NICARAGUA/FIGHTING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000404790003-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 22, 2010
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: April 24, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

.STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/22 : CIA-RDP90-00552R000404790003-6
PBS XACNEIL/LEHRER NEW'SHOUR
24 April 1984
1iiizR:G:1A LER:REF: Nicaragua is again in the news today, cli,
KITING special Central America correspondent, Charles Krause, is again just
back from there. Judv Woodruff will handle both developments. Judy?
WOODRUFF: Jim, in Nicaragua the government is reinforcing its troops near
the Honduran border. The Sandinista leadership expects new attacks by the
U.S.-supported rebels known as contras. Last week, government troops fought
two major tattles with the contras, and according to the Nicara--an defense
r.inistrv, 120 rebels and 19 Sandinista soldiers were killed in the fighting.
"ne Nicaraguan government has been pressing its claim that the United States
is trying to destroy the Sandinista revolution. Reporter Charles Krause, on
assignment for this program, talked Sunday night with the head of the
Sandinista government,'Comandante Daniel Ortega. Krause asked about
American activity directed at Nicaragua, including aerial spying by the CIA.
DANIEL ORTEGA -(Leader of Nicaragua) (translated by Krause): We believe
there is a continuity of the flights from the bases the United States has in
Panamanian territory, flights, also, which leave from Honduran territory and
from Salvadoran territory. These have been continued. We know that the
North American government, more specifically the Pentena... the Pentagon,
has completely measured to the very last bit of territory for their military
purposes, which they can use both for CIAgents (sic), CIA agents, in their
terrorist activities, such as mining, or they can use for broader actions,
such as an invasion by the United States of Nicaragua. That's the point and
the goal of these flights, and they intend to keep the information up to
date by continuing the flights.
KRAUSE: Well, now, the Reagan administration has justified mining your
ports because it says that you are transshipping arms from Nicaragua to the
guerrillas in El Salvador. Is your government involved in shipping arms to
the guerrillas in El Salvador and providing other assistance to them?
ORTEGA (translated by Krause): We've been very clear so far as affirming
that it is not the policy of the Nicaragua government to carry out
activities like this transshipment of arms. Our support has been limited to
the political areas. in fact, we've been.very, very assertive in presenting
internationally, both in the United Nations and to the United States,
specific proposals to try to find a political solution to the problems of El
Salvador.
KRAUSE: What is the Reagan administration's objective with regard to your
government? ORTEGA (translated by Krause): They're trying to destroy the
Nicaraguan revolution; that's what they want. Why? Because they do not
understand the changes which are going, which are being gone through in
Nicaragua. These are errors which have been carried out by different,
administrations, and now this administration is carrying it out again. They
do not understand, in Latin America, the desires of the people, and that's
what leads them to carry out an erroneous policy as in this case. One day
they pose cne, thing, another day, another thing'. And one day they say the
problem is the arms traveling to Salvador, and next day they say, no, now
it's these alleged centers of transmissions. They themselves say publicly
that there no longer are arms trafficking, or at least it's diminished
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/22 : CIA-RDP90-00552R000404790003-6