REAGAN ARMS PLAN DEBATED IN EUROPE

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Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP90-00552R000505370089-6
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RIFPUB
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K
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2
Document Creation Date: 
December 22, 2016
Document Release Date: 
September 13, 2010
Sequence Number: 
89
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Publication Date: 
March 26, 1983
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OPEN SOURCE
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4 4 4 4 LI ! 4 POLICE ARREST 250 IN CHILEAN RIOTING ? Approved For Release 2010/09/13: CIA-RDP90-00552R000505370089-6 THE NEW YORK TIMES, SATURDAY, MARCH 26, 1983 Water Cannons Drench CroWds Who Block Downtown Area ?9 Bombs in Santiago By EDWARD SCHUMACHER Special to The New York Times SANTIAGO, Chile, March 23 -- Nearly 250 people were under arrest , here today after violent protests Thurs. , day night against the military Govern- ment of President Augusto Pinochet. Policemen used water cannons to bat- tle hundreds of rock-throwing protest- ers for more than an hour in a 20-block area. Diplomats here said it was the first time the cannons had been used since 1973, when General Pinochet over- threw the Marxist Government of President Salvador Allende Gossens. The protests reportedly were organ- ized by. the Communist Party Youths, an outlawed organization, and the po- lice said most of those arrested were youths. But many office workers and shoppers joined in jeering the police, chanting, "Pinochet, assassin!" or "Work, bread, justice and liberty!" Iii4s0'issest Explosions Wound Two Hundreds of youths later blocked rush-hour traffic on the Alemeda, a cen- tral boulevard, tearing down street. signs, starting bonfires and pelting po- licemen with stones in a brief skirmish. They were dispersed by riot policemen and a plainclothesman firing pistol shots in the air. The demonstrations followed the Former West German Leader Named Co-editor of Die Zeit HAMBURG, West Germany, March 25 (Reuters) ? The former West Ger- man Chancellor, Helmut Schmidt, who was toppled in parliamentary vote in October, will become co-editor of the authoritative political weekly Die Zeit on May 1, The newspaper's publisher, Gerd Bu- cerius, said today that Mr. Schmidt had been entre-14.0d with the job because of his "exceptional talents and his great achievements for West Germany." - Mr. Schmidt, who served as Social Dernecratic Chancellor in a left-liberal government for eight years, would work alongside the present editor, Mar- ion Drinhoff. - In the first quarter of this year, Die Zeit pushed its circulatiqn above the 490,000 mark for the first time. - 'CHILEAN POLICE QUASil PROTEST: Demonstra. tors seeking cover as water cannon moves through a Santiago street breaking up anti-Government rally.. Tear gas was also used. Two hundred people were at - United Press International rested, and officials said pturfahment would be severe. Protesters were denouncing rising cost of living and economic policies of the military government of Presi- dent Augusto Pinochet, who seized power in a 1973 coup. detonation of nine explosive devices around this city Wednesday night and early Thursday morning. The police said the blasts slightly wounded two people, damaged a bridge and cut off the water supply to a workers' neigbor- hood. Brig. Gen. Enrique Montero Marx, the Interior Minister, said the Govern- ment would use "maximum energy" against those responsible for the bomb- ings, which he said appeared to be part of a joint operation with the demonstra- tions. The protests were called through leaf- lets distributed in Santiago criticizing the Government's handling of the Chil- ean economy. General Pinochet's rule was extended in 1980 by a national plebi- scite until at least 1989, but since the vote the country has plunged into a de- pression. Protest demonstrations heve been increasing. Church Says 1,400 Detained The Government reports that unem- ployment has nearly doubled over the last year to more than 20 percent in the greater Santiago area and higher in the provinces. In addition, 12 to 13 percent of the werk force is in low-paying make- shift public works projects similar to those of the 1930's in the United States. "With this unemployment, we're sit- ' ting on a volcano,n Genera Arriagada Herrera, a Christian Democrat leader said, The Roman Catholic Church here re- ports that during protests last year, more than 1,400 people were detained, compared to 1,100 in 1981. The economic pressures have caused splits in the coalition of b'usinessrnen, rightwing nationalists and the military that has- supported General Pinochet. But the debate ha; been mostly over economic policy and the methods of transition, and not over the General himself. Priests Among Those Arrested He remains firmly entrenched in power, enjoying what appears to be the complete loyalty of the armed forces, according to even opposition leaders