CENTRAL AMERICA/U.S. AID

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01070R000201150021-8
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 10, 2008
• Sequence Number: 21
• Publication Date: April 11, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2008/12/10: CIA-RDP88-010708000201150021-8
CBS EVENING NEWS
11 April 1984
RATHER: Good evening. This is the CBS Evening News, Dan
Rather reporting.
CEAtTRF.L AMERICA RATHER: Congress and President Reagan today continued
/U.S. AID their overt battle about Mr. Reagan's covert war against
Nicaragua, a war that includes reported CIA-directed
mining of Nicaraguan harbors. House Speaker O'Neill
called this mining 'terrorism at its worst.' The House
Foreign Affairs Committee voted overwhelmingly this
afternoon to support a non-binding resolution, similar to
one passed by the Senate last night, deploring the harbor
mining. Deputy Secretary of State Kenneth Dam answered
angry committee questions about the action. He refused to
acknowledge it, but he defended its legality. KE1~TIETH DAM
(Deputy Secretary of State): One of the major,
well-recognized exceptions to the general rule that force
shouldn't be used is self-defense, including collective
self-defense.
RATHER: The mining of ports on both of Nicaragua's coasts
nox is said to have been halted for the time being,.
apparently because of the congressional outcry, not
because of any actual change in President Reagan's policy.
Nicaragua today took newsmen to Puerto Corinto, one of the
mining targets, and CBS's Richard Schlesinger went along.
SCHLESINGER: For the first time since the_ mining began,
the government opened Nicaragua's largest port of Corinto
to foreign journalists. Nicaraguan officials say they
want the world to know that the U.S. is engaged in what
they call 'terrorist acts.' Military leaders at the port
say last night's U.S. Senate vote condemning the mining
proves the Reagan administration acted illegally. Ships
are still coming here, but the Sandinista leadership says
many h2ve been scared away. The Nicaraguans say the
mining has cost this port between $175- and X200,000 and
has .also caused shortages of food, medicine and spare
parts. Nicaragua's interior minister, Tomas Borge, calls
the mining the gravest act committed against Nicaragua in
the almost five ,years the S2ndinistas.has ruled here.
TOMAS BORGE (Interior Minister), Voice of
Interpreter...The objective here is not the boats per se;
it's the cutoff of commerce with Nicaragua.
SCHLESINGER: There are some empty shelves in Nicaraguan
stores. Signs say, 'No chicken' and 'No milk.' Some
spare parts are missing, and some drugs are scarce. But
businessmen say the real problem is not ,the mines; it is
that Nicaragua has almost no foreign capital and cannot
Cer~[rrmt+~
Approved For Release 2008/12/10: CIA-RDP88-010708000201150021-8
 Approved For Release 2008/12/10: CIA-RDP88-010708000201150021-8
attract foreign investment. The mining, they say, just
aggravates the problem. UNIDENTIFIED MAN (Voice of
Interpreter): There are no shortages for that reason.
There have been shortages since before the revolution
began.
SCHLESINGER: The Nicaraguans claim the mines have been
removed and Puerto Corinto is safe now, but they are
keeping a close eye on U.S. military maneuvers just to the
north in Honduras. And they say they would not be
surprised if the U.S. begins more operations in their
territory soon. Richard Schlesinger, CBS News, Puerto
Corinto, Nicaragua.
Approved For Release 2008/12/10: CIA-RDP88-010708000201150021-8