ABC GOOD MORNING AMERICA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000404440060-1
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 29, 2010
• Sequence Number: 60
• Publication Date: November 8, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2010/06/29: CIA-RDP90-00552R000404440060-1
ABC GOOD 11,10RNING AMERICA
8 November 1984
INICARAGUA/IHARTMAN: The White House says it is keeping its eye on a
(USSR 5lcargo ship that arrived yesterday in Nicaragua. The
United States suspects that the cargo might include
MiG-21, Soviet-made jet fighters. Nicaragua has denied
this. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Democrat senator from New
York, he's vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence
Committee, is with us this morning to talk about it. Good
morning, Senator. DANIEL MOYNIHAN (D-N.Y.): Good
morning.
HARTMAN: Do we know the cargo? MOYNIHAN: No. We have
reason to think it might be. There were MiG crates, sort
of containers, that they shipped them in on pier along
side this freighter and the freighter moved out and the
crates weren't there. David, I think this is in many
ways a drill. We have told the Nicaraguan government
that we cannot allow MiG aircraft, or a Soviet strategic
presence, in Central America.
HARTMAN: Formally, our government has formally told the
Nicaraguan government? MOYNIHAN: We told them that and
within our government we have told ourselves what it is
we will do if they even so go ahead with this. The
Soviets should know that. This is just not talk from the
State Department. This is an agreed upon decision in the
government.
HARTMAN: Has the Nicaraguan government and or the Soviet
government been told what we have decided we will do if
they put this strategic presence there? MOYNIHAN: No
nor should they. Maybe we should be clear. Nicaraguans
are building a world-class military airport, airfield at
*Puntiwaita, about 20 miles out of Managua. They have .
had people training in Bulgaria to fly the MiG-23, which
is somewhat an older MiG, as you well know, but still a
permittable plane. They don't need these planes. Right
now Nicaragua has 12 airplanes. Count 'em, 12. What do
they need with a flight of MiGs? They don't.
HARTMAN: But, their government has said that they're
responding, countering the fact that we are helping the
Honduran air force on their border. What's our response
to that? MOYNIHAN: The response is that this is, we're
all in the same hemisphere. The Soviets, this is almost
not an issue between us and Nicaragua, an issue between
us and the Soviets. The Soviets would have no reason to
do this, save to create a political crisis. It wouldn't
give them any strategic advantage, really. In the Cuban
missile crisis in 1962, they did not then have missiles
or submarines that could reach the United States. If
they got them on shore in Cuba, they would change the
strategic balance all together. Today the Soviets have
CONTNUED
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all the submarines they might want just lying off *Sandy
*Hook for that purpose. So, they would have to do it to
make a, change the political balance.
HARTMAN: Do you believe that's what they're doing right
now? MOYNIHAN: I hope not. I hope what's going on is
that the United States, having picked up some possibility
here, is just kind of-running a drill. Mr. D'Escoto, the
foreign minister of Nicaragua, said there are no MiGs in
that ship. This means one of two things. That there are
no MiGs, or that they aren't going to unpack them.
HARTMAN: But, he also says that they have a right under
international law to have those airplanes there if they
so desire and so choose. MOYNIHAN: And, David, that is
correct. They do have that right. The question is, does
the Soviet Union want to enable them to exercise it in a
mode that is going to create a political crisis? I hope
not.
HARTMAN: All right. What's your message then, because
clearly you seem to be sending a message right now to the
Soviet government. MOYNIHAN: We have sent it from both
sides of the aisle. There are things that are not
acceptable because they can only be, they would be taken
.as a deliberate act, to use a Soviet word, of provocation.
We don't need that in the world.
HARTMAN: Would you rule out, would you rule out the use
of force by the United States? MOYNIHAN: I don't think
that is possible, David.
HARTMAN: You don't think we can rule out the use of
force? MOYNIHAN: I don't think that at this point it is
possible to do that and be credible in our assertion.
Don't do it. You don't need it. Nobody needs it. The
Nicaraguans don't need it and the United States and
Soviet Union do not need a political crisis.
HARTMAN: What's the next step in the process?
MOYNIHAN: If they have shipped 'em, send 'em home. If
they are planning to ship them, don't. On the other hand,
the United States should not be looking to humiliate
anybody, say we scared you. Let's just not, there are two
grown up powers with enormous nuclear arsenals. We don't
have to play games with this kind.
HARTMAN: Have you been in touch with the White House?
The president, is he being briefed on this and is he
totally up on the situation and watching at the moment?
MOYNIHAN: I have to assume. That's what the military
system is for, to keep the president briefed. I'm sure
Mr. McFarlane is briefing the president.
HARTMAN: Sen. Moynihan, thank you.
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