CIA NICARAGUA ROLE FOCUS OF HILL HASSLE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000201800009-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 6, 2010
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: April 13, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/06: CIA-RDP90-00552R000201800009-3
L-71 -^1Z D THE WASHINGTON TIMES
13 April 1983
CIA, Nicaragua rok
focus of Hill -hassle
By Peter Almond
WASHINGTON TINS STAFF
The administration and congres-
sional Democrats squared off yes-
terday over the legality of alleged
CIA covert operations supporting
anti-Sandinista guerrillas in Nica-
ragua.
Several congressmen said the
administration was breaking at
least the spirit of the so-called
Boland Amendment supposedly
prohibiting such actions against
the Nicaraguan government, and a
House subcommittee proposed a
new law tightening up the
amendments.
But four top administration offi-
cials went before congressional
committees and the public to deny
any U.S. laws were being broken. At
.the same time, they refused to ac-
knowledge publicly the existence
of the not-so-secret covert oper-
ations.
CIA Director William Casey as-
sured the Senate Intelligence
Committee in secret session that
the law was not being broken; U.N.
Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick
said the United States has a "moral
right" to send military and eco-
nomic aid to groups that may be
attempting to overthrow the Nica.
raguan government; Assistant Sec?
retary of State Thomas Enders told
the Senate Foreign Relations Com-
mittee the law was not being vio-
lated; and Secretary of State
George Shultz attacked those he
said were undermining the nation's
ability to provide a security shield
to America's friends in Central
America.
"As far as I know, there is no vio-
lation of the Boland Amendment,"
Shultz said at a press conference
yesterday. "The moves being made.
(yesterday's congressional action)
that seem to be designed to prevent
us from continuing to support our
friends in El Salvador and else-
where in Central America. in their
effort to provide a military security,
shield so that they can go forward
with the process of democracy...
I think this is undermining our abil-
ity to provide that shield, and it is a
bad mistake."
Kirkpatrick, speaking on CBS
television, said: "Do I think the
United States should protect the
government of Nicaragua against
the anger of its own people? No, I
don't think so. I think we have a
moral right ... to support the
Afghan freedom fighters. The Sovi-
ets and Cubans are supporting the
disintegration of virtually all gov-
ernments in Central America.... I
think we have a moral right to do
that, and whether it's politically
prudent or wise in a given situation
is another question."
Commenting on Kirkpatrick's
statements, Shultz said that!
America's immediate problem with
Nicaragua is "the undoubted use of
Nicaragua. as a base from which! arms flow, largely through Cuba to
Nicaragua, and then to El Salvador.
It's the 'export of revolution with-
out frontiers; I think is the phrase.
That is the heart of the difficulty
with which we are trying to cope."
In testimony yesterday, Enders
refused to be drawn by Sens. John
Glenn, D-Ohio, Claiborne Pell, i
D-R.I., and Paul Tsongas, D-Mass.,
into discussing U.S. support for
anti-Sandinista guerrillas, but he
described in detail the opposition
groups and circumstances within
Nicaragua that he said show the
extent of opposition.
Somoza, and eight times as strong.
Enders said the United States is try-
ing to establish regional negoti-
ations a fourth time, but "the
Sandinistas have made their con-
tempt for genuine dialogue - for
real negotiation - giiite clear."
Enders pointedly referred to the
specific language of the Boland
Amendment to refute Tsongas'
argument that the law was being
broken by CIA operations. He said
the amendment calls for U.S. money
not to be used for military aid to any
non-governmental group "for the
purpose of overthrowing the gov-
... _
ernment of Nicaragua."
He emphasized the. words "for
the purpose of," implying that
whatever U.S. aid may be given to
the guerrillas it was not for the pur-
pose of overthrowing the Nicara-
guan government.
Rep. Michael Barnes, D-Md.,
chairman of the House Western
Hemisphere subcommittee, yester-
day pushed through a proposed
revision in that language. that
changes "for the purpose of" to
"has the effect of supporting the
overthrow of the government of
Nicaragua" His amendment is to
be considered by the House,For-
eign Affairs Committee next week.
Enders said the United States has
attempted three times to get the
Nicaraguan government into a dia-
logue with its neighbors to estab-
lish security for the region. But
since its founding in 1979, the Nica-
raguan army has grown to four
times the size of the army under
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/06: CIA-RDP90-00552R000201800009-3