U.S. DOCUMENTS NICARAGUA ARMS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000302860015-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 26, 2010
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: March 10, 1982
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/26: CIA-RDP90-00552R000302860015-8
---- -'-.e----..,. .
John Hughes, deputy director of the
Defense -Intelligence Agency,. said the
Nicaraguan build-up, which has been as-
sisted by the Soviet Union and Cuba, far.
exceeds anything Nicaragua needs for its'
defense.
"We believe this. has already upset the
military balance, in Central America,"
Hughes said:.- -
But the administration left for later in
the week the long-awaited release of-evi-
dence it says.will document accusations
that the insurgency In, El Salvador is.
being directed and controlled from Nica=
ragua and Cuba.
ADMI. BOBBY INMAN; deputy director
of the Central Intelligence Agency, told
reporters a Nicaraguan government offi-
cial had lied in declaring. in New York
last week that the Nicaraguan army is no
larger than it was two years ago. under
the ousted, government of Anastasio
Somoia;
"He lied directly, and no one seemedto
challenge that process, `Inman said dur-
ing a briefing at the State Department:.
Inman also said "I'm angry". because
many people, including government offi-
cials, have been skeptical about informa-.
.tion presented
There was nothing. essentialIynew in
the information presented by Inman and.
Hughes, who Inman said was ' the-"pre-
mier" interpreterof aerial reconnaisance
photographs gathered by the U.S. intelli-.
_ gence community.; ; _ ; . :_i 3 ?
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
10 March 1982
WASHINGTON-Two high U.S. intelli-
gence officials made public Tuesday re-
connaisance photographs in support of
Reagan administration allegations that
Nicaragua has engaged in a major milit-
ary build-up that threatens its Central
MEANWHILE, THE Salvadoran army
pounded the rugged, guerrilla-infested
hills of Morazan province with artillery,
planes and 2,000 troops on the third day
of: an operation aimed at cleaning out
leftist hideouts.
An army spokesman said 30 of 35'
bodies found in the country had been
identified as guerrillas. The others were
not identified.
Judicial authorities reported finding
nine bodies- near the eastern city-of San.
Miguel, six in San Vicente also to the
east, 12 in the capital and eight near
Santa Ana to*the west. All had been shot
to death, they said. ? .
In other related developments-
a The State Department said Tuesday
,that an Amnesty-International report
criticizing El Salvador's human rights
performance has limited value because it
covers events 8 to 14 months old. The
report'issued Monday by the organization
said Salvadoran security forces have
been "carrying out a systematic and
widespread program' of torture, 'disap-i
pearances' and individual and mass kit-
f'ngs of men, women and children."
? Sen. - Mark Hatfield (R., Ore.) aril
nounced Tuesday he will- ask the Senate
.'to stop all military aid to El Salvador
unless its U.S.-backed junta seeks "good
faith" negotiations with the. leftist guer-
jriltas
e Undersecretary of State Thomas En-
ders said Tuesday in Buenos Aires the
Organization of American States might
eventually create an inter-American
peacekeeping force for El Salyador, but
such an option was not being advocated
by the United States or Argentina.. En
dens mentioned the possibility of invoking
-the Treaty of Rio de Janeiro-the basis
for the I1,000-man inter-American force
that intervened in the Dominican Repub-
lic in 1965.
STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/26: CIA-RDP90-00552R000302860015-8