DEFENSE BUDGET

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000504260015-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 24, 2012
• Sequence Number: 15
• Publication Date: April 5, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/24: CIA-RDP90-00965R000504260015-2
CBS EVENING NEWS CBS-TV
7:00 P.M.' APRIL 4'
Defense'Budgat
. - -DAN RATHER: Also Slated .'for
a knockdown, drag-out 'Senate
floor-,fight, 'next year's
defense' budget, as approved
today by the' 'Senate 'Armed
Services Committee. It
actually calls for, limiting the
total Pentagon spending. to
three percent' above the
inflation rate. It calls for`
new nerve gas weapons. It
takes the first tentative steps
toward finally closing some
military bases the Pentagon
s.a'ys are not' needed.
Central' American Developments`
RATHER: President Reagan
today unveiled what he called g
plan- 'fbr, peace ? i'n' Central
America; with the focus on
Nicaragua. The plan contains
some "new things, some old, and
a compromise offer to Congress.
We have" -reports from Bill
Plante at the White House and
David' `Martin -at the` Pent"agori.'
BILL PLANTE: President
Reagan. today' proposed a
cease-faire arid' `ne'w,?peace -talks-
for Nic'a'ragua',- in,:return for'
which he wants $14 million in
t ma-nit'arianz- aid' fo'r the U.S.,-
Contra rebel-s, money which
Congress has" bden-*refiuct'nt' to
vote as-'secret'militsry 'aid.
PRESIDENT REAGAN: While the
c:e'ase-'f reff6t is' on thee
table, I pledge these" funds
will not be used o'r arms ?o'r
mu nit io'ns.,
PLANTE: But there's a
catch. If the Sandinistas
don't cooperete~' 't~h??e =$14'
million 'could then `tie 'used" 'fo'r
weapons.
.. PRES.bENt-REAGAN: I.f 'there`
is no agreement after lyd~~dey-s=
of negoti'a'tions;--i'"wi-li"li'ft
these Crest"rictl'oris 'unless 'both-
sides ask me not to.
PLANTE: The peace proposal
Mr. Reagan is endorsing calls
foT 'a cease-fire and talks
mediated by the Catholic
Church. Sandinista leader
Daniel-Ortega would remain as
President of Nicaragua until
there are new elections. The
Sandinistas - have already
rejected this entire package.
. The President suggested that
communism might spread north-
ward from Nicaragua if Congress
failed to release the money he
seeks.
PRESIDENT REAGAN: We face
the risk that a hundred million
people, from Panama to our open
Southern border, could come
under the control of pro-Soviet
regimes and threaten the United
-States with violence, economic
chaos, and a human tidal wave
of refugees.
PLANTE: Some Democrats were
quick to charge that Mr. Reagan
really doesn't want peace at
all.
REP. 0 'NEILL: In my
opinion, the President of the
United States will not be
satisfied or happy until 'the
United 'States troops are* in
there.
REP. MICHAEL BARNES: The
only -new- wrinkl.e in this is
that he is saying that he will
not spend the money on bullets
for 60 days.
??PLANTE:= There was an equal
lack of enthusiasm among
Sandinista leaders.
,MIGUEL D'ESCOTO: We are all
for a peace plan. ? Bu't, of
course,. -we are not making war
on-, anyone',. It_ ' is Mr. , Reagan
who is- mak'ing' -war 'against the
Nicaragua'. people.' If he's
really 'interested in peace, he
should" immediately stop .this
illegal and immoral war.
DAVID MARTIN. 'Nicaragua:has
a war on its hands, battling an
-eat imated 15,000 Contras
operatirrg-out of bases in
7 Friday, April
5, 1985
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/24: CIA-RDP90-00965R000504260015-2
 Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/24: CIA-RDP90-00965R000504260015-2
as the ammunition.
MARTIN:. _i. Administration
Honduras. As many as 5000
Contras are actually inside
Nicaragua.
As intense as the fighting
seems, Nicaragua appears to
have most of the weapons it
needs to fend off the Contras.
According to U.S. intelligence
reports, Soviet' Bloc arms
shipments to Nicaragua in the
first three months of this year
have fallen by a third compared
to the same period last year.
One Central American expert who
once worked for the Joint
Chiefs of Staff thinks the
Nicaraguan. military buildup has
tapered off.
COL. EDWARD KING: Most of
the tanks, armored personnel
carriers, artillery, etcetera
has come in. So what you have
coming in now are the follow-on
items.
MARTIN: One other.possible
,.explanation: Informed sources
say that- late last r year-the
U.S. warned Bulgaria about its
arms shipments to Nicaragua.
Bulgaria had been Nicaragua's
primary source of weapons.
- At the. same time arms
shipments to Nicaragua., have
nosedived., there has- been an
equally sharp drop in weapons
going from.- Nicaragua . to the
guerrillas in El Salvador.d
COL. KING: I believe the
Nicaraguans, because of the
need for the weapons in
Nicaragua, are keeping a lot of
the. weapons that"generally, or
may have gone ? down. there
earlier in the country,;as-well
ffieialso:,~'- sa.Y " one. c:,. other
Department said today steam: of
resume funding for.-the,: Contras.
General Dynamics-Overbilling
RATHER: P3 tt.., The Defense
their, good behavior,". hoping: to
influence Congress:-,: not to
Nicaraguans are..,tempo.rarily~ on
explanation- mayF 06:-r.~+ia?c~
{
Pentagon auditors finds that
General Dynamics overbilled the
government by a total of $244
million. And one way or
another, a Pentagon spokesman
now promises, the nation's
largest -defense contractor will
be made to pay it back, even if
it means getting the money,by
withholding Pentagon payments
to General Dynamics.
The following transcripts
are available to read or
reproduce on the premisee,
SAF-AAR. 4C 881.
Government Spending Priorities
President Reagan's Weekly
Address, WTOP Radio
March 23, 12:06 P.M. TR-17
Representative Les Aspin
Interview-
-?McLaughlin.One-on-One, WRC-TV:.
March 24, 11:30 A.M. TR-18'
Home-porting,of Nuclear-armed
Ships
All Things Considered, WETA?
Radio
March. 29, 5:00 P.M. TR-19
Government Security
ABC World News Sunday, WJZ-TV
March 31, 6:00 P.M. TR-20
Interview with President Jimmy
Carter .
Good Morning America, WJLA-TV
April.l, 7:00`A.M. TR-21
Honor Code at . the . Military,,
.Ac?ademies.._. :.~.
Newsline, CNN-TV-
Star Wars
Mutual News,'WGMS Radio
April 4,6:00 P.M. TR-23
Report ' on ";,Soviet Military
'Strength.,..
The Today Show, WRC-TV
April 2,;:7:00.A.M. TR-24
8w Fridey, April 5, 1985
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/24: CIA-RDP90-00965R000504260015-2