HAIG SAYS HE URGED PRESSURE ON CUBANS OVER SALVADOR IN 81

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000302440009-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 15, 2010
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: March 25, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/15: CIA-RDP90-00552R000302440009-1
ARTICLEAPFF' NEW YORK TIMES
ON PAGE 25 March 1984
Rcepted by President Reagan. in June
a says He urged 1952, has written "Caveat: Realism,
Reagan and Foreign Policy," which
Pressure on Cubans will be published in a month by Mac-
millan. Time magazine will publish the
Over Salvador to 81, first of two installments of excerpts on
Sunday.
During the first six months of the Ad-
By BERNARD GWERTZMAN
Spdal to The Now Yaet T]mr
WASHINGTON, March 24 - Former
'Secretary of State Alexander M. Haig
Jr. says in his forthcoming memoirs
that he advocated bringing maximum
political, economic and military pres-
sure to bear on Cuba in 1981 "to force-
the issue early" in El Salvador, even if
it brought a Soviet response..
In excerpts from the memoirs, Mr.
ministration, despite his lack of sup-
port, Mr. Haig nevertheless began a
highly publicized campaign to focus at-
tention on Cuban and Soviet support,
through Nicaragua, for insurgents in
El Salvador. He-said in the memoirs
Fidel Castro's Cuban Government and,' ed with him the question of rals
of leading to a brief tapering off in sup. j hipment of Soviet arms through
plies to the Salvadoran guerrillas. Nicaragua to the insurgents in El Sal.
Mr. Haig's Point, which be makes in vador," Mr. Haig said. Mr. Dobrynin
the memoirs, and which he made Pri.l responded, "All lies," be said.
vately at the time, was that a more ?? Photographs don't lie; I replied."
forceful Ad'rainistratio
oli
i
d
n p
cy
nstea
He said that Mr: Dobrynin com-
H g said, e'er, that .his nail for 1 of the modest program that was even-
mented that this was not the way to
frcefulness found no support in the ! tually approved, would have led to an start a new relationship.
highest councils of the Reagan Admix early resolution of the problem. "How, he asked, should the U.S. and
memo
i
t
ti
h
m
s
ra
on. He ? named Vice
eat
irs contain s
arp cntictsm the Soviet Union begin to develop a din.
and unflattering remarks about almost -logue?" Mr. Haig went on.
every member of the Reagan hierar- "I said 'It is not acre ble t talk
m ?
y particularly the Wrute House ad- P
rector of the Central sacs peace while acting differently,' "Mr.
oanrv ",.~ ~-,~ ee.,+?r , ~A visers,.Mr. Meese, Mr. Baker and Mr.;
u . .
vrsers. Edwin Meese 1 our vi ~vniu
~- and terse. A publishin ng sources said that
Baker,Mi_rzhael lc. Deaver?and ,,chard the book. had been gbost-written by
V. Allen, then the national security ad- Charles McCarty, the author of "Tears
vtser net of Autumn's and other novels_dealing
gam, with espionage themes.
"I.was virtually alone in the other Mr. Haliz said he was stunn-1 M
camp,' which- favored giving military
and economic aid to El.Salvador while
bringing the overwhelming economic I
strength and political influence of the,
U.S., together with the reality of its
:military power, to beer on Cuba in
order to treat the problem at its
source," he said. - .
"In my view that the poter;tial strate-
:?gic gain from this combination ' of
measures far outweitthed the risks, and
that the U.S. could contain any Soviet
.c&ntermeasures, I was isolated," he<
said:.. . ,i
Mr. Haig said the other top officials
were so conce @d-that t i Vies-
day after Mr. Reagan's Inauguration to
hear at a meeting at the White House
that many of Mr. Reagan's aides
iwanted to cancel the agreement. that
had just been negotiated on returning
frozen Iranian funds for the release of
,
nam" would sap oubiicsupport for 1 to.the most audacious ideas. I had to
-the
Reagan Administration's domestic
program that they his_prro.
posal and preferred modest aid to to E_l
Salvador and covert action in 'the re-
.gign,.He_wa.s~n Hilt in hie mnm.'.
oirs on what specific agdons be ad in'
mind towardCuba_
Mr. Haig, whose resignation was ac-
L're American hostages in Iran. The-
hostages had been freed on inaugura-
tion Day.
"This amazing.proposition won the
support of many in the room," he said.
"Insofar as Jim Baker's reaction could
be interpreted, he appeared to be in
sympathy. So did Deaver. The Presi
dent did not seem to be surprised by .the
suggestion; evidently he was prepared,
in his remarkable equanimity
to listen
say that I was appalled that such a
cynical action could even be consid-
ered."
Mr. Haig said he had told the group it
was a pledge of American honor to re-
turn thvmoney. The President, he'said,
made no statement, just listened. In
the end, Mr. Reagan agreed that it
should be honored.
The former. Secretary said he had
been so deeply worried about Commu-
nist subversion in Central America
that his first meeting with Anatoly F.
Dobrynin, the Soviet Ambassdor, was
Mr. Dobrynin, the memoir contin-
ues, said that "it would be very unfor.
tunate if the Soviet leadership formed
the impression that'the Reagan Admin.
istration was hostile to the U.S.S.R. be.
cause first impressions often persist-
ed." -
Mr. Haig said he responded that the
United States was not hostile, but "of.
fended by -Soviet excesses." He said
that he constantly raised "our concern
with Cuba's role as a Soviet proxy."
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/15: CIA-RDP90-00552R000302440009-1