U.S. POLICY IN ANGOLA MOVES CLOSER TO REBEL AID

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000302630030-8
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 25, 2012
• Sequence Number: 30
• Publication Date: November 2, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/09/25: CIA-RDP90-00965R000302630030-8
NEW YORK TIMES
2 November 1985
ARTICLE APPRNED
ON PAGE
U.S. Policy on Angola Moves Closer to Rebel Aid
By BERNARD GUITZMAN
VIBralraew York Thins
WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 ? The Rea-
gan Administration said today, in a
policy statement of support for rebels
fighting the Soviet-backed Government
in Angola, that the United States
"should sympathize with and support
such resistance."
It said it intended to work with Con-
gress in corning weeks on how best to
do this.
The statement came after several
weeks of discussion in the Administra-
tion over how to respond to growing de-
mands in Congress for open financing
of aid to the rebels, as well as a parallel
move by Administration officials to pu
together a covert military aid
for the insurgents.
No decisions have been made on how
to proceed, a senior Administration of-
ficial said, and the statement clearly
left open the possibility of further ef-
forts for a negotiated settlement in
southern Africa that might remove the
tided for American aid to the rebels.
But the significance of the new policy
statement, issued by the State Depart-
ment on behalf of the Administration,
was to signal greater Administration
support than before for concrete aid to
the rebel forces, who are under the
command of Jonas Savimbi and known
as Unita.
Soviet Aggression Charged
"There is a widespread feeling in this
cokintry that when, as the result of
Stet interference in the internal af-
fairs of another nation, internal resist-
ence mounts to that Soviet involve-
ment, Americans should sympathize
wrffi and support such resistence," the
statement said. "We are at one with
this feeling, and Unita's resistence to
the Soviet aggression is a case in
point."
It said the Administration was also
"pursuing many sensible goals in
southern Africa ? Namibian independ-
ence, Cuban troop withdrawal, recon-
ciliation in South Africa ? all in con-
cert with the front-line states."
The reference was to black African
states involved in efforts for negotiated
solutions to the problems in southern
Africa, including independence for
South-West Africa, also known as
Namibia.
"M we proceed in these endeavors,
we want to be supportive of Unita," the
Administration said. "The instrument
and format of that expression is impor-
tant. In the coming weeks, we intend to
work with the Congress to meet that ob-
jective in a way compatible with our
broader policy goals.'
A White House official said he be-
lieved that two tracks would be fol-
lowed ? an intensive and last-ditch ef-
fort to see if a negotiated solution is
poSsible, and consideration for a covert
aid program to aid the Unita forces.
Pressures are building in Congress to
support Unita openly with $27 million in
humanitarian aid.
Secretary of State George P. Shultz
and President Reagan's other key na-
tional security advisers were reported
today to be in favor of providing covert
aid to Unita, which is fighting to oust
Government backed by the Soviet
Union and aided by Cuban troops.
Shultz Opposed Bill
Mr. Shultz had earlier expressed op-
position to a House bill that would sup-
ply the $27 million in openly financed
humanitarian aid to Unita. But he
said to have no objections to joining
tense Secretary Caspar W. W
Wllhjam_J, Casev- the Director raj
Central Intellce. in backing a cov-
ert program iflhat Is decided upon. ?
Mr. Shultz, in a letter last month to
Representative Robert H. Michel, Re-
publican of Illinois, the House minority
leader, urged him to "discourage"
$27 million in humanitarian aid
cause there seemed to be new oppor-
tunities for finding a negotiated re-
gional solution in southern Africa.
Passage of that bill "would not con-
tribute to the settlement we seek," Mr.
Shultz said. His argument was that
such aid would amount to taking sides
openly in the Angolan civil war and
would thereby alienate the Luanda
Government, a key party to any negoti-
ated settlement.
The White House has agreed to back
Mr. Shultz temporarily in opposing the
bill so as to give the State Department
another chance to resolve the question
of independence for South-West Africa
and the removal of Cuban forces from
Angola, an Administration official
said. But the White House has refused
to criticize any aid to the rebels.
No decision has been made on
whether to authorize a secret aid pro-
gram to the Savimbi forces, Adminis-
tration officials said. But they said it
was under active consideration, given
the Administration's commitment to
aiding anti-Communist "freedom
fighters." It was not known when a
decision might be made.
Two Bills in the House
Some members of Congress intro-
duced a bill on Thursday to provide
military aid openly to the Savimbi
forces, without waiting for a covert
program to be approved.
This means that there are two differ-
ent bills awaiting action in the House,
each authorizing $27 million to Angolan
rebels, one for humanitarian and the
other for military aid.
The issue is reminiscent of the de-
bate surrounding the supply of covert
aid to the Nicaraguan rebels. Today
several members of Comgress signed a
letter to President Reagan opposing ei-
ther oven or secret aid. The letter was
originated by Representative Matthew
F. McHugh, Democrat of New York.
A decision to aid Unita ? the acro-
nym in Portuguese for the National
Union for the Total Independence 011
Angola ? would undermine American
mediation efforts, the letter said. an
"would be perceived throughout Africal
as a decision to consciously collaborat
with the policies of South Africa."
But other letters, drafted by other
members of Congress, have strongly
supported aid to the Unita forces.
In 1975, Congress passed legislation
prohibiting any aid to the rebels in An-
gola. The amendment ? known for its
sponsor, Senator Dick Clark, Demo-
crat of Iowa ? was repealed last sum-
mer.
The Clark amendment was ? -sed
e en
? er wi
I Eu
O cu
oirTfie United States and South Africa
withdrew their support for Unita, and
the country was more or less divided,
with Unita controlling a major part of
southeastern Angola.
About 30,000 Cuban combat forces re-
mained in Angola, along with 1,500
Soviet military advisers, to help the
Luanda Government. The United
States has been seeking to negotiate a
settlement by which South Africa
would withdraw from neighboring
South-West Africa and the Angolans
would ask the Cuban forces to leave.
Those negotiations, which at one
time seemed on the verge of success,
have foundered in the last several
months as new clashes erupted be-
tween the Luanda and Unita forces.
Mr. Shultz, in his letter to Mr. Mich-
el, said the Luanda Government,
through envoys "has asked for our help
in containing the fighting and has said
it also wishes to renew an exploration
for a settlement."
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/09/25: CIA-RDP90-00965R000302630030-8