectors, other
intelligence sources, and to buy.Soviet weapons. Government
investigators allege that Collins switched money from the
government's secret accounts to his own account, paying out the
principal as he was supposed to, but pocketing the interest.
Sources claim that Collins was offered a deal--return the money
and all charges would be dropped. Collins turned down the
offer, according to one offical, who speculated that Collins
must have believed the government would not try him in open
court because of the sensitivity of the operations he bankrolled
in West Germany for nearly four years. STEPHEN BRONIS (Collins'
Attorney): ...That we believe that the evidence will establish
that that amount of money the government claims was
misappropriated or the acts of an embezzler, were really used by
General Collins for the precise purposes for which he was made
custodian of the account.
1SCWETAY: The general's attorney also claimed that his client
had not been offered a deal by the government, and when the
evidence was laid out in court, it would prove that the general
had not diverted even a penny of the secret funds. John
heWethy, ABC News, the Pentagon.
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