NICARAGUA SHOWS OFF RAIDERS, WHO CLAIM U.S. BACKED THEM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000201090069-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 24, 2012
• Sequence Number: 69
• Publication Date: January 14, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/24: CIA-RDP90-00965R000201090069-8
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14 JANUARY 1983
Nicaragua shows off raiders,
who claim U.S. backed them
By ALFONSO CHARDY
: erdd Staff Writer
MANAGUA, Nicaragua - Sandi-
nista officials on Thursday exhibit.
ed two captured counterrevolution-
:cries, and their weapons, which
'they held up as proof that the Rea-
gan Administration Is trying to "de-
?stroy the Nicaraguan revolution."
The exhibit. at Government
.House, was organized by Nicara-
:gua's leftist government for the
;benefit of dozens of foreign report-
:ers In Managua to cover a ministeri-
?al conference of the Nonaligned
Movement.
Nicaragua has been seeking the
:endorsement of nonaligned nations
on its contention that the United
-States is an aggressor through its
:alleged hacking of anti-Sandinista
counterrevolutionaries based on
'induran territory.
Some countries friendly to the
:United States have attacked a pro-
-posed conference communique,
drafted by Nicaragua, as "too
harsh" on Washington.
Guarded by Sandinista soldiers,
the exhibit of captured weapons in-
cluded a dozen, dusty U.S.-made
-M16 and AR15 automatic rifles and
a variety of US: made anti-tank
rockets, mortars and directional
.mines bearing the warning, in Eng-
lish, to "point front toward
enemy."
Two landmines on display ap-
ppeeaarred to be homemade. and were
]covered with lids from school
Iunchboxes adorned by cartoons of
Mickey Mouse.
There was a box filled with
60mm mortar shells and green uni-
forms, all labeled as manufactured
in the United States.
"This exhibit is resounding proof
of the aggression perpetrated
against Nicaragua by [contras] who
receive the support of the Reagan
Administration and the CIA," said a
government press spokesman.
The exhibit also included, how-
ever, an armful of Chinese-made
AK47 rifles and RPG2 anti-tank
rocket granades. The spokesman
did not explain how the weapons
wound up in the hands of the Con-
tras.
Several U.S. publications, includ-
ing The Miami Herald, have report-
ed recently that the Reagan Admin-
istration has provided money to the
contras to harass, but not to over-
throw, the Sandinistas.
However. Lt. Oscar Loza, opera-
tions chief for State Security, said,
"The purpose of the United States
and the contras Is to destroy the Ni-
caraguan revolution and bring back
the Somoza dictatorship," referring
to the Anastasio Somoza govern-
ment overthrown in 1979.
He went on to say that the con-
tras' medium-term aim is to seize a
portion of Nicaraguan territory, es-
tablish a government and obtain
diplomatic recognition from the
United States and Honduras.
Since contra groups stepped up
their activities last year, he said,
147 persons have been killed, 249
have been kidnaped and 72 have
been wounded In various attacks,
mostly near the Honduran border.
Loza Introduced the first prisoner
as Juan Ramon Urel Osorio, 28, al-
legedly taken Dec. 8 as be led a unit
bent on disrupting Nicaragua's cof-
fee harvest.
"I know the governments of the
United States and Honduras help
the contras because I saw officials
of both countries in ? the contra
camps" in Honduras. Urel said.
Another purported contra prison-
er shown to the press was Identified
as Nadin Pena Gadea, 18, allegedly
captured Jan. 2 as he carried explo-
sives from Honduras Into Nicaragua
to blow up railway tracks.
Pena described himself as a, con-
tra intelligence officer who had
been recruited and assigned to iden-
tify strategic Sandinista facilities in
Managua and nearby Masaya. He
also said he has ?seen "several Ar?
gentine and American and Hondu-
ran officers in the contra camps."
Neither Urei nor Pena could pro-
vide the names of Americans they
saw, nor did they explain how they
knew the men were Americans.
Carlos Alberto Izaguirre Uman-
zor told reporters be was a Hondu-
ran army corporal who deserted
last year, because "of what we
were doing to help the contras
against Nicaragua." and also be-,
cause he had "problems with a
(Honduran army] captain." .?
STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/24: CIA-RDP90-00965R000201090069-8