GRENADA/COUP

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01070R000200920013-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 25, 2008
• Sequence Number: 13
• Publication Date: October 27, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2008/07/25: CIA-RDP88-0107OR000200920013-3
l.t1J t:VtN1Nu NEWS
2.7 October 1983
GRENADA/COUP RATHER: House members argued today whether the U.S.-led
invasion of Grenada was one of the nation's finest hours or a
heat-of-the-moment over-reaction. But both sides of the House
Foreign Affairs Committee voted overwhelming today to start the
60-day clock running under the War Powers Act requiring
withdrawal of the U.S. troops within two months unless Congress
says otherwise. As for why we are in Grenada and why we are:
part of the peacekeeping force in Lebanon, President Reagan
speaks to those two issues in an address to the nation a little
later tonight. White House correspondent, Lesley Stahl, has an
advance look at the president's talk.
STAHL: The speech is described here as a reassuring report to
the public on the steadiness of the president's foreign. policy,
both in the Middle East and Carribean. On Lebanon, the
president will reiterate his commitment to keeping the Marines
in Beirut, announce-.new security precautions to prevent future
incidents and link both Iran and Syria to the bombing of the
Marine headquarters. But he's not expected to be specific about
ways the U.S. might respond. On Grenada, the president will say
again that the invasion was launched to protect American lives
and pledge that the Marines will leave in a matter of weeks.
There were twice as many Cubans in Grenada as the Pentagon had
anticipated, and the President will declare, as his national
security adviser did, that the invasion prevented a major Cuban
military build-up. ROBERT McFARLANE (National Security
Adviser): From the scan of things that have been discovered, we
got there just in time.
STAHL: Government intelligence sources tell CBS News they now
believe large numbers of Cuban troops, as many as two
battalions, were sent into Grenada on the ship Vietnam Heroines
shortly before the assassination of Prime Minister Bishop. The
sources believe the Cubans were growing impatient with Bishop
and sent the troops in to encourage the takeover and to build a
Cuban military outpost. CBS News will broadcast the president's
speech tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern time. Mr. Reagan was going to
name his new Middle East Envoy tonight, but an official here
said, 'We haven't..gotten our choice to agree yet.' Speculation
focused on Donald Rumsfeld, who was Secretary of Defense under
Gerald Ford. Lesley Stahl, CBS News, the White House.
Approved For Release 2008/07/25: CIA-RDP88-0107OR000200920013-3