and the church. General Pinochet and the church's leader, Rant Cardinal Silva Henriquez, Archbishop of Santia- go, have been locked in a dispute since the Government ordered three foreign priests out of the country two weeks ago. The three had been working to or- ganize poor people to demand greater social welfare, church workers said. Two more priests and two seminar- ians were among those arrested Thuri- day, church leaders said. The priests were reportedly released today. It was ? not clear how many others had been freed; the police can hold those seised for five days without charges. Interior Minister Montero met today with the Papal Nuncio , Msgr. Angelo Sodano, and said afterwards that the participation of the priests in the demonstrations add to the church-state tension. Rut Enrique Palet Claramunt, execu- tive secretary of the human rights and social welfere arm of the church, said the churchmen were arrested as they were leaving a memorial mass for th late El Salvadoran Archbishop, Oscar Romero, who was assassinated two years ago. He said they were not a part of the demonstrations, though they and about 60 priests in the mass did alive people from the street to seek refuge in the church during the police crack- down. Most opposition political partiei have opposed street demonstrations, fearing violence and seeing them as futile. Sorree said the Communists were taking advantage of the situation, and diplo- mats said the demonstration had even been advertised on the Moscow radio's Spanish-language broadcast, "Listen Chile." ?Demonstrations were called also in other cities, but they reportedly were Reagan Declares 'You Bet He'llStick With Adelman By FRANCIS X. CLINES Special to The New York Times WASHINGTON: March 25 ? Presi- dent Reagan emphatically defended Kenneth L. Adelman, his nominee to head the Arms Control and Disarma- merit Agency, today and said Mr. Adel- man's Senate critics were 'smaller than the person they're attacking." "You bet I'm sticking by Mr. Adel- man," the President said in response to a question ata brief White House news conference. The nomination has been bogged down in the Senate by weeks of contro- versy about Mr. Adelman's' qualifica- tions, with Democrats and Republicans charging that his private memos con- tradict his Senate testimony on the sub- ject of a possible personnel purge at the disarmament agency. 'Excellently Qualified'' "I think he is excellently qualified," the President said of his nominee, "and I think that the fuss that has been raised about him is, smacks of people smaller than the person they're attacking." - On a second question the President, asked whether he would soon offer a proposal for an interim reduction in medium-range nuclear missiles, said, "Tune in next week." He plans to make a speech on the subject next Thursday in Los Angeles. This was the second time in four weeks that Mr. Reagan has complained of the delay and controversy in the Sen- ate's consideration of Mr. Adelman. Last month, the Senate Foreign Rela- tions committee forwarded the nomina- tion to the Senate floor with a recom- mendation that it be rejected. The President then denounced Senate 'crit- ics of the nomination as' irresponsible" and defended his right to choose his ewn nominee te run the arms agency. The latest dispute over Mr. Adelman focuses on his testimony that he had not thought "at all" about personnel changes at the agency, Private memos by Mr. Adelman, subsequently re- leafed, depict him as having begun an inquiry for more qualified personnel at the agency and having 'referred to a memo received from Edward L. Rowny, the chief strategic arms nego- tiator, that called for a "houseclean- ing" at the agency. President. Reagan, commenting on those memos today, defended Mr. Adel- man's behavior as "perfectly natural." "How someone can be hung out to dry fos having received a letter from some- one else," the President said. "He didn't write the letter, he received it." "Isn't this natural," the President continued, "that someone who is in the position of assuming the directorship of an agency or a department or commis sion or whatever it might be, is going to make inquiries of people on the scene with regard to personnel and so forth? And it was perfectly natural ? I've done it myself ? that when the letter ' came he passed it to an aide, or one who is collecting all the information, that be would have to deal with it when he was in the job." Mr. Adelman, complaining that he was being "unfairly maligned," has said that reception of Mr? Rowny's memo, was "unavoidable" but that otherwise he has deferred all personnel decisions until after Senate confirma- tion. The Senate, which is still lookieg into the matter, has put off debate and vote on Mr. Adelman 's nomination until next month. Ad Is Forgiven, Peking Tells a Tennis Defecto -- PEKING, March 23 (AP) ? A For- eign Ministry spokesman r said today that a 19-year-old Chinese tennis player; who defected to the United States last summer would not be prosecuted if she returned home. The player, Hu Na, said last week that