CENTRAL AMERICA/U.S. AID

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01070R000201110007-8
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 21, 2008
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: March 14, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2008/10/21 : CIA-RDP88-0107OR000201110007-8
CBS EVENING NEWS
14 March 1984
CENTRAL AMERICA RATHER: After six days of very heavy White House
/U.S. AID lobbying, the Senate Appropriations Committee today
approved two record aid proposals for Central America. It
gave the go-ahead for $93 million in emergency military
aid for El Salvador, aid the administration says is needed
to keep that country's army from collapsing. On covert aid
to Nicaragua's contras, rebels fighting the Sandinista
regime, the committee reversed itself and approved an
immediate $7 million and a possible $14 million more at a
later date. As David Martin has learned, the
administration request is needed to fund a growing
guerrilla force.
MARTIN: Informed sources tell CBS News the number of
CIA-supported guerrillas battling the Sandinista
government of Nicaragua has grown to nearly 18,000, an
increase of 8,000 since last summer. The CIA is spending
$3 million a month on this army of contras, which has now
reached the size limit set by President Reagan two years
ago. It is also nearly twice the size of the
Nicaraguan-backed guerrilla forces fighting to overthrow
the government. of El-Salvador. Yet intelligence analysts
say its impact is substantially less. The contras have
now begun mining Nicaraguan ports in an attempt to force
Mexico to shut off vital; oil shipments. They have also
bombed a radio intercept station used by Cubans and
Nicaraguans to eavesdrop on the Salvadoran army. Yet
intelligence analysts say there is no evidence the-
operation is forcing the-Sandinistas to back away from
their support of the guerrillas in El Salvador or their
own military buildup. Soviet bloc ships continue to bring
in new military hardware for the Sandinista army, the
latest delivery a shipload of tanks. But there is still
no sign of the long-expected arrival of Soviet-build MiG
aircraft. This video tape purchased by CBS News shows
most of the Sandinista air force. Except for these
helicopters outfitted with rocket pods, it is a
delapidated force of Korean War vintage planes. But the
Sandinistas are building a new airfield with runways that
are the longest in Central America and taxiways where
planes can disperse behind earthen shields. Intelligence
analysts say that sooner or later the Sandinistas intend
to base modern jet aircraft here. Some analysts believe
the Sandinistas will accelerate their buildup during the
American presidential campaign, betting that President
Reagan will not risk greater involvement in a
controversial war. But they say if he is re-elected
there's likely to be another step up in America's
not-so-secret war against Nicaragua. David Martin, CBS
News, the Pentagon.
Approved For Release 2008/10/21 : CIA-RDP88-0107OR000201110007-8