REAGAN SAYS U.S. IS ACTING LEGALLY OVER NICARAGUANS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000505400085-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 16, 2010
• Sequence Number: 85
• Publication Date: April 15, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/11/16: CIA-RDP90-00552R000505400085-6
02 FAGr
REAGAN SAYrUSSU
IS ACTING LEGALLY
OVER NICARAGUANS
'We Are Not Doing Anything,'
He Says, to Try to Oust the
Sandinist Government
By FRANCIS X. CLIES
S P W W bTheNeerYak71=0
WASHINGTON, April 14-President
Reagan today denied charges that the
United States was violating the law by
providing covert aid to rebels dedicated
to overthrowing the Nicaraguan Gov_
ernment.
"We are not doing anything to try and
overthrow the Nicaraguan Govern.
meat," the President said at a brief
White House news conference. In de-
fending his policy, Mr. Reagan corn.
plained that his powers under the Con-
N ' YORK TI?2S
15 APRIL 19?,;
lines which are supplying the guerrillas The President, however, noted that
in El Salvador." Senator Barry At the United Nations, diplomats said Goldwater, chairman e,
the Senate Intelligence Committee,
Nicaragua had indicated a possible -said he had found no violations of "the
would softening of position in saying that it letter or the spirit of the law" by the
willing to discuss regional Central Intelligence Agency.
aspects of the dispute but that its first "We are complying with the law -
priority remained immediate concerns the Boland Amendment, which is the
about Honduras. law," the President declared.
In fielding questions about Mr. Bo- The Administration's policy in Cen.
land's charge, President Rea ~ American has been under growing
_ gar smil- Congressional criticism. But the Presi-
ingly
~qes been whether be and other dent called for a clearer '"persp ve"
crit
.'misled" by various about the stivggle in Latin America.
news accounts from Central America "Nicaragua today has created the
regarding United c*-
raguan rebels.
--o- l-&O Ul JOIItn
Asked about the American. public's America,., he said, "an army of some
reaction, Mr. Reagan said: "I think rme backed by a militia of 50,ist.-
oDO1
that when they pay a little more atxm- armed with
tanks, weapons that .
lion to this, ; of heavy-duty tanks, an air force, heli-
they're going to find out
we're not violating the law." " ere Land h.' fighter planes, bomb-
Asked about assertions from Admin. "I think that - _ " -
istration officials, that Cuba or the stand some of these le should under
even n Might introduce new air- ~gan said, looking fo
craft ovi or pio
rth to g . e1Ion'
troops into the cameras broadcasting his remark
Nicaragua dispute, the President at "and ask themselves what is the need
first declined to comment. for them having the
army mall
"I only know that that possibility does of the region.- biggest
exist because the Soviet U-;-
--_- - --
by
then said. "Both of them a dy, be
openly hailed
Nicaragua as the first Communist coun.
try on the mainland of the Western
iadidW.
H B
l
o
and
charge of covert Admin-
1 istratioa,aid was supported Wednesday
by eight members of a 'fact-finding
stitution had been unduly restricted by f ouP that recently returned from the
the Boland Amendment, which bans area. The group, including two House
covert aid to guerrillas members, contended that the Adminis.
the Sandinist Government Nip ing tration was "deeply involved" in help.
gun ing the guerrillas.
, _ Denouncing Nicaragua as a Marxist
Government that wants to overthrow El
Salvador, the President added: "What I
might personally wish, or what' our
Government might wish, still would not
ustity us violating the law of the land."
`We Are Complying With the Law
On Wednesday, the author of the re.
strictive amendment, Representative
Edward P. Boland, chairman of the
House Intelligence Committee, said
"the evidence is very strong" that the
Reagan Administration was violating
the law.
"We are complying with the law," the
President declared today in response.
He declined, however, to be specific
about the exact nature of United States
aid .along the Honduran border where
the rebels are infiltrating Nicaragua,
"I could not and would not talk about
such things,!'. he said, adding: "Any.
thing that we're doing in that area is
simt)ly trying to interdict the supply
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/11/16: CIA-RDP90-00552R000505400085-6