REAGAN SEEKS TO AVERT SHUTDOWN OF COVERT AID TO NICARAGUA GUERRILLAS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000201020041-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 25, 2012
• Sequence Number: 41
• Publication Date: May 3, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/25: CIA-RDP90-00965R000201020041-5
By Patr'ick'E. Tyler
and Lou "Cannon
WaLshlnaton-Post-Brett Wfl s
The Reagan .administration; ves-
-terday sought an.'Ilth hourcompro-
mise to avert a- :congressionally or- -
dared shutdown of covert CIA assist-
ance to guerrilla forces 'operating
-. against the leftist Sandinista,govem
rent in Nicaragua.,.-
'A "'
compromise is in the works," a
,iglr a dininistra'tian-offichal-said.
While the precise _nature'-of any
:compromise was unclear,-.Rep;- C.W.
(Bill) Young- (R-Fla., a :member of
the` House Permanent --Se'lect Com-
nmittee .on Intelligen&, said "he had
received a telephone call-from CLA
:Director William; 'Casey_,saying
that he had "pro seti- -ptatr-:-that
would impose greater iestricLions on
covert activity in Nicaragua. - .
Administration :lsdurces =said the
-restrictions would -fie -aimed at en-
suring that covert : activity; was lim-
ited to interdictionkof.arnis supplies
to leftist guerrillas=.in El..Salvador.
While this is -the -supposed purpose
of the present covert acticzty, some
administration critics have charged
that it is aimed at destabilizing or
overthrowing the Sandinista govern-
ment.
Young said that Casey told him
his compromise plan was outlined in
--a .letter last week .-to Committee
. Chairman -Edward P. Boland (D-
-Mass.) apd . 41. 1(enneth t Robinson
(R=Va.), the panel's anking_Repub.
- limngt ,
Leslation by Boland -.and-`Rep.
Clement J. Zablocld W-Wis.)_to cut
off funds for -all covert activity in
Nicaragua is scheduled to come up
in the committee this morning, but
Young said he and Robinson had
asked for a delay because-of sched-
uling conflicts.
Young has proposed an amend-
ment that would cut off the funding
45 days after it was determined that
Nicaragua was no longer aiding the
ARTICLE AFPF_RKtD WASHINGTON POST
ON PAGE A- J2
3 MAY 1983
Reagan Seeps to Aver
Shutdown of Covert .Ai
T-o Nicaragua Guerrillas
When the Sate Intelligence
Committee meets at 2 p.m. today it
also will have legislation before it to
shut down covert aide. The bill, pro-
posed by Sen. David F. Durenberger
(R-Minn.), was first considered two
weeks ago but was put over because
of poor attendance at the session. -
Congressional sources said yester-
day that there are only "five -hard
votes" on the Senate committee to
cut off covert, aid. with eight needed.
Two senators, William S. Cohen (R-
Maine) and Walter D: Huddleston
(D-Ky.), are regarded as undecided.
Efforts to - cut. off funds for covert
activity have divided both parties
.,and provoked lively debate within
the administration. The president
and his national security advisers
have made it known that they prefer
no additional restrictions, -but' the\_
have been told by friendly congress-
men that they must make some?con-
cessions or face the possibility :of a
House-voted cutoff on covert assist-
ance. -
- But the issue also has?ddeeply-di
vided congressional Democrats. risk-
ing the fragile. unity they appear to
have achieved in the House-on major
domestic legislation.
Last week House Majority Leader
James C. Wright Jr. (D-Tex.) deliv
ered a stinging rebuke to the nation-
ally televised response of Sen. Chris-
topher J. Dodd (D-Mass.) to -Rea-
.gan's speech on Central America be-
--fore- a. oint session of Congress.
Wright accused Dodd of "florid rhet-
oric" and "hyperbole;'-adding:."I.be-
lieve in a. bipartisan foreign policy.
We've got one president."
Some Democrats have privately
expressed political concern-s that
they would, be held responsible if the
leftists won in El Salvador after
,Congress cut off funds for covert
activity and refused the - president
the funds he has requested for out-
right military assistance.
"There are pressures on both sides
for. a compromise;"., one administra-
tion official- said yesterday._ .The
Democrats don':t ' want : to be-. held
responsible for what happens if ley
cut off -the funds. And some of our
hard-liners-are beginning to iflalize t
they're going.to have t. o accept some
more restrictions in:order-to save the
package." - -
The' administration is most-.con-
cerned about *inning congressional
approval of $60 -million in military
aid funds that }have been bottled up
in - both houses of --Congress. Last
week a House Appropriations sub
committee voted to give the admin-
istrationbalf bf its request.
"Getting'-the full -appropriation..is
most important to us, but we'd like
to keep the covert activity, too, .in
some form," said an administration
official. "It's -a -tool we'd like to
have."
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/25: CIA-RDP90-00965R000201020041-5