NICARAGUA PHOTOS SHOWN TO PROVE MILITARY BUILDUP

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000302860013-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 26, 2010
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: March 10, 1982
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/26: CIA-RDP90-00552R000302860013-0
STAT
ARTICLE ON PAGE
;MALL ST;' E 'i JO U N L
10 r larch 19(82
Nicaragua Photos
John Hughes, deputy director of the De-
fense Intelligence Agency, said that Nicara-I
gua's military forces have grown to about
By contrast, he said, Nicara-,
000 troops
70
.
,
gua had, a. national guard of about 10,00'01
iOtj o TOVe troops before Sandinista rebels overthrew
a military government there in 1979.
Those forces are organized into 49 active
1 i'?~ar tJ Buildup garrisons,' 36 more than before the Sandi-
JJ nista takeover, he added. -r "
Moreover, the officials charged that the
rapid construction of_ military facilities
U.S'. Intelligence"' Of vials shows that Nicaragua plans to continue ex-,
panding.its armed forces. Mr. Inman pre--
pY dieted that Nicaragua.eventually will-build a`
tree` Plane=Pictures
OTO in Over Ske tics standin rarmy"of 25,000.'to.30,00o.troops ?and
P a militia of an' additional 100,)00' to ? 150,000
t ,. I
he officials charged that the army is be-'
By pERA .o FSEIB coming-so large and' well-equipped that it
staff Reporter of THE . STRFET JOUPUiAt- doesn't,-appear intended for defensive pur-'
WASHINGTON U-S.S- ie ence-roffi- poses:.alone. U.S. analysts fear that Nicara
cfals, In a rare release of secr '.tnforma- gua may use the army- to forcibly spread
flan, yesterday displayed dozens- ozens of recon revolution in Central America or to intimi-
naissznce photographs. to support charges date.its neighbors into accepting leftist goy-
that Nicaragua is engaged in, a dangerous ernmerts.
military buildup. To house its army;::~L*. Hughes charged,
The pictures--were taken from- U.S. spy Nicaragua is building a series of military in-
planes flying over- Nicaragua, during the stallations and refurbishing existing ones.
past year, Bobby Ray Inman; deputy dfrec The new facilities are being built with pre-
tor of the Central Intelligence Agency, said. cisely the same. layout as Cuban bases, %Ir.
The pictures, which were shown to reporters ? Hughes charged, showing photographs of
at the State Department, seem to show the .Cuban bases that appeared similar to sup-
construction of Cuban-style military bases, port his contention.
the construction and extension of four air,
fields to handle large jets and the placement Soviet Gains Shown
of Soviet tanks, trucks and - antiaircraft The photos also show that the Nicara-
guns: facilities, like Cuba's, are guarded by
guan
The unusual fie briefing was just-the ,
Soviet antiaircraft guns,' Mr. Hughes said.
first in a series of f presentations of-intelli i He, added-that Nicaragua's troops also have
genre information planned this week to sup- received other Soviet-made equipment in the-
port the administration's tough Central past few months, including 25 tanks,-12 large
howitzers, two helicopters, 12.armored per
American policies:
The CIA and the. Defense Intelligence sonnel carriers and amphibious vehicles to
Agency have- prepared -a- second -briefing carry the heavy equipment. that reportedly shows evidence of Nicara- officials said they also expect.
guan support for guerrillas in El Salvador. Nicaragua to receive Soviet made MIG17 or
That a is to made r top er toply to- MIG21-fighter jets in: the?next few months.
day annd d tomorrow too so some e forme goV- They charged that 50 Nicaraguan pilots are
ernment officials of both parties and to con- in Eastern Europe learning to By the planes
gressional committees. Reporters will see and that four airfields are being expanded
the presentation Friday, , Reagan adminis- so their runways will be long enough to ac-
trahe officials, said. , , commodate large MJGs loaded with bombs..
T
The briefings-are designed to, win over All .told, Mr. Hughes said, Nicaragua al
skeptics who contend the administration is ready has "upset the said, rt.. balance in
exaggerating the military danger from Nic ready ca-t Armies-in'the al -are.i
aragua and tha; ertent? of Cuban and. Nicara-. ;, r ,-;..;,r..r . r ? ..- -N ,;a
guan support for the guerrilla movement in
El Salvador. Intelligence. officials, who are
reluctant to release such sensitive- informa-
tion, declassified the materials at the urging
of the administration.
Large Military Buildup
"I'm , here -this afternoon because I'm'
concerned and because I'm angry," Mr- In-
man said as he opened the briefing. He ex-
plained that he was concerned because of
Nicaragua's military buildup-and angry be-
cause some Congressmen have demanded to
see sensitive-intelligence material- before be-
lieving thejarnialstration'.s-claims.'
that-Nicaraguas government has launched
a campaign to drive out the Indians, who
have frequently criticized the leftist Sandi-
nista government. - - ." - . . Some administration officials said that
the next briefing, on Nicaraguan support for
guerrillas in El Salvador, doesn't contain as
much hard, evidence as yesterday's. They
explained that it is impossible to get aerial
photos. of* the covert arms shipments the
U.S. claims are coming from Nicaragua. In-
stead, the?U.S.,has gathered such:evidence-
as small arms.caches that have been unco'f-
ered and intercepted radio messages that
show the cooperation between Nicaraguan
groups and the Salvadoran rebels-
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/26: CIA-RDP90-00552R000302860013-0