SANDINIST LEADER SEES WAR ON WAY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000404790006-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 22, 2010
• Sequence Number: 6
• Publication Date: August 29, 1982
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

- Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/22 : CIA-RDP90-00552R000404790006-3
NEW YORK TIMES
ON PAGE- 29 AUGUST 1982
SANDINIST LEADER ''We are expecting an air attack and an Ortega said he had "intelligence I
pan attack by land," Mr. Ortega said. th oformauon-' a out a o'_
n to star f j
To the extent that there exists in the, by having anu-Sane
irtist errill
SEES WAR ON Uniyimted Stapasstesible to avoid itGovernment." the desire to ; dress to um orms of the Nicarag n
WAY Provoke this war, it is becoming practi_ Army and ariick the guemUa bases Hl
Brae ttonauras
Nicaraguan Predicts Fighting
With Honduras Will Erupt
Because of U.S. Policy .
By RAYMOND BONNER
SPeda1 toTSe New York Times
MANAGUA, Nicaragua
Au
28
A
,
g.
-
leading figure in the Nicaraguan junta
says that a war between Honduras and
Nicaragua appears to be inevitable be-
cause of the Reagan Administration's
policy of trying to destabilize the San-
dinist Government.
Daniel Ortega Saavedra, the junta's
coordinator, stressed in an interview
Friday that Nicaragua wants negotia-
tions with the United States. But he said
that his Government had not detected
any change in the United States "policy
of aggression" since George P. Shultz
replaced Alexander M. Haig Jr. as Sea
retaryof State.
Mr. Ortega was reacting to a speech
by Thomas 0. Enders, Assistant Secre-
tary of State for Inter-American Af-
fairs, on Aug. 20 that seemed to be less
confrontational in tone than past state-
ments. After the speech, one American
official said it reflected in part Mr.
Shultz's preference for less "confronta-
tional rhetoric."
Mr. Enders had called for limits on '
the introduction of more weapons to
Central America and the elimination of
foreign military advisers in the region.
Mr. Ortega said Nicaragua was will-
ing to discuss both of those points.
However, Mr. Ortega said that while
the United States had talked in public
about a desire to negotiate, .'the con-
crete facts are that it is fortifying the
armed aggression against Nicaragua."
He said the United States was contrib-
uting to a military buildup in Honduras,
which is the largest recipient of United
States military aid in Latin America,
after El Salvador. He also repeated
charges, which have been supported by
international relies workers and church
organizations, that the United States
and Honduras have been aiding anti-
Sandinist forces operating from bases
in Honduras.
e added that the threat of a war had Mr. omega, a Marxist who was im-
created conditions that made it impos-
sible for the Sandinists to relax press Somoza
censorship, develop a mixed economy eminent wanted to negotiate with the
and allow for more political activity. United States.
Reaction to Enders Speech One of Nicaragua's major demands is
"Press freedom and a mixed econ- that the negotiations be carried out at
omy need a minimum of stability in . least at the level of foreign ministers,
order to develop," be said. and that a third country, for example
"To the extent th
h
i
Me~co
at t
dpate.
e United States
, l
is closing the noose around us we have A
i
mer
Lperma
to tighten the screws." can
Dd
The
As of now, he said, the Go key American demand is that the
ver nrr,nr,r ;~ i .,:
p,aruung to conduct elections in 1985, "if
the United States allows us.-
In his
about the sdesihrability of negotiations
with the Sandinists.
But Mr. Ortega said the speech was a
"justification for aggressive actions
against Nicaragua."
Mr. Enders was critical of the San-
dinist Government. He charged that the
Country Was being run by ?"a ha-a
Salvadoran rebels. Luc
Mr. Enders said that the military
headquarters for the Salvadoran guer-
rillas was in Nicaragua.
Mr. Ortega called this charge an "in-
vention."
"We have asked the North American :
Government to give us the informa-
tion" where this command center is
supposedly located, he said, adding that
ing the largest military establishment mr. Ortega also denied that the San-
in Central America" mss'-~ ernment is s to
Mr. Enders also said that Nicaragua He added that some arms for the Sal-
was "turning into a new dictatorship,,, vadoran rebels Sw robabT -- T
and that like the regime of General _ _P y Passing
Hirai Needle _._
Anastasio Somoza Debayle, which the _ -- i
Sandinists toppled in July 1979, it ,is It rs in e said "that we can-
not -
making war on its own people." date our mtell,gence o dad
'Spectacular Message' o -tho `wbo
' are frafnclangin arms a+e have o
Calling the Enders speech a 1 aeTe d Yves a o are
tacular message,'. Mr. Ortega said that' g front Honduras arW'the
it was designed to create in the public' North ~enc
opinion of North America and interna-
tionally "the favorable conditions for
an aggressive action against Nicaragua
which will come very soon."
"It is a matter of trying to create the
impression that the Sandinist regime is
totalitarian," he said. "Then it is logi-
cal" that Nicaragua will be invaded,
and the Honduran Air Force, the most
potent in Central America, "will feel
obligated to bomb military objectives
because they are said to be a threat."
And when Nicaragua responds, Mr.
Ortega said, the United States will say
that "it has the right to send troops to
sunnortits friends."
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/22 : CIA-RDP90-00552R000404790006-3