PRESIDENT TO APPEAL TO CONGRESS, NATION TO BACK LATIN POLICY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000201020043-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 25, 2012
• Sequence Number: 43
• Publication Date: April 21, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/25 : CIA-RDP9O-00965ROO0201020043-3
ON PAGE
21 APPL 1983
President to
Appeal
To Congress, Nation
To Back Latin Pofic~'
By Patrick F. Tyler
and Lou Cpnnon
Wesnmf!wn Part Stuff Wrltc?rc
President Reagan has decided to
make an unusual appearance before
a ic,jnt session of Congress next
Wednesday night to seek support for
his sagging Central American policy
and attempt the rescue of his endan-
gered militarv aid package for El
Salvador.
Reagan was described by aides
yesterday as believing that only a
antjoraliy teie\iset speech. in which
he will he appealing to the country
a< ?'eil as CongTress, can rescue his
'-Ili) million aid request for the Sal-
vncloran military alter recent House
corntatttee votes to cut at least S.5b
rr;illiun from, it.
The aides said Reagan wanted to
acaciress ;t joint session because ?hj-
post Speeches- or, Central America
did not receive the eelevisjon cover
ee he sought.
"h his,
(or'. is, written. God forbid,
that Central America has gone con:-
munjst and 1'lexico is flooded with
re: itees, they're not gain.- to say
that Ronald Reagan didn't do his
dead level best to prevent it," said
one odrninjctration official yesterday.
white House national security
affairs adviser Wilijam P. Clark and
chief of staff .James A. Baker III,
who have been feuding over defense
spending, agreed yesterday that it is
"critical" for the president. to speak
out to win congressional approval of
the military aid for El Salvador, of-
ticials said.
One official said it was "absurd"
I0r Congress to "hlithely approve
40 million extra for Israeli aid and
not give S50 million needed in our
u'r hack yard."
The Howe also has delayed for
.more- than a month Reagan's request to ragua, but he insisted that their sole-pur-
transfer the remaining. S60 million in ad- pose was to stop the flow of arms from
ditional military aid for El Salvador from Nicaragua to El Salvador.
other foreign aid accounts.- Several sources said this week that
In addition, Democratic members of the Democrats on the House Intelligence Com-
House Intelligence Committee are consid- mittee may want to stop funding the co-
ering new restrictions on the administra- vert operations because of evidence that
iion's financing of covert operations the CIA is stretching its definition of
against the leftist government of Nicara arms interdiction" to include the support
gua, which has been accused by Reagan of of anti-Sandinista groups trying to over-
shipping arms to leftist guerrillas in El throw the current government and whose
Salvador. aggressive military activities in Nicaragua
Some critics have said the administra- Cannot be defined as arms interdiction.
lion is violating an existing congressional In announcing the speech plans yester-
prohibition against CIA activities aimed at day. Speakes cited what he said was'
as "fool-
overthrowing the Nicaraguan government. proof evidence" that the Nicaragua regime
After questioning Secretary of State was involved in gun running to Central
George P. Shultz for three hours in closed American guerrillas. He referred to Brazil's
session last night, the House committee is grounding of tour Libyan cargo planes
expected to decide today whether to re- loaded with a cache of arms and military
strict CIA activities further. equipment parts disguised as medical sup-
Rea,,,an's address to Congress is to locus plies.
on the X110 million aid package. Senior The planes were hound for Nicaragua.
administration officials are known to he Stocakes did not sa}' the arms shipment
frustrated with the congressional debate ~~tt hound for Fl Salvador, but stated it
on Central America, which has instead to- "very well could have been designed to aid
cased on the legality of U.S. covert oiler those who would attempt to overthrow ,
ations.. democratic governments" in the region.
The president and his top foreign policy Speakes added, "'T'his is foolproof evi-
advisers are concerned about increased dence that outside forces are continuing to
Cuban and Soviet influence in the region, supply arms to the region in an attempt to
which they see as a direct threat to U.S. upset the reforms that have been so eager-
interests. iy sought by the governments there."
" We will continue to push for the El
Salvador aid package," White House
spokesman Larry Speakes said yesterday.
"We think it's essential this country, which
js pledged to democratic principles and re-
forms, be provided with this aid to
provide a shield so they can protect them-
selves from people who obviously want to
destroy their progress."
Reagan acknowledged for the first time
last week that the United States was in-
volved in covert operations against Nica-
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/25: CIA-RDP9O-00965ROO0201020043-3