FORD SAYS OPEN MINING OF NICARAGUAN HARBOR MIGHT HAVE BEEN BETTER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000201990003-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 30, 2010
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: May 4, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/30: CIA-RDP90-00552R000201990003-9
4 May 1984-'
FORD SAYS OPEN MINING OF NICARAGUAN HARBOR MIGHT HAVE BEEN BI
BY SUSAN WARREN
LEXINGTON, KY
Former President Gerald Ford said Friday the controversial mining of a
Nicaraguan harbor possibly should have been done overtly rather than covertly.
The former president spoke at a symposium during which he answered questions
from some of the more than 1,000 high school students at the University of
Kentucky's Center for the Arts.
Ford received a $7,500 speaker's fee for his appearance, which was sponsored
by Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government and the state thoroughbred
industry.
Ford said he wasn't in a position to know whether the harbor mining was
proper, but indicated he was inclined to think so.
The mining sparked controversy in the U.S. Congress when it was disclosed it
had been authorized by the central Intelligence Agency, much to the
surprise of some senators and representatives.
Ford said the country must do ' 'whatever has to be be done to prevent
Nicaragua from undercutting free elections in El Salvador."
" Maybe it should have been done overtly rather than covertly, " Ford said of
the mining.
He told students he wasn't aware of Central America's location until after he
was out of law school and in the army, but reminded them Nicaragua and El
Salvador are ''due south of Chicago and not very far away."
"It would be unfortunate from our point of view to have them under the
influence of Castro, 11 Ford said.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/30: CIA-RDP90-00552R000201990003-9