CIA VIEWS MINELAYING PART OF COVERT 'HOLDING ACTION'

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000807600021-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 23, 2012
• Sequence Number: 21
• Publication Date: April 10, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/23: CIA-RDP90-00965R000807600021-1
H
ARTICLE APPLuR-~
ON FAG E_& J
WASHINGTON POST
10 April 1984
CIA Views MinelayinjP~it.
Covert 'Holding Action'
By Bob Woodward and Fred Hiatt
weshington Post Start Writes
The .CIA views its involvement in
the Lavin o 1-min-e? in ports off Nic-
aragua as part of a "holding action,"
until its covert war against that
country's leftist Sandinista govern-
ment can be steDpeedup if President
Reagan wins reelection, according to
senior administration officials.
Administration officials said the
minelaying was justified by intelli-
gence reports pointing to a major
autumn offensive by leftist rebels in
nearby El Salvador. One official
close to the intelligence community
said that "tons of material are flow-
ing into El Salvador" from Nicara-
gua for the offensive, which the of-
ficials said could compare to the
"Tet offensive" in Vietnam in 1968.
While acknQwledg ng that the
k' irg involvement in the min-
nificant_-go1 tics g _din tic
risks this official said it is in nded
to"harass" ' a *u rather than to
nreuce any immediate military ob-
lectiv_e n_C~aal ~rteriea.
If Reagan wins reelection, howev-
er, according to another senior offi-
cial, "the president is determined to
go all out to gain the upper hand"
over leftist forces in the region. Such -
a stepped-up effort is likely to-in-
volve substantially more money for
U.S.-supported forces in the region
rather than the introduction of U.S.
troops, this'official said.
The laying of underwater mines
was approved after the adm
tration considered and reiected a
much greater expansion of the covert
war late last year, according to of-
ficials.
At one_Roint,,when necessary sup-
port, from (,ongresswas not fort-Il -
tpg`t?he Whi e House asked the
other operations or "slush funds" for tended only to pressure the Sandinistas
operations in Central America. ThFe not to "export" revolution to El Salvador
Cl responded with a legal opint _ and other nations in the region. But oc-
advising against any attempt to skirt casional broader justifications from uffi-
the letter or spirit of congressional cials have led critics to charge that Pres-
ove_ rsight. ident Reagan wants to topple the San-
"The CIA-has become very strict dinista government.
on that and does not want to ?et The Senate last week approved an ad-
into any problems like those in the past," ministration bill providing $61.7 million
one White House official said. for military aid to El Salvador's U.S.-
CIA officials reportedly said that the backed army and $21 million for CIA
harbor-mining operation was within the support for the Nicaraguan rebels. The
guidelines laid down by Congress for `ohe * House twice rejected the latter request
covert war. Congressional intelligence last year and the issue now must be re-
oversight committees were not notified solved in conference.
about the mining before it began, officials Administration officials argued that
the $21 million could be crucial in help-
said. ing the U.S.-backed forces defeat the ex-
The C:-began directing mining op. pected fall offensive in El Salvador. But
erations in several Nicaraguan ports another informed source was more skep-
about two months ao, according to of- tical and said the $21 million would only
ficials. The mines are dropged froth allow the U.S.-supported forces to main-
owned speedboats operated by U.S.- tain a stalemate in the region during the
backed Nicaraguan rebels and specially year.
trained Latin American employes of the This source said, and the CIA has not
CIA. disputed, that President Reagan will in-
The operation is directed from a larger crease the U.S. effort in the region if he
CIA vessel that stays in international wa- wins reelection in November. "Everything
tern, the officials said. That ship is is on hold until then," this source said,
equipped with a helicopter which pro- adding that Reagan realizes he still would
vides air cover for the minelaying'oper
ations, they added. be unlikely to get the necessary political
The mines are described as crude and congressional support to send U.S.
"home-made" devices triggered by the troops into combat in Central America.
noise of ships passing over them. They
may cause extensive damage but are un-
likely'to sink large ships, officials said. "It
is not designed to kill anyone," one 'offi
cial ;added:
At least eight ships from several coun-
tries, including the Soviet Union And the
Netherlands, have been damaged by the
mines so'far, according to the Nicaraguan
government.
Administration officials have told con-
gressional intelligence committees that
the covert war against Nicaragua is in-
Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinber-
ger told his senior Pentagon staff in a
meeting yesterday to make clear, to any-
one who asks, that the Pentagon does not
have contingency plans to send troops
into combat in Central America and to
clear all statements on that issue with
Michael I. Burch, assistant secretary for
public affairs.
Officials said the Pentagon probably
does not have contingency plans in the
sense of detailed outlines of which Army
unit would go where. But, since last sum-
mer, U.S. forces have been practicing am-
phibious?landings in Honduras, building
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/23: CIA-RDP90-00965R000807600021-1
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/23: CIA-RDP90-00965R000807600021-1
military facilities there and pre-position-
ing ammunition and other equipment in
the region.
According to administration officials,
CIA Director William J. Casey is optimis-
tic about receiving ' inn. U22
million from Congress for the covert ac-
tion in Nicaragua and has not painted an
alarmist picture of what will happen if
the mone ? does not come throw h.
But t e IA's worst-case analysis
shows that a major leftist rebel offensive I
in El Salvador could, in the wofds of one
source, "mean 'the collapse of Salvador"
Casey has privately referred to such a
prospect as "a double Cuba" that would
allow leftists to apply more pressure to
other small Central American countries
and Mexico.
In the best-case analysis, according to
officials, the CIA has determined that,
with the $21 million, there is a "fair pros-
pect" of stopping the current resupply of
Salvadoran rebels. They added, however,
that =an s natiQIl,-~_security advisers
realize it is difficult now to esin_much
ground in the covert war.
It was "too little, too late," one official
said, arguing that the only time to come
to terms with leftist forces in Central
America was in 1979, when the Sandinis-
tas came to power.
"At that time, some settlement could
have been forced if [President] Carter
had been willing, but he had effectively
withdrawn from the region," this official
said, suggesting that Reagan may empha-
size this in his reelection campaign.
In a major foreign policy speech here
last Friday, Reagan said of Central
America, "We have a choice: Either we
help America's friends defend them-
selves, and give democracy a chance; or,
we abandon our responsibilities and let
the Soviet Union and Cuba shape the
destiny of our hemisphere."
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/23: CIA-RDP90-00965R000807600021-1