JACKSON, CASTRO REACH MEETING OF MINDS; AMERICAN TAKES HIS MISSION TO NICARAGUA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000303030006-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 21, 2010
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: June 28, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/21 : CIA-RDP90-00552R000303030006-8
ARTICLE APPEARED
ON PAGE. _
WALL STREET JOURNAL
28 June 198+
Jackson, Castro Reach Meeting of Minds;
American Takes His Mission to Nicaragua
By ROBERT W. MERRY
Staff Reporter of TFIE WALI.STREETJOURNAL
MANAGUA, Nicaragua-The Rev. Jesse
Jackson brought his self-styled "moral of-
fensive" to this capital city after reaching a
kind of meeting-of-minds with Cuban Presi-
dent Fidel Castro.
As part of a 10-point basis of agreement
.worked out between the U.S. politician and
the Cuban leader, Mr. Castro agreed to re-
lease from Cuban prisons 22 Americans be-
ing held in connection with various criminal
offenses, mostly drug charges. Mr. Jackson
said he hoped to return the 22 people to the
U.S. in his chartered j ?t today.
Then, in a subsequent development yes-
terday, Mr. Castro agreed to release 26 Cu-
ban nationals held on political charges. Mr.
Jackson, announcing the development to
traveling journalists, said all 26 people to be
released were on a list of political prisoners
monitored by Amnesty International, a
group concerned with human rights.
As part of his earlier understanding with
Mr. Jackson, Mr. Castro also agreed to ac-
celerate discussions with U.S. officials about
the possible return to Cuba of hundreds of
Cuban criminals-so called "excludables"-
currently being held in U.S. prisons. These
people entered the U.S. after Mr. Castro re-
leased them from Cuban prisons and fun-
neled them into the so-called Martel migra-
tion of Cubans into the U.S. in 1980.
These actions were announced during an
extraordinary early-morning news confer-
ence that followed a seven-hour round of dis-
cussions between the Cuban dictator and the
U.S. private citizen. Mr. Jackson, who inter-
rupted his run for the presidency to embark
on his whirlwind, diplomatic tour of Latin
America, is operating without portfolio. But
he suggests he represents what he calls "the
moral high ground."
No Breakthrough Seen
Taken as a whole, yesterday's results
didn't seem to represent any fundamental
diplomatic breakthrough in the adversarial
relationship between the two countries. Mr.
Castro has initiated similar prisoner re-
leases in the past, and the document of
agreement didn't include any significant de-
partures in the Cuban leader's previously
stated positions.
But by taking Mr. Jackson's initiative se-
riously, Mr. Castro did inject some credibil-
ity into the U.S. clergyman's mission, not-
withstanding his private-citizen status. Mr.
Jackson reportedly was much taken with the
charismatic Cuban leader. After one impas-
sioned Castro speech, according to a Jack-
son aide, the American stood up and said:
"Thank you, Rev. Castro."
The stated purpose of Mr. Jackson's six-
day trip, scheduled to end today, is to foster
peace in the war-torn Central American
countries of Nicaragua and El Salvador. The
U.S. government accuses Mr. Castro of fo-
menting some of that strife by funneling
military aid to insurgents bent on toppling
the El Salvador government of President
Jose Duarte. The Reagan administration,
meanwhile, is supporting rebels fighting
against the leftist Sandinista regime in Nica-
ragua.
During his trip, Mr. Jackson repeatedly
has criticized Mr. Reagan's policy of mili-
tary support for the so-called Contras in Nic-
aragua, but he has declined to complain
about Mr. Castro's involvement in the strug-
gle.
White House spokesman Larry Speakes
said the State Department will be "anxious"
to hear Mr. Jackson's views when he re-
turns from his trip. However, Mr. Speakes
said any decision on whether President Rea-
gan will meet with Mr. Jackson won't be
made until after the proposed State Depart-
ment meeting.
In yesterday's document of agreement,
Mr. Castro "reiterated" his support for the
efforts of four Latin American countries to
foster peace through negotiations. Though
the aims of this so-called Contadora group-
Mexico, Venezuela, Colombia and Panama-
are widely lauded, no party involved in the
struggle has been willing to back down mili-
tarily to facilitate negotiations.
Imitation to Castro
The document also disclosed that Mr.
Jackson, "on behalf of a broad base of
American citizens," had invited Mr. Castro
to visit the U.S. The Cuban leader said he
would consider the offer.
Other points in the document include:
-A call for an exchange of ambassadors.
The document said Mr. Castro had agreed to
such an exchange "pending acceptance by
the U.S."
-A commitment to discuss possible lib-
eralization of the two countries' immigration
policies so those living in each country may
more freely visit relatives in the other.
-A commitment to discuss the possibil-
ity of clearing the way for U.S. entry of Cu-
bans released from Cuban jails after incar-
ceration for political crimes. Mr. Castro
aQree~i allow one L. political opponent
of the state, a pp12grtedformer ? ntral In-
telliLence AUnq p2p2 rative named Aju
argas omei to enter the U.S_Thedor
ment said Mz,Jacksan.:alsn raised the is-
sue of some Cuban nationals in prison for
crimes against . thestqle."
-A commitment by Mr. Castro to with-
draw Cuban troops from the African country
of Angola after "the end of aggression
against Angola by South Africa as well as
the complete cessation of South African sup-
port for counterrevolutionary groups op-
posed to the government of Angola."
-Support of Mr. Castro for Mr. Jack-
son's effort to celebrate U.S. friendship with
its southern neighbors through a "hands
across the border" day Sunday, at the U.S.-
Mexican border at San Diego.
The document of understanding also
called for full normalization of relations be-
tween the U.S. and Cuba. "I believe that
someday the relations must normalize,"
said Mr. Castro, adding that the current
friction-filled relationship "simply cannot
continue." But the document didn't contain
any new specific steps toward that end.
STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/21 : CIA-RDP90-00552R000303030006-8