NICARAGUA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000303570074-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 26, 2010
• Sequence Number: 74
• Publication Date: February 22, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/26: CIA-RDP90-00552R000303570074-4 STAT:
2ZFE8. /9Ps
RJl)CERS: $onstantine Custino-
vitcti (?), on the recommendation
pf doctors will not-be taking
part in this meeting? Soviet
officials took t.ne unusual step
of openly and officially confirm-
ing to western reporters that
Chernenko is ill, that admission
suggests the rest of the ruling
Kremlin politburo has finally
concluded they can no longer hide
the obvious, or the possibility
Che.rnenko may never return to
Work.
A l l week long other politburo
members have been invoking
Chernenko's name in the hope he
might muster the strength to put
in the obligatory pre-election
appearance before this weekend"s
voting. It has now been 57 days
since the Soviet President last
appeared in public, but Chernenko
is still standing fora parlia-
mentary election Sunday. And
when these Russians -go to the
polls they will be voting for
him, sick or well.
The ruling Kremlin politburo
would have liked nothing more
than for Chernenko to h ave
appeared today, in his absence
they may nor: have to decide
whether to let things drift, or
consider something that's never
happened here before, the
possibility of a Soviet leader
resigning because of. ill health.
Walter Rodgers, A$C News, Moscow.
1450_ l vo' ' /V is 75-,44067-- 7.~OvP
Nicaragua
PETER . JENNINGS: From the
Soviet leadership to the leader-
ship in Nicaragua. In California
today, Secretary of State Shultz
said it is immaterial to the
United State, whether the
Communist threat, as he put it,
in Nicaragua ends through
negotiation, internal reform, or
the collapse of the Sandinista
government. Mr. Shultz was
echoing President Reagan, who
last night came very close to
advocating that the Sandinistas
-should be over t9- o'vn,. As Sohn
f4cWetby reports, a najor change
in the administratio 4.? public
posture in Nicaragua is now very
clear.
JOHN McWETHY: As the Presi-
dent left for a weekend. at Camp
David, he said all tie wanted for
Nicaragua was peace. At his
press conference last night,
however, he talked a much tougher
line, saying that he wanted to
change Nicaragua's government to
"remove its present structure".
He was asked repeatedly-if that
didn't really mean n e wanted to
overthrow the government there.
PRESIDENT REAGAN: ..not if
the, present government there
.,would turn around and say
alright, if they'd uncle, alright
come on back into the revolution-
ary government, and let's
straighten this out.
McWETHY: The President's
remarks last night, as he urged
Congress to fund the so called
Contra guerillas, whose stated
goal is the overthrow of Nicara-
gua's government, where in sharp
contrast to how he has dealt with
the issue before.
PRESIDENT REAGAN: We are not
doing anything to try and
-.overthrow the Nicaraguan govern-
ment. Let it be clear as to the
American attitude toward the
government of Nicaragau, we do
not seek its overthrow.-..
McWETHY: Because the US has
had only limited success in
influencing Nicaragua's behavior,
government sources say policy has
now changed. That the President
is demanding Nicaragua's- Marxist
government ratically alter its
ways, or failing that be replaced
one way or the other.
:SEN. PATRICK LEAHY: Clearly,
if negotiations fail in Nicara-
gua, then he has indicated that -
he would wish to go further. I
think he's trying to reshape
debate, repackage. the proposal.
It's clear that Congress is not
going to put its stamp of appro-
val on the old package.
4 Monday. February 25, 7985_
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/26: CIA-RDP90-00552R000303570074-4