FORMER SEN. FRANK CHURCH, D-IDAHO, CRITICIZED THE REAGAN ADMINISTRATION FOR THE INVASION OF GRENADA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000201190007-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 6, 2010
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: October 29, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/06: CIA-RDP90-00552R000201190007-3
29 October 1983
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M.
CHURCH
Former Sen. Frank Church, D-Idaho, criticized the Reagan administration for
the invasion of Grenada, saying it was practicing a double standard because it
condemned the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Church, a former chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee who now
specializes in international law with a Washington, D.C., firm, also questioned
the motive behind the invasion.
He said the ''pretext being used to justify the invasion ... is to promote
American lives. The use of force to protect lives is proper, but in the case of
Grenada, the question is if there was really any threat on American lives.
' I think that in due course it will be revealed that our government's real
objective was to displace the lpcal government and put in its place a government
of our choosing,'' he-saide
Church was in the city to speak to the New Mexico Bar Association. He
discussed Grenada and Lebanon at a news conference following his address to the
association.
Church said he did not originally oppose sending Marines to Lebanon because
the creation of an international peace-keeping force appeared to be a necessary
step toward peace in the Middle Eastern country.
Now, .he said, "there is.no peace to keep. They are ablaze in civil war. it
is the height of stupidity for us to stay and think that we can solve their
problems."
In his address to the association, Church said the "political pendulum'' is
swinging away from efforts to "uphold 'Liberty and law and to the need to
unleash the CIA. "
He Said Senate investigations in which he was involved showed that the CIA
and FBI ' 'and other federal agencies (were) deeply involved in blatantly illegal
conduct designed to spy upon, discredit, injure and harass thousands of innocent
Americans;"
He called on his fellow lawyers to use their efforts to protect individual
liberties.
STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/06: CIA-RDP90-00552R000201190007-3