REAGAN, ALFONSIN DIFFER ON REGION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000302440035-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 31, 2012
• Sequence Number: 35
• Publication Date: March 20, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/11/01: CIA-RDP90-00965R000302440035-4
/
WASHINGTON POST
AhTICLE APFLLRED 20 March 1985
ON PAGE " 1
on Region
Reagan Alfin Differ Argentine Leader Stresses Dialogue and Nonintervention
By John M. Goshko
Washington Post Staff Writer
President Reagan told Argen-
tina's President Raul Alfonsin yes-
terday that "the communist tyranny
imposed on Nicaragua" cannot be
allowed to "spread to the free lands
of the Americas," but Alfonsin re-
plied that peace in Central America
depends on dialogue and noninter-
vention.
I, in welcoming Alfonsin to the
White House Reagan again asked
Congress to renew covert aid for
rebels, known as "contras,," fighting
the leftist Sandinista government in
Nicaragua. He charged again that
the Sandinistas, who took power
after the fall of Anastasio Somoza in
1979, had betrayed the Nicaraguan
revolution.
r join
l
e a
1ne Nicaraguan peop
and carefully avoided endorsing the
ing the ranks of the freedom fight- . U.S. emphasis on military solutions remarks, made clear his frustration
ers," Reagan said. "Nearly three in Central America. at reconciling the fiscal austerity
times as many men are fighting the "I am convinced that it is through demanded by the International
communists right now as the San- dialogue that we will be able to Monetary Fund with the hardships
dinistas had fighting Somoza before reach peace," Alfonsin said in Span- it imposes on his countrymen.
they seized power." ish. "And on the basis of the prin- "We are making the necessary
His assertion about the size of ciple, the longstanding, principle of adjustments to overcome the obsta-
the rebel forces marked a substan- international law in Latin America Iles of our economy," he said. "But
tial jump from the figure he used in . of nonintervention, that will give us . we cannot make adjustments that
Quebec Monday at a luncheon given .the possibility of democracy and will actually impose sacrifices on
by Canadian Prime Minister Brian pluralism to succeed without extra- those who have less .... To ask
Mulroney. There, Reagan said, continental interventions .... " from our peoples a bigger effort is
"More than twice as many people The covert war against the San- to condemn them to marginality, to
i are fighting in the field right now. dinistas was launched with substan- extreme poverty, to misery."
L
against the Nicaraguan communist tial assistance from Argentine mil-
regime as fought against Somoza." itary advisers. However, after the
The gap between the two figures United States sided with Britain
caused reporters at a White House against Argentina in the 1982 Falk-
briefing on the Alfonsin visit to in- land Islands war, Argentina began
quire whether the contras' strength. to disengage, and the Central Intel-
had grown so rapidly in less than 24 ligence Agency took direct control
hours or was the product of Rea- 91 the contra movement until Con-
gan's rhetorical zeal. U.S. officials press ordered an end to U.S. fund-
at the briefing replied that they ing last yea
would try to provide a specific Shortly after he became presi-
count later. . dent, Alfonsin cut off the last Ar-
After yesterday's meeting, Rea- gentine aid to the contras. Since
gan and Alfonsin issued a declara- then, Argentina's policy toward
tion expressing "their gratification Central America has been to sup-
and support for the spread and port the "Contadora process"-ne-
strengthening of democracy and gotiations aimed at achieving a
individual freedom in the Western comprehensive solution to tensions
Hemisphere." in the region. -
But Alfonsin, who took office last Argentina is struggling to repay a
year after seven years of military. $48 billion foreign debt and to ar-
dictatorship, joined other elected
... .. ..- a___.__ -rest an 800 percent annual inflation
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/11/01 : CIA-RDP90-00965R000302440035-4