threats from Chinese Communist Party officials frightened her into seek- ing asylum. The spokesman said that if Miss Hu. returned to China, she would be sent I soon to play in an international tourna-1 in ent in Switzerland. Miss Hu is still awaiting formal United States approval of her applica- tion for political asylum. She said earlier this week that just be. fore she left China to play in the Federa- tion Cup tournament in Santa Clara, Calif., last summer, high-ranking party officials told her she was "embarress. hiss" tbeCenamunist Party by refusing to join. rhee Foreign Ministry spokesman said in a statement: "In recent years mi Na frequently went abroad to take part in international competition after she was trained as a tennis player. The Chinese Tennis Association has de- clared that so long as Hu Na makes up her mind and returns home, the associ- ation will still send her to participate in an international tournament to be held in Switzerland in June this year. There- fore the question of proseceting her did not exist in the past nor will it arise after her return to China." Nicaragua Says Hondurans qre Driven Off in a Battle Continued From Page I evidence available to reporters here. This is believed to be because of the ' Honduran-based rebels' identification with the unpopular national guard of the Government of Anastasio Somoza De- bayie, whieh the Sandinists overthrew in 1979: By contrast, a separate Costa Rica. based exile movement, headed by a popular former Sandinist corninander, Eden Pastore Gomez, who hal rejected an alliance with former national guardsmen, appears more acceptable to domestic critics of the Government. This group has carried out no armed actions to date, but Mr. Pastore, widely known by his revotutionary name, Com- , 'mender Zero, says he has a following in the Saridinist army and intends to draw on this to challenge the Sandinist Gov- ernment. Aidee to Mr. Pastors said he entered Nicaragua secretly this week to start preparing for an uprising. Sandinists Express Alarm Although the Nicaraguan Democratic Force, as the rebels based in Honduras call themselves, is not thought to pose a direct threat to the Government now, Sandinist officials here have expressed alarm at the gradual stepping up of the conflict in northern Nicaragua. They fear that infiltration of the 2,000 rebels in recent months could foreshadow a major effort, backed by the United States and Honduras, to topple the Gov- ernment. Nicaragua protested tWice this week that Honduran Army units fired on San- dinist border outposts. Officials here also charged that Honduras had mobi: lized troops to its border with Nicara- gua.-to protect rebel units forced to re- treat into Honduras. , Without extensive eupport from abroad, even exile leaders acknowledge that their forces are no match for the Sandinists' 22,000-man army and 40,000- member militia, which have been trained by Cuban military advisers and equipped with Soviet-made automatic rifles and artillery. Some diplomats here believe that prolongation of the siomenng war cpuld have indirect political repercus- sions by making Nicaragua's economic crisis worse. Nearly half the Govern- ment's budget is already being spent on the military, while rebel bands are ex- pected to focns on economic sabotage rather than direct military confronta- tions with the Sandinist army in coming months. , Much of the popular disaffection with the Sandinists appears to stem from worsening econcsic conditions as gaso- - line, sugar, flour and. other products have been brought under rationing. Dip- lomats here said increased social hard- ship, while not benefiting the rebels, could further erede sympathy for the Government. At the same time, in the view pf many diplomats," reports that the United States Central Intelligence Agency, is arming and training these rebels have also enabled the Sandinists to stir up na- tionalist sentimente and consolidate their control over the country. State of Emergency Last March the Government declared a state of emergency involving controls on political activities as well as press censorship. In this period the Sandinists have been able to strengthen their political party apparatus, whinh includes a net- work of grass-roots Sandinist "defense committees." Many apolitical Nicara- guan parents have also been forced to take sides against the -rebels in that their teen-age children have been sent to northern combat zones as part of re- serve militia battalions. One casualty over the last year, diplo- mats said, has been credibility in the Sandinists' pledge to maintain political pluralism. Although the Government has reiterated its plan to hold elections here in 1985, interviews with officials suggest that the mood of the country is now so polarized that even existing do- mestic opposition parties are viewed by officials as part of a bread "counter- revolutionary" strategy. Opposition Is Divided But while the Government insists that "there is only one counterrevolution," opposition groups are still divided, not only between those operating out of