U.S. INTELLIGENCE PROBES SALVADOR RIGHT 'DEATH SQUADS'

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000505410011-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 10, 2010
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: November 25, 1982
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/10: CIA-RDP90-00552R000505410011-6
'I`IC? f'r ? _.r WASHINGTON TIMES
25 NOVEMBER 1982
intelligence probes]
Salvador right `death squads'
SAN SALVADOR (AP) The
U.S. Embassy, for the first time, is
devoting significant 'intelligence
resources to find out who is behind.
,._ . alleged rightist ."death squids"'
accused of . killing thousands: of
civilians here, U.& officials sayr--t.
The: decisioi to .investigate; is
seen partly as a move to pressure..
Salvadoran' rightists to .reduce
human rights abuses, which.some
American officials say are jeopar
dining continued U.S. aid. ?_ ::.:; ' ,
"You don't. have to kill people in'.
doran government didn'tac
aid might be stopped if the Salva-
i The investigation also follows'a
Sept. 22 report by the House Intel
ligence Committee criticizing U.S"
intelligence: agencies for. ' the
"dearth ofi-firm 'information"about who- is-responsible for the
violence in. El Salvador. ?rs?
Critics of US: aid to this Central
American.nation have complained
that the Reagan administration
has. twice certified that' El Sal
vador's government is making' a.
"concerted-and significant effort"
torespect human rights while hav-
?irrg little investigative evidence to'
' back that conclusion i'
Twice-annual human rights cer-
tifications are 'required by Con-
gress for continued U.S. aid to El
Salvador. The next certification is,,,
due in January.- -: ,qr 3?~?'
Last month; in a break with the '
administration's '-quiet diplo-
macy:' U.S. Ambassador Deane R.'
Hinton lashed- out at ,rightist
"thugs" who,. kill -'civilians-, and .?
warned that S320. million, in U.S..4
single. "godfather" was directing
not that highly'.structured..,and.
the death -squads were. probably-
-. Hinton's reference to "the Mafia;
Mafia must be stopped.,, i-. y
rillas, Hinton.- told &--luncheon of
or other politically influential, Sal-
incriminate high-ranking,officials'
.: the investigationas'that.'it might
appeared more diffuse.
vadorans and thus further damage
U.S. public support for the Salva-,
loran government..
However, ?'a State - Department
official said he doubted high
ranking involvement -would.., be.
found. He contended that much of .
'the rightist violence appeared to
come from rural civil defense
groups that have been resistant to
central government authority._-'
In action yesterday, government.'
soldiers at a fortified town north-
east of the capital beat back an
attack by more than 200 - leftist:
insurgents in heavy fighting that
left 25 rebels dead, a Defense Min-
istry spokesman said.
The spokesman said only four,
soldiers were wounded, but a local
military commander said the army
;suffered "heavy casualties''-
In neighboring Honduras the
-governa'nent announced it has sus
pendpl all joint military exercises
.with U.S. forces to reduce tension
-iii Central America in preparation
for President Reagan's visit next
week.:
"There.- will be no military
maneuvers with the United States
before or after President Reagan's
visit to Honduras Dec. 4;' govern-
ment spokesman Amilcar' San
tamaria: said. ,The decision was
taken "in order to help pacify the
region;' he said, but he did not say'
whether any exercises had been
:planned.
Government officials had said
.earlier that .other joint .exercises .
were planned, possibly in early
December,-bur'gave no details !""
The;S'tate Department says EL
Salvador is no'longer a-very.dan-,
-gerous place and has'told Amert-
can Embassy personnnel they may'
bring back--dependents evacuated
in 1980,. an,embassy spokesman
said.;... 'ice' -.:i :i,ig^7x?.'.t:'.
-The staff will lose 25 percent in
extra 'hazardous pay, but will keep
a 15 percent differential because
El Salvador is considered a hard-
ship post.
Diplomatic sources estimated
the move affects about 100 Ameri-
cans, roughly half of them diplo-
-mats, who make-$20,000 to S60,000
a year in basic pay.' The measure
becomes: effective on Sunday.!..,..
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their activities. :.He* said authority::