CENTRAL AMERICA/U.S. AID 2

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01070R000201160007-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 21, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 10, 2008
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: April 17, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2008/12/10: CIA-RDP88-01070R000201160007-3
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17 April 1984
CENTRAL AMERICA/BROKAW: President Reagan's spirited defense of his
U.S. AID 2 Central American policies today is bound to bring a
reaction from congressional critics, most of whom are home
now on Easter recess. John Chancellor has been reviewing
the administration's actions in Central America, and in
his commentary tonight, he compares them with an earlier
American experience in that part of the world. John?
CHANCELLOR: It took the United States years to live down
the diplomatic disaster of the Bay of Pigs, a military
catastrophe which began, incidentally, 23 years ago today.
And it will take years for the country to live down its
mistakes this spring in Central America. At the center of
all the fuss is Nicaragua, which has been breaking.
international law by supporting the rebellion in El
Salvador. There is evidence of this, a.case to be made.
Did the United States take its case against Nicaragua to
the United Nations Security'Council as it is required to
do under the UN Charter? No, Nicaragua went to the
Security Council to.complain about American aggression.
France voted with Nicaragua. Britain abstained. The
United States was forced.into a Soviet-style veto. Did
the United States or El Salvador go to the Organization of
American States to complain about Nicaragua? No, neither
country went to the OAS. Did the United States go to the
World Court with its case against Nicaragua as it had when
Iran seized American hostages? No, Nicaragua went to the
World Court with a complaint about American aggression,
and the United States lost the moral high ground by saying
it would ignore the court. Did the administration level
with the U.S. Senate as it is legally required to do? No,
the CIA's attitude toward the Senate intelligence
Committee was, 'We'll give you the right answer only if
you ask the right question.' The reason for all this may
have been summed up by one official who said the
legalistic approach was inadequate to deal with the
realities of Communist aggression. No, the reality is
that the administration has bungled the whole policy,
embarrassed the country in the eyes of the world and
frightened the American people. It's the 198; equivalent
of the Bay of. Pigs.
Approved For Release 2008/12/10: CIA-RDP88-01070R000201160007-3