NEUTRALITY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000201500003-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 18, 2010
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: November 4, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/18: CIA-RDP90-00552R000201500003-2
STAT
NEUTRALITY
BY SUSAN GO.LDFARB
A federal judge has given the attorney general of the United States 90 days
to investigate criminal allegations that President Reagan and other top
officials broke the law in supporting paramilitary operations against the
Nicaraguan government.
District Judge Stanley A. Weigel ordered William French Smith to determine
whether Reagan, then-Secretary of State Alexander Haig, Defense Secretary Caspar
Weinberger and other government officials violated the Neutrality Act in
directing military plans aimed at overthrowing the leadership of the Central
American nation.
The act prohibits organizing or launching paramilitary expeditions against
countries with which the United States is not at war.
If they are found guilty, President Reagan and the others could theoretically
each face $3,000 fines and up to three years in prison.
Rep. Ronald Dellums, D-California, who filed the suit with two others,
asserted he had asked Smith to investigate the government officials in January
and Smith refused.
Dellums said in Washington after Thursday's decision that he was ''especially
pleased with the judge's argument that citizens have the right to sue under the
Ethics in Government Act.
"I would agree completely with his assessment that the act would be
'meaningless' if determined otherwise. This ruling holds the potential of
shiining Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes' bright light into the darkest recesses
of our government's operations.
"We await the administration's response in the hope that they will accept
the spirit of Judge Weigel's opinion.... "
The Ethics in Government Act requires the Attorney General to ''conduct an
investigation whenever (he) receives information sufficient to constitute
grounds to investigate'' that federal officers have violated criminal law.
~CCINTZ_Vz 7-:1D.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/18: CIA-RDP90-00552R000201500003-2