'COVERT' WAR ON SANDINISTAS CHANGING HANDS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000100130050-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 21, 2011
• Sequence Number: 50
• Publication Date: September 14, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/12/21: CIA-RDP90-00965R000100130050-5
ARTICLE APPEARED
ON PAGS$ -
`Covert' War
On Sandinistas
Changing Hands
The death of two Americans in
Nicaragua, killed in a helicopter
crash during an attack on a Sandi-
nista training camp, is evidence that
the CIA-directed "covert" war
against the Managua regime has
been taken over by the private sec-
tor since Congress voted to halt aid
to Nicaragua "contra" guerrillas.
Supplies for the anti-Sandinista
forces and their families come from
a variety of sources in this country
ranging from the Rev. Sun Myung
Moon's Unification Church to U.S.
politicians, evangelical groups and
former military officers.
My associates Jon Lee Anderson
in Central America and John Dillon
in Washington have pieced together
what's going on:
? The aid is being channeled
through private foundations, coun-
cils and commissions, with the co-
operation of influential friends in
the Reagan administration and its
"new right" supporters.
The goal is to replace the CIA's
controversial undercover operation
with a permanent, privately funded
support program for Latin Amer-
ica's various anti-communist ef-
forts.
WASHINGTON POST
14 September 1984
? At least one shipment of med-
ical supplies to Central America,
airlifted from a Michigan military
base, was paid for by the CIA, ac-
cording to government sources. But
the Defense Department has balked
at requests from the private groups
for airlifts of their supplies.
Despite a confidential National
Security Council memo authorizing
transport of private groups' sup-
plies in U.S. planes on a "space
available" basis, Pentagon lawyers
hesitate to approve such flights be-
cause military airlifts of relief sup-
plies are illegal except in cases of
severe national disasters.
Sen. Jeremiah Denton (R-Ala.)
has introduced an amendment to
the defense authorization bill that
would get around this obstacle by
ordering the Pentagon to institute
"such procedures as are necessary"
for the airlifts.
? Key contra leaders identified
the principal sources of supplies-
and cash-since the CIA cutoff was
ordered as CAUSA, a political front
group for Moon's church, and an
organization called Friends of the
Americas Foundation.
The driving force behind the new
foundation is Louisiana state Rep.
Louis Jenkins. He has been hitching
rides for his supplies on U.S. mil-
itary transport planes. The first big
load was flown to Honduras in May
on a Mississippi Air National Guard
flight arranged by Denton and Con-
servative Caucus director Andy
Messing.
? Jenkins' effort is intended to
provide nonmilitary supplies to fam-
ilies of two CIA-backed contra
groups established in Honduras
near the Nicaraguan border.
Officers of Misura, an Indian
guerrilla group, said they got 2 tons
of foodstuff by airlift in early July.
? CAUSA also has been sending
relief supplies to the Indians,
through Moon's Refugee Relief
Freedom Foundation, Misura lead-
ers said.
? Soldier of Fortune magazine
has been providing medical supplies
as well as military training to the
contras. Another donor to refugees
and families of contra fighters is
evangelist Pat Robertson's Chris-
tian Broadcasting Network and its
"700 Club" TV program.
? Sources in World Relief, which
handles U.N. refugee aid programs
in the area, said that the new relief
supplies from the private sector are
going to the several thousand
contra refugees living near the Ni-
caraguan border outside U.N.
camps.
World Relief limits its aid to ref-
ugees who live 25 miles from an
international border, to avoid
charges that it is taking sides in a
political conflict. But Jenkins hinted
that the international agencies pro-
vide assistance mainly to pro-Marx-
ist refugees.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/12/21: CIA-RDP90-00965R000100130050-5