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-RDP90-00552R000302930014-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 28, 2010
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: April 24, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/29 :CIA-RDP90-005528000302930014-1
:. t r 1~P ED
,~; ~r~ ? EALTIMORE SUN
24 April 1986
Rouse committee votes 22-18 to proh:~it covert aid to rebels in Angola
Bjri~iimcy J. Schwenler
uGaiWagton Bureau of The Sun
-....
WASHINGTON - The .House
Fore n Affairs Committee voted
yesterday to prohibit covert at to
a~ - overnmen re s n A la
aln to require the orrstdent to nh-
tatn n resstonal a royal for any
w e
aCri0t1 on o rsatrf~[ 1-5-
ai to the Angolan rebels. followed
an ar er c -session vote the
H n e ence omm ee o ap-
rove t e l slatton. which Is s on-
r v e resentattve
- n e inte i ence ane
a rman.
e fate of the Hamilton plan In
the full House is uncertain, and it
faces an uphill fight in the Senate.
where MaJority Leader Robert J.
Dole. R-Kan., has sided with conser-
vatives who strongly support the aid.
Covert aid to the rebels w -
ated ear fer this year by the Reagan
adm n s ra on un er oroce ures
that prevent intelligence oversight
committees In Congress from block-
ing the aid.
The administration is thought to
be supplying at least S15 million In
covey mflttarv aid, including sophis-
ttcat.o Slinger missiles, to the rebel
forces of Jonas Savimbt. leader of
UNITA (Union for the Total Indepen-
dence of Angola, which Is fighting
against the leftist government of An-
gola.
"( think we're seeing the death
lknell of covert actlvtty," said Repre-
sentaUve Henry J, vde~ R-IIL, a
supporter o~a~ to UNITA. He ac-
cused Democrats of engaging in po-
litically inspired "Reagan-bashing."
Mr. Hamilton, who said he op-
poses the aid, said his measure was
designed to assure proper congres-
sional Involvement to such a contro-
versial decision. He said tt 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 [he administration's
plans could eventually involve as
much as S20 million to Stinger mis-
siles alone.
The covert-aid lan is the first
since ongress anned any assist-
ance o ngo rcoets m - y ~ o. ~,ast
year. on ress rcpe a u[
df no s ect c aut ortze unds
for ai tot e rc e s.
epresentative Mark E. Sil)ander.
R-Mich.. said the commlitee vote
yesterday was an attempt "to reverse
the decision [o repeal" the aid ban.
He attempted a procedural maneu-
ver to prevent a vote on the Hamtl-
tan proposal yesterday. but the com-
mt[tee eventually went ahead with
the vote an}way.
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. Savtmbt "has
been portrayed as an ants-commu-
ntst freedom fighter and advocate of
Western capitalism but 1s, in fact, an
avowed Maoist."
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/29 :CIA-RDP90-005528000302930014-1