CIA DENIES TIE WITH 'CONTRA' BACKERS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00806R000100320011-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 9, 2010
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: September 12, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

;I-
-Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/09: CIA-RDP90-00806R000100320011-3
ARTICLE APPEARED PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
ON PAGE 12 September 19811
cLA_deBjsjiewith
a" nackp'"F-R
- 4ci11 mission. If our government fails to
d abide by
"CIA officials also stat
e
that they the law itill
, w provide an incentive
WASHINGTON - The Cl t ld the bad no advance knowledge Af the for others including terrorists -
Senate Select Committee on Intelli -specific mission, although they were to follow suit."
fence yesterday that no CIA officers aware of a group of US. volunteers The authors of the study said
were in contact wit any-member of subsequently identified as the 'Civil- This report is concerned
with the
ap Alabama-based paramilitaryor- ran Mllitary Assistance.' However, no actions of US polic}makers, not pri-
`ganiz2tion before two of the group's' CIA officers were in contact with any vale citizens.- If,-however, US. offi- ?
'members were killed Sept. 1 in a member of Civilian Military. Assist- cials were lax in enforcing certain.
helicopter crash in Nicaragua. ance prior. to the ill-fated mission, laws, or actually assisted private citi-
Tt,e committee was briefed by rep. The committee said. zens who were in violation of.the
resentatives of the CLA and the De- - The - statement said Sen. Barry law, then those actions become rele-
fense Department about the helicop- Goldwater.(R Ariz.), 'chairman of Want to the report, and es
especially to
.crash involving the private _ the committee, admonished mem-
ter _ congressional debate,'
anti-communist group, Civilian Mils bees at the outset of the closed meet- The U.S. Neutrality Act prohibits
ta:; Assistance. Afterward, the com- log not to use it as a forum for 1 prig
attacking the t ate expeditions or participation in
_ minee said it was trying to deter- g he two volunteers who military expeditions agai*at foreign
mine w?,ethe the US government died. governments that are at peace with
was owhetlly involved in the inci- "They both were veterans of the the United States.
dent Vietnam War," Goldwater was "Although the governments of the
Tiwo members of Civ.ian Military quoted as saying "I believe ,.
Assistance, Dana Herbert Parker Jr. g they what of Huntsville, AAla. and James Powell was right Whether or not they made diplomatic relations, and no declara-
3d is,
of of mph Tenn, were killed a good decision here, they have paid Lion of war has been asserted," the
when a military helicopter crashed for it with their lives, and we should report said.
dtrring an operation by CIA-backed Meanmindfulwhile, of a thacont"
rebels.
retie?s, knnown ~ corntras, fighting gressional caucus cia shto halt the activities of CMAfor
?tl` ou- d govenment o Mica- studying US. policies in Central other groups sending cash and aid to
rzgua. America said American officials may the contras adds strength to the case
The intelligence committee state- have violated the US. Neutrality Act that the Neutrality Act may be bein
me.^,t quoted CIA representatives as and three other laws in connection violated." g
disclaiming any A relationship with the incident The caucus said Civilian 1`litary
with Civilian Aiilitary?ssistance~nd. The Departments of State, Justice, Assistance evidently had failed to
saying the agency "had ns involve- Defense and The T easuryalso-are obtain necessary export licenses for
investigating whether any 'U.S. laws such items as ammunition clips and
= or, regulations have been violated- . -camouflage uniforms End maybave
< ?I'h'e congressional caucus consists violated licensing re?uiremenis for
135 House 'rid Senate members, : `export of "defense services" bypro-
most -of them Democrats- ~~ding military training to the-con-
The report on the activities of Ci. i7as. -
vilian Military Assistance was issued The authors cited reports that a
as an addendum to a 5Dpage-repori U.S. Army officer in San Salvador
analyzing possible violations of law . served as liaison between the organi.
by US. officials cars-?ing outtbe Rea- nation and the Salvadoran army.
fan administration'spolicies in Cen- They said the Defense Department
- tral -Ameri ca ' 1- _"x-.~ . ,- - ---? and the C new of the organiza
'`"The'report said-there appeared to .tion's activities in the spring and
be a "far-reaching and inclusive" failed to take. action.
attern i
"
p
n which
numerous individ-
ual laws have been violated."
Rep. Jim Leach (R., Iowa) the cau-
cus chairman, said, "The United
States has escaped major terrori
sm
because we are a law-abiding nation.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/09: CIA-RDP90-00806R000100320011-3