REAGAN HINTS VETO OF ANY BILL ENDING NICARAGUAN REBEL AID

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000505390109-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 9, 2010
• Sequence Number: 109
• Publication Date: May 24, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/09: CIA-RDP90-00552R000505390109-1
ON PAGE 4n3 wman i i,tu i un rv i
24 May 1984
Reagan Hints Veto of Any
Ending Nicaraguan Rebel Aid
By Joanne Omang and Helen Dewar Ma news conference before leaving, Duarte
pledged to control `rightist death squads and
President Reagan has sent some early warn- abuses of authority" and to end "the culture of
inga that he might veto any legislation termi- terror" in his country, in part by changes in
nating his program of aid to rebels against the the military high command. "If I cannot, I
government of Nicaragua, even at the cost of don't deserve to be president," he said.
losing further military aid to El Salvador and These promises won a warm response from
$1.1 billion in other projects in the same bill. Congress, but that warmth did not seem to
As President-elect Jose Napoleon Duarte of extend to the administration's request for $21
El Salvador ended a four-day triumphal tour _. million for the contras.
of Washington and left for home yesterday Instead, House members were debating
ith f
rth
id t
hi
t
i
l
w
er a
o
s coun
u
ry seem
ng
y se-
cure, administration officials turned to the
defense of the three-year-old "contra" program
in Nicaragua, which House critics have vowed
to kill
Secretary of State George P. Shultz, Gen.
John W. Vessey Jr., the chairman of the Joint
Chiefs of Staff, and CIA Director William J.
Casey held meetings on both sides of Capitol
Hill to argue strongly against any shutdown
provisions.
"If it contains termination language, that
could kill the whole bill, including [military
aid to] El Salvador," said a Senate Republican
leadership aide after talking to the White
House. "It puts the whole bill in jeopardy."
Other sources said the White House was
still hoping to work out a compromise and was
not yet calling around to make active veto
threats. The hint of such an effort, however,
did not immediately convert the critics.
Tm not surprised, but I don't think it'll
make anybody cringe in the corner," said Rep.
Wyche Fowler Jr. (D-Ga.), a member of the
House Intelligence Committee that will take
the lead in opposing the contra program when
it comes to the House floor.
Duarte's visit was widely praised in Con-
gress as assuring passage in the House for
Reagan's proposed $62 million in emergency
military aid to El Salvador, which has already
passed the Senate, and easing the way for
larger economic aid proposals after that.
whether to call for a total cutoff or to propose
shutdown funding. They were discussing levels
of about $2 million to fund a military with-
drawal and about $4 million for resettlement
of the contras and their families, according to
House Speaker Thomas P. (Tip) O'Neill Jr.
(D-Mass.).
Majority Leader James C. Wright Jr. (D-
Tex.) said he had told Shultz, Vessey and
Casey that "they've got to confront the issue"
of House determination to end the program.
"It would be a good idea to drop it," he said.
Shultz, Vessey and Casey argued in their
presentation that U.S. vital interests are at
stake in Central America, that US. policy
there is achieving its objectives and that Nic-
aragua is testing U.S. resolve with its contin-
ued military buildup, according to several
members who were present.
Rep. Bill Alexander (D-Ark.), the chief dep-
uty majority whip, quoted Casey as saying,
"The contras are convinced they will win be-
cause God and America are on their side."
"I thought it was pitiful," said Rep. David
R. Obey (D-Wis.). "It was the typical slide and
pony show I've gotten from the Pentagon for
15 years."
Fowler said the arguments are wrong.
"By any objective evaluation there's no ev-
idence of success," he said. "They can continue
to say it but they're now whistling past the
graveyard."
STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/09: CIA-RDP90-00552R000505390109-1