U.S. REPORTEDLY EASES SUPPORT FOR COVERT ACTS INTO NICARAGUA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000201850020-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 21, 2010
• Sequence Number: 20
• Publication Date: January 11, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/21: CIA-RDP90-00552R000201850020-5
ARTICLE APPEARED
0'-l PAGE A,` ;
BALTIMORE SUN
11 January 1983
U.S. reportedly eases
support for covert
acts into Nicaragua.
By Henrv Trewhitt
Washington bureau of The Sun
.Washington-The Reagan admin-
istration is pulling back from support
of 'covert operations into Nicaragua
out of Honduras, informed officials
said yesterday.
Congressional actions combined
with the adverse publicity arising
from the activities by U.S.-supported
anti-Sandinista rebels, they said, are
dictating a more moderate approach.
Exactly what that leaves in. the
way of clandestine activity by the
Central Intelligence Agency in Hon-
duras remains unclear. But one offi-
cial source said the administration
has been forced to "balance off the
policy against the reaction that it in-
curred."
In fact, the administration has
never acknowledged publicly that it
sponsored cross-border harassment,
as the Sandinista government in
Managua has charged, by any of the
several Nicaraguan exile forces in
"It serves no point
to justify the
paranoia in
Managua at a time
.when others are
making the case
against the regime."
-Congressional source
Honduras. But William J. Casey, the
director of central intelligence, told
congressional intelligence commit-
tees in secret testimony last month
that such raids have occurred.
The U.S. goal, he said, was to stop
the flow of arms from Nicaragua to
insurgent forces in El Salvador-
,Which other officials reported yester-
day is continuing. Other officials have
described U.S. policy as one of
harassment of the Marxist govern-
ment in Managua to force democrati-
zation, not its collapse.
;, But the administration left many
members of Congress doubtful that a
distinction was possible and worried
that the administration was fixed, on
course of deepening involvement.
Qne result was congressional action
in, December to forbid U.S. support
for "military activities for the purl
pose of overthrowing the government
oT'Nicaragua or provoking a military
exchange between Nicaragua and
Honduras."
That language was a compromise
arranged by the administration. Some
members of Congress had wanted to
adopt language even more restric-
tive.
The compromise, subject to inter-
pretations of intent, left great flex-
ibility for the CIA contingent in Hon-
duras, which Mr. Casey said num-
bered about 50. He emphasized that
Americans have not crossed the bor
44e. r. Nonetheless, administration offi-
cials said, the trend since Mr.- Casey
testified has been toward moderation
without compromise of the adminis-
tration's anti-Marxist goals.
Congressional concern was one
reason, according to a specialist on
the region. Another, he said, was
changing circumstances, including
the resignation late last month of
Francisco Fiallos, Nicaragua's am-
bassador to the United States.
Mr. Fiallos became the second
envoy here to quit in little more than
a year. He did. so after his govern-
ment censored an interview he had
conducted with the Nicaraguan news-
paper La Prensa in which he criti-
cized government policies.
Among other points deleted from
the published interview, Mr. Fiallos
urged a more pragmatic foreign poli-
cy, including improved relations with
the United States. He complained
about what he called the govern-
ment's "dreadful handling" of rela-
tions with the Catholic Church and
called for more political freedom for
Nicaraguans.
Mr. Fiallos also was critical of
U.S. policy, calling it confrontational.
In fact, he said, all outsiders should
"leave it to Nicaragua to solve its
problem." In the aftermath he an-
nounced his support for Eden Pastora
Gomez, a former Sandinista leader
now in exile in Costa Rica.
The former ambassador since has
become embroiled in a long-distance
shouting match with the government
in Managua over the disposition of
money from an embassy land sale in
Washington. The government says
some $618,000 is unaccounted for,
Mr. Fiallos says he turned over the
funds to Managua.
One congressional source suggest-
ed yesterday that the whole affair,
coupled with concern in Congress, has
helped persuade the administration to
reduce the confrontational tone of its
policy. It "serves no point," he said,
"to justify the paranoia in Managua
at a time when others are making the
case against the regime."
There is little hope here, however,
of exploiting openly the defection of
Mr. Fiallos and his alliance with Mr.
Pastora. The latter, known as Coman-
dante Zero during his guerrilla days,
also has remained critical of the
United States.
But at least some U.S. officials are
known to believe that a political al-
ternative in Nicaragua that includes
Mr. Pastora may be more practical
and attractive than some present U.S.
clients. Those include former national
guardsmen in the regime of the late
dictator Anastasio Somoza DeBayle.
"For sure - the administration
doesn't want that bunch back ? in
Managua," the congressional source
said. "The trick is to get acceptable
policies in Nicaragua without that
happening."
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/21: CIA-RDP90-00552R000201850020-5