HOUSE PERMANENT SELECT COMMITTEE ON INTELLIGENCE (HPSCI) (SANITIZED)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90B01370R001201620021-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 19, 2008
• Sequence Number: 21
• Publication Date: April 24, 1984
• Content Type: MEMO

Approved For Release 2008/09/19: CIA-RDP90BO137OR001201620021-7
Approved For Release 2008/09/19: CIA-RDP90BO137OR001201620021-7
 Approved For Release 2008/09/19: CIA-RDP90BO137OR001201620021-7
THE NEW YORK TIMES
24 April 1984
U.S. Officials Cite
Cuba-Backed Drive
In Chging Latin Aid
By PHILIP TAUBMAN
sv.d& tons Now YatTfmn
WASHINGTON. April 23 - The Rea-
gan Administration. citing intelligence
information about a Cuban?sponsored
guerrilla offensive In El Salvador this
falls is planning a major drive to gain
Congressional approval of increased
aid to El Salvador and to Nicaraguan
rebels, senior officials said today.
Saying they remain optimistic that
increased aid can be approved next
month despite the recent furor over
American involvement in the mining of
Nicaraguan harbors, the officials said
their strategy will attempt to refocus
attention on the Cuban and Soviet
threat in the region and, by contrast,
the growth of democracy in El Salva-
dor.
The officials said they expected
President Reagan to give a major
speech on Central America in May
after he returns from his trip to China.
As part of the Administration's cam-
paign, senior officials have begun to
talk openly in recent days about intelli-
gence information indicating that Cuba
Ii preparing a large increase in aid to
Salvadoran guerrillas to lay the
groundwork for a fail offensive.
"We know for a fact that Castro
wants to double the number of guerril-
las by September in hopes that a big of-
fensive will hurt Res 's prospectsin
the election," a senior official said.
The information, which is said' io
come from a reliable Cuban source, in'
dicates that Fidel Castro would like tb
raise the number of guerrillas from the
current level of about 7,000 to 14,000 and
provide them with weapons and ammu-
nition to sustain a monthlong offensive
during the last month of the American
Presidential election campaign. ' ' -
Some Administration officials wfib'
oppose Mr. Reagan's Policies in Ce,T'i-.
tral America said today that they ques-
tioned the reliability of the inteliigedt5e
"it's very eat right now Co
have that inf tIon," a national at=
curity official skid. "I don't think it's
fabricated but I'm not sure it's wdtth
the went we're'#cring to give it." . ? ,
In additi on to phasizing
Soviet and Cuban t, a theme that
Mr. Reagan has stre0bd ever since
taking office, Administration officials
hope to use next month's president l
runoff election in El Salvador as a lever
with Congress.
Duarte VbCM7 Expected
The election, scheduled for May I,
matches Jose Napoledn Duarte, the
candidate of the Christian Democratic
Party, against Robert d'Aubuissoq Of
the National Republican Alliance. AA-
ministration officials have made nq'e
cret of their preference for Mr. Duane
who is regarded as a left-of-center t a4
didate. Mr. d'Aubuisson, whose P.
represents the far right, his r PRO
linked to death squads and is wid$ly
cling a Duarte victory, Adtgln;
istration officials are considering ask.
ing him to come to Washington AW,
mediately after the election to make in-
appeal to Congress for additiapal
an election,' a senior Administra