REAGAN PROPSES $298 MILLION MORE FOR LATIN REGION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000505400105-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 9, 2010
• Sequence Number: 105
• Publication Date: March 11, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/09: CIA-RDP90-00552R000505400105-3
REAGAN PROPOSES
$298 MILLION MORE
diets into combat?" Mr. Reagan asked
before the group, which gave him a
STATI
NEW YORK TD-TEES
11 MARCH 1983
Mr. Reagan's speech sought to bal-
ance the Administration's anxiety
about what he called Soviet, Cuban and
Nicaraguan efforts to "pursue political
change through violence", in Central
America, with demands by many mem-
i>ers of Congress that the Adrnini tra-
Central American Nations, He warm introduction and send-off. "The
' answer is a flat no."
Says, Are Having `Gravest Negotiations, Mr. Reagan added,
"are a key part of our policy." He said
Crisis in Their History' the United states supported the r~
F OR LATIN REIUN lion activelseek a political solution to
1 ` end the guerrilla war. Beyond this,
many members of Congress are plainly
uneasy about American involvement in
Salva and reeweg compare end it to Vietnam.
SALVADOR SHARE HIGHEST El AA
By BERNARD WEINRAUB
Spe ro The $rw York Tame
WASHINGTON, March 10 - Presi-
dent Reagan, saying that the nations of
Central erica "are in the midst of
the g: avest crisis in their history,"
today proposed an emergency SM mil-
bon r..ilitary and economic assistance
package for the region that inclues 5110
million in arms aid for El Salvador.
"Central America is simply too close
ac the strategic stakes are too high for
us to ignore the danger of governments
swag power there with ideological
any milita_n* ties close to the Soviet
trio," N . Reagan said in a policy
Mr. Reagan said the military situs-
tir, in Ei Salvador was "not good" and
caked that country the current "first
target" of the Soviet Union, Cuba and
Nicaragua. "If guerrilla violence suc.
ceeds," Mr. Reagan said, "El Salvador
mill join Cuba and Nicaragua for
spreading fresh violence to Guatemala,
Honduras, even Costa Rica. The killing
will increase and so will the threat to
Panama, the canal and ultimately Mex-
rco."
Weeks of Of5dal Debate
Mr. Reagan's speech, befote'a lunch-
eon of the National Association of
Manufacturers at the Washington. Hil-
ton Hotel, came after nearly two weeks
of Administration debate and concern
over what officials termed the deterio-
rating milhary situation in Ei Salvador,
the critical shortages of ammunition
and the possible need to increase the
number of American military advisers
there beyond the self-imposed limit of
55.
gional peace mituauve now under way,
and "we wish It well." The effort, begun
by Costa Rica, excludes the United
States, although Administration offl-
cials privately and publicly have wel.
corned it.
"Bullets are no answer to economic
inequities, social tensions or political
disagreements," Ifs. Reagan said.
"Democracy is. What we want is to en.
able Salvadorans to stop the killing and
sabotage so that economic and political
ce in Tne region an
to an end through dialogue, negotia-
tions, whatever." He added, "We've got
to take it off the battlefield."
Administration officials said Mr.
Reagan played a role in the choice of
language in the speech, which was
worked over until early this morning.
Members of a task force from the State
Department, White House, Pentagon
and Central Intelligence Agency also
worked on the speech, and Jeane J.
Kirkpatrick, the delegate to the United
Nations, played a key role, Administra-
tion officials said.
Mr. Reagan as well as aides, in brief.
ings before the speech, told Congress, in
effect, that unless the Administration
received the military hmds it wanted
.for El Salvador this year, the United
States might be compelled to increase
,the number of military adyisets theret_
Mr. Reagan said "the best way" to
t,train Salvadorans - and keep the num- i
bar of Americans there as low as possi-
ble - was "to provide training outside
of El Salvador, in the United States or
elsewhere.
"But that costs a lot more," Mr. Rea-
gan said. "So the number of U.S. train-
ers in El Salvador will depend upon the
resources available." An Administra..
tion official said it costs 10 times more
to train Salvadoran units in the United
States than it does in their own country. .
T
l
k
, who spo
he officia
e to reporters
reforms can take root."
11 before M_*. Reagan's speech, said that if
The additicniaT M million economic Congress cut the requested funds, the
and military proposal for the region this, training would have to be done in El Sal-
year includes til million in militaryvador, and that would probably require
aid for El Salvador and $67 million in sending more American advisers.
i economic aid. This brings the overall According to an aid official at the
military aid request for El Salvador State Department, El Salvador is now
this year to $136.3 million, while pro- the sixth largest recipient of American
posed economic assistance for 1983 is I. military and economic aid, after Israel,
now SZ27.1 million.. Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan and SoAin.
Last year, El Salvador received Mr. Reagan told the business group
5178.5 million in economic assistance 1 that the nations of Central America
and $82 million in military aid. , "are in the midst of the gravest crisis in
In addition to seeking more money their history." He continued: Accumu-
for El Salvador, Mr. Reagan proposed lated grievances and social and eco.
increasing military aid by a total of $20 nomic change are challenging t radi-
million for Honduras, Costa Rica and tional ways.
Panama Canal security. Mr. Reagan + "i e r struggle for a better future de-
also said he would seek an added $168 serv?eisi o4ur help. We should be proud to
million in economic assistance for Be- for in the last analysis line, Costa Rica, E1 Salvador and Hon- offer it, they are
duras. El Salvador's share would be the fighting for us, too. And we will not let
largest. This places the overall -eco- them down."
nomic aid request for the tour nations He added: "The problem is that an
this year at $472 million,. aggressive minority has thrown in its
Initial reaction from Congress was lot with the Communists, looking to the
somewhat negative. "I don't see the Soviets and their Cuban henchmen to
voters around here at the present I help them pursue political change
time," said Speaker Thomas P. O'Neill, through violence. Nicaragua has be..
Jr. "Be's going to have to do..a lot of come their base."
selling."
Senator Christopher J. Dodd, Demo-
crat of Connecticut and a vocal toe of
Administration 'policy in El Salvador,
said be was convinced that "the Presi-
dent still totally misunderstands the
problem and we've not to listen to the
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/09: CIA-RDP90-00552R000505400105-3