Honduras and Miami and followers of Mr. Pastore in Costa Rica, but also be- tween those abroad and the business, political and church critics of the Gov- ernment still in Nicaragua. The Government has been able to demonstrate that most armed actions have been carried out by former na- tional guardsmen, reviving, memories of the brutality and corruption of the Somoza Government. As a result, the first politicians and businessmen who broke with the San- dinists in early '1980 avoided allianceS with' either the National Liberation Army or the 15th of September Legion because of their links with the past. In- stead, a former foe of General Somoza, Fernando Chamorro Rapacciolli, formed the Nicaraguan Democratic Union, In 1980 and 1981 these groups enjoyed the support of the Honduran Army and 4rgentme military advisers, but the Sendinists saw them as little more than a military irritant that served the con- (venient political purpose of creating the specter of an outside enemy. U.S. Aid to Rebels - But in early 1982, according to both Nicaraguan and United States officials, the Reagan Administration became di- rectly involved it r-''iI the "counterrevolutionary" moveznenn playing a key role in unifying several exile groups into the Nicaraguan Demo- cratie Force. Through the C.I.A., Wash- onduras Denies Sandinist Charger: The New York Times / March 28, 1983 Cross indicates border area where fighting was reported. ington also reportedly began providing the rebels with weapons, uniforms, communications equipment and money for salaries.Because only forrner guardsmen had military experience, they were placed in key command posts, .1411????.=41??????? Nicaraguan Welcomes Talks Special to The New York Times UNITED NATIONS, N.Y., March 25 ? Deputy Foreign Minister Victor Hugo Tinoco of Nicaragua told the Se- cunty Council today that his country would welcome direct talks with Hon- duras over Nicaragua's charge that 2,000 insurgents hat1 infiltrated from Honduran bases, By STEPHEN KINZER Special to The New York Times TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, Marc 25 ? The Honduran Foreign Minist denied Nicaraguan charges today that Honduran troops had crossed into Nica- ragua in recent days. "That is totally false," said Juan Serra Fonseca, spokesman for Foreign Minister Edgardo Paz Bernice. He said Nicaragua's Sandinist Government had tried to provoke a Honduran incursion by moving 20 truckloads of soldiers to "strategic positions" near the border. - "The Government of Honduras has no plans to send reinforcements to the bor- der areas" Mr. Serra !Fonseca. said. "We are continuing to seeR resolution of this matter through purely diplomatic channels." A military source close to the Hondu- ran. Atney said that there were nor- mally, about 450 soldiers guarding the 475-mile border with Nicaragua and that therelvas no indication the number had been increased in the last week. Honduran to Visit U.S. The Honduran Government an- nounced this afternoon that Mr. Paz would visit the United States this week- end to present his country's position to the United Nations and the Organiza- tion of American States. After an eight-hour meeting Thurs- day of the Honduran National Security Council, which includes the nation's top "A Classic is Forever" Bob Lee's GADJIT Oat= cATairr: ? ? from our atelier in France military and civilian readers, Mr. Paz said Honduras was "ready to defend the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country." He said Honduras was not involved in the fighting inside Nicaragua, which he described as "an internal conflict." Military analysts and diplomats hern said they doubted the two countries would go to war because neither pos- sesses the logistical capacity to sustain a military offensive. On the streets of this capital, no unusual movements were seen and people said they ex- pected the current dispute to fade away soon. . 'Diversionary,' U.S. Envoy Says' The United States Ambassador to Honduras, John D. Negroponte, dis- missed Nicaragua's assertions that it was under attack as "a diversionary tactic." He said it was designed to shift attention away from what he called more important regional questions, lik She preeience of Cuban militaryeedvise in Nicaragua' and the buildup o Sandi 1St military forc6S. Mr. Negroponte asgerfed the fighti said to be under way in Nicaragua well inside Nicaraguan territory. don't think the situation on the border i any different from what it has been e any time in the recent past," he sacli Mr. Negroponte refused to commeti on Nicaraguan charges and press r ports that the insurgents have ben o ganized, trained and financed by United States. The rebel radio station said -soda that insurgents had inflicted 450 ties on Nicaraguan Government force and had destroyed "dozens of vehicl including a Soviet tank." It peedict that the Sandinist regime, wleich called a "Marxist dictatorship," woe! fall within six months. 4 WLOOK FOR THE FAMOUS VVIM & KAREN LOGO. THE $I am""2"?r- OF AUTHENTIC SCANDINAVIAN FURNITURE. 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