CONGRESS UNITS SEEK TO HALT DELIVERY OF ANGOLAN MISSILES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000302490046-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 2, 2010
• Sequence Number: 46
• Publication Date: April 3, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

WASHINGTON, April 2 - Senior
members of the House and Senate in-
telligence committees are trying to
prevent the Reagan Administration
from delivering portable antiaircraft
missiles to rebel forces in Angola, ac-
cording to congressional and Adminis-
tration sources.
These sources said Representative
Lee Hamilton, the Indiana Democrat
who is chairman of the House Select
Committee on Intelligence, has told the
White House he will try to get a bill
enacted that would cut off covert aid to
the rebels if the decision is not
reversed. her Congressional officials
said the Administration had notified
the intelligence committees of the deci-
sion to send the missiles last Thursday,
the day Congress adjourned for its
week-long recess.
Senator Patrick Leah the vice
chairman o t e Senate committee, has
expressed support for Mr. Hamilton's
position, the sources said.
The conflict between some members
of the intelligence Panels and the Rea-
!a ministration reflects deep dis-
agreemen over the wisdom of orovid-
tg covert American support to guer-
rilla movements around the world.
Open-Request Bill Offered
Mr. Hamilton has already introduced
a bill that would require the Adminis-
tration to make an open request for aid
to the Angolans that would be voted on
by the entire Congress. the sources
said if this maneuver failed. Mr.
Hamilton has spoken of going er
to cut o or res nc e
maid program which is estimated at
a level of about $15 million.
By law, the President m notify the
Con ressiona oversight committees of
anttcipat intelligence operations.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/02 : CIA-RDP90-00552R000302490046-5
A R,
NEW YORK TIMES
3 April 1986
ON FAQ= -
Congress Units Seek to Halt L
Delivery of Angolan Missiles
By STEPHEN ENGELBERG
Special to The New York Timm
The committees have no authorit to
overturn a Presidential on_ ut
practice the executive ha&&=-
erally heeded C tonal concems
about
The committee has two options to cut
off ard. eliminate all ina for
the l lnt
gence Asencv or it can pass a
resolution barring
mon or operation-
In 1975, Congress passed the Clark
Amendment, which cut off all aid to the
Angolan rebels. In 1983, Representa-
tive Edward Boland pushed through an
amendment that cut off aid to the Nica-
raguan contras. The Clark Amendment
was repealed last year.
In February, the House committee
wrote to President Reagan asking him
to reverse his decision on aiding the An-
golan rebels. Meanwhile, Mr. Hamilton
began moving his bill through the
House committee. The bill has cleared
the intelligence committee and is still
before the House Foreign Affairs om-
This week it was disclosed that the
Administration had decided to a gad
its covert programs in Angola and Af-
%an sita rebel in
t 05 rl
count es un reds of t r
anti-aircraft missies to the
an
rebels- It marked the first
time l
e stration was will-
ng to introduce American-made weap?
ms on a large scale into the conflict.
Previous American support had been
imited to Eastern bloc armaments
hat could not be directly traced back
his country.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/02 : CIA-RDP90-00552R000302490046-5