HOUSE COMMITTEE VOTES 22-18 TO PROHIBIT COVERT AID TO REBELS IN ANGOLA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000302490023-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 2, 2010
• Sequence Number: 23
• Publication Date: April 24, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2010/09/02 :CIA-RDP90-005528000302490023-0
BALTIMORE SUN
24 April 1986
louse committee votes 22-18 to prohibit covert aid to rebels in Angola
By~tncy J. Schwenler
iuapWagton Bureau of The Sun
-....
WASHINGTON - The _House
Fortt?n Affairs Committee voted
yesterda to rohibit covert ai to
an - overnmen re s n n a
a.^ to require the nreciden to ob-
o vac ow
aCtiO on
ai to the A olan rebels, followed
an ar er c -session vote t e
HbCS n e ence omm ee o ap-
prove t e le elation. which is s on-
so~r a resen[ative Lee Hamil-
tcon ee encee pane
fate of the Hamilton plan in
the full House is uncertain. and it
faces an uphill fight in [he Senate,
where MaJority Leader Robert J.
Dole, R-Kan., has sided with conser-
vatives who strongly support the aid.
Covert aid to the rebels was initi-
ated earlier this year by the Rea than
admTnis~raffon under. pry dares
that prevent intelligence oversi?ht
committees in Congress from block-
ingthe aid.
The administration is though[ to
be supplying at least S15 million in
covert military aid. including sophis-
ticated Stinger missiles. to the rebel
forces of Jonas Savimbi, leader of
UNITA (Union for the Total Indepen-
dence of Angola), which is fighting
against the leftist government of An-
gola.
"I think we're seeing the death
knell of covert activity," said Repre-
sentative Henry J. Hyde, R-Ill.. a
supporter of aid to UNITA. He ac-
cused Democrats of engaging in po-
littcally inspired "Reagan-bashing."
Mr. Hamilton. who said he op-
poses the aid, said his measure was
designed to assure proper congres-
sional involvement in such a contro-
versial decision. He said 1t was a
"sham" to claim the aid must be kept
secret, because the president and
other administration officials have
spoken openly of the assistance.
Representative Howard D. Wolpe.
D-Mich., chairman of the Africa sub-
committee. said the only reason the
Reagan administration wants covert
aid is "to evade scrutiny" by Con-
gress. He said the administration's
plans could eventually involve as
much as S20 million in Stinger mis-
siles alone.
The covert-aid lan is the first
since ongress banned any asstst-
ance~oTan recess in ~ ~ ~ ~. Lost
year on ress repea a ut
no s eci c aut ortze ands
for ai to ere a s.
epresentative Mark E. Sil]ander,
R-Mich., said the committee vote
yesterday was an attempt "to reverse
the decision to repeal" the aid ban.
He attempted a procedural maneu-
ver to prevent a vote on the Hamfl-
tan proposal yesterday, but the com-
mittee eventually went ahead with
the vote anyway.
Mr. Hyde contended that con-
ducting apublic debate of a covert
aid program was "like sitting on a
souffle."
Mr. Wolpe countered that the en-
tire U.S. aid program for UNITA was
"bizarre" because Mr. Savimbi "has
been portrayed as an anticommu-
nist freedom fighter and advocate of
Western capitalism but is, in fact, an
avowed Maoist."
Approved For Release 2010/09/02 :CIA-RDP90-005528000302490023-0