COVERT UNITA AID OPPOSED ON HILL

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000303560093-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 1, 2010
• Sequence Number: 93
• Publication Date: January 28, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2010/09/01: CIA-RDP90-00552R000303560093-4
AL.
WASHINGTON POST
28 January 1986
Covert UNITA Aid OppOsed on Hill
Intelligence Panel Chairmen Say Any Such Help Should Be Open
S By David B. Ottawas
W,i i i too Post , to ntct:
The chairmen of the Senate and
House intelligence committees have
decided to oppose covert military
assistance to noncommunist forces
fighting in Angola and are urging
the Reagan administration instead
to seek to convince Congress f tfe._
nee for an open assistance pro-
gram
'" Dav2 - Minn .
c airTrmman ofd Senate Select Com-
mittee on Intelli ence, and his
counter art in the House, e . Lee
ton - n .). came as the
administration indicated yesterday
that it prefers a new covert-aid
program tote National Union tor'
the Total Independence of An la
(UNITA) headed Jonas avim t,
who arrives in Washington May
for an intensive two-week lobbying
campaign for U.S. su rt.
Durenberger said in an interview
yesterday that he felt "fairly strong-
ly" that any U.S. aid to UNITA
"ought to be overt" and approved by
Congress. He said he is pressing
the administration "to go that
route."
That sentiment was echoed by
Q Sen. atnc c t. , ran -
m on HEMOffbf the Senate
intelligence committee, who said,
"If We're going to get involved m
these kinds of activities, then we
ought to do it overtly, not covertly."
am on concurr , t
such "a major policy decision re-
quires full congressional debate and
approval.
That resistance from senior con-
gressional leadership is likely to
make the administration's uit of
covert aid for UNITA more di -_
cut. The administration has sub-
mtted to the intelligence commit-
tees a proposal for an initial $1G
md-
million to million in covert
itary and o r assistance to
Savimbi. Yesterday, White House
deputy press spokesman Edward P.
Djerejian suggested that the ad m-
istration still favors the covert ap-
proach.
Although the administration
would welcome an expression of
public support from Congress for
Savimbi,. he said, "what we in the
administration have in mind clearly
is more than just moral support for
UNITA*
'ne administration is seeking all
appropriate support for UNITA
which will be effective. We are
working' with Congress toward this
end," he said.
State Department spokesman
Bernard Kalb, signaling White
House opposition to -congressional
proposals for up to $50 million in
open U.S. aid to Savimbi in his dec-
ade-long fight against the Marxist
regime in Angola, said the admin-
istration "does not believe that leg-
islation mandating aid to UNITA
would be an effective way to pro-
reed."
A senior White House official said
yesterday that Reagan intends to
publicly embrace the goals of
Savimbi during his visit. "Then
you've created a measure of public
pressure on yourself not to stand
aside and let things go under" when
Savimbi may be involved in more
intense fighting later this year, the
official said.
Underlying o osition to covert
aid is congressional .unease over te
expanding role o Me Central me -
lience Agency in open-ended guer-
rifla agains ovie - and
Cuban-backed regimes. Many mem-
bers Congress question whe'fffe'r
such activities are appropriate for
the CIA. They also voice concern
that resources and energy will be
diverted from the agency's primary
task of gathering and evaluating
intelligeennce.
Reflecting on the congressional
concern, Hamilton said, "If you
want to provide money to Savimbi,
you ought to make the request to
Congress and have an open debate.
It's an important significant depar-
ture with great ramifications [for
the United States) beyond Savimbi
and Angola.
"That kind of decision ought not
to be submitted to a few members
0 Congress who do not ave e
power to disapprove, " he added
-e erring to his committee's le al
inability to stop CIA operations.
Leahy and Hamilton limited their
comments to their feelings about
how Congress should deal with the
issue in general and avoided discus,
sion of the administration's proposal
now before their committees. Leahy
said he had no position yet on
whether the United States should
give any aid to Savimbi.
Some Republican members of the
Senate intelligence committee now
a ear to favor the approac
spelled out in a resolution sub-
mitted Dec. 10 by Senate Majority
Leader Robert J. o e (- an.) and
five cosponsors, including Duren-
berger, that would make U.S. aid
for UNIIA and possible economic
sanctions against Angcla later this
year dependent upon the Angolan
government's policies.
Angola's Marxist leadership
refuses to engage in "good-faith
negotiations" with UNITA and con-
tinues preparations for a new mil-
itary offensive against Savimbi, the
resolution said, "then the Senate
would support the provision early in
1986 of material assistance to
UNITA and would impose economic
sanctions against those sectors of
the Angolan economy which pro-
vide resources to support the
Cuban troop presence."
The latter refers to Angolan oil
exports, which mostly go to the
United States.. The United States,
with $1.1 billion in 1984, was An-
gola's largest trading partner.
Approved For Release 2010/09/01: CIA-RDP90-00552R000303560093-4