REAGAN WINNING THE BATTLE FOR AID TO CENTRAL AMERICA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000201080043-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 24, 2012
• Sequence Number: 43
• Publication Date: July 7, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/24: CIA-RDP90-00965R000201080043-7
11
! . '. _ _ JAPP ED) PHILADELPHIA IN
QUIRER
7 July 1985
Reagan WInning the baffle for
aid to
Central By Alfonso ChardAmerica
illi
By
y m
on on Oct. 10 and put a hold on
Mquile, the money. Reagan renewed the re-
WASHINGTON - President Reagan quest in April, but Congress killed it.
is emerging an apparent winner in The day after that action by Con-
his annual confrontation with Con- gress, Nicaraguan President Daniel
gress over policy in Central America, Ortega traveled to Moscow, embar-
particularly on restoring U.S. aid to rassing contra-aid foes and changing
Nicaraguan rebels. the political climate in favor of aid-
An analysis of congressional action ing the insurgents.
on his military and economic aid So when Reagan submitted an.
requests during fiscal 1985 and 1986 other request in June, Congress riot
shows that, with minor exceptions, only went for it but added money.
Reagan obtained essentially what he The Senate auoroved $38 million to
wanted for Guatemala, El Salvador, be disbursed throw h the CIA and
.Honduras and the rebels, chief items the House en orsed million to be
on his list of priorities for Central dist ut roue any government
America. agency except the CIA or the Penta-
While neither the House nor the o
Senate has formally appropriated the Al that remains to be settled is a
money for the programs. administra. conference between House and Sen-
tion officials and congressional lead- ate to reconcile differences in the
ers agreed it would be difficult now two bills. Administration officials
to block White House requests. said Reagan might give uo is tnsis-
Congress "has given the President tence that the money be funneled
pretty much what he wanted in a through the to exchange for a
strong bipartisan effort to deal with larger amount of aid, such as the
the social and devo-bpment problems Senate's $38 million.
that exist in the region and to help The only restriction on the aid
the people there build and maintain money is that it cannot be used for
dinstitutions,"
Dante democratic
Fla.), Rep. of military purposes. But congressional
Fascell
fhaair
the nte House Foreign Affairs Commit- aides said they expect military aid to
tee.
A prime example of what Fascell
was talking about is the aid program
for the Nicaraguan rebels, or con-
tras. After three years of congres-
sional opposition, that program is
virtually certain to be restored be-
fore the current fiscal year ends
Sept. 30.
"We seem to have reversed the
course with regard to the contras,"
Reagan said at a June 18 news confer-
ence. Interrupted by a question
about the hostage crisis. Reagan in-
sisted, "As I say, we've reversed the
thing on the contra aid ... and it will
be more than we originally asked
for."
Initially. Reagan sought S28 mil-
lion in rebel military aid for 1985.
Congress halved that amount to $14
the contras to be renewed sometime
in 1986.
The contra-aid vote buoyed the ad-
ministration because it signaled con-
gressional support not only on the
issue of the rebels but also on El
Salvador and the rest of the Central
America policy.
"This is a clear signal to U.S. adver-
saries that the United States has shed
its doubts over the need to act firmly
in Central America," said a senior
administration official.
The battle for military aid for El
Salvador actually was won last year
when Jose Napoleon Duarte became
president. Congress approved $128.2
million for 1985 and removed bind-
ing human-rights restrictions.
House and Senate foreign-aid bills
for 1986 are similar, although this
time, because of pressures to reduce
the budget deficit, El Salvador's mili-
tary aid may be somewhat less, be-
tween $100 million and $113 million.
However, Reagan said after the
June 20 slaying of four U.S. Marines
in San Salvador that he might in-
crease the aid by using emergency
funds.
As for Guatemala, Reagan had
been trying since 1981 to restore its
military aid, which was cut off in
1977. Congress refused, primarily be-
cause of allegations of continuing
human-rights violations there.
Last year, for example. Congress
killed Reagan's request for $10 mil-
lion in military aid but approved
$300,000 to renew the training of
Guatemalan military officers.
This year, Congress not only con-
tinued the $300,000 training fund but
the Senate approved $10 million in
military aid. The House also en-
dorsed the $10 million request, but
said Guatemala could get the money
only if a civilian government re-
places the current military regime of
Gen. Oscar Mejia Victores and im-
proves human rights. Elections are
scheduled for November.
For Honduras, Reagan requested
$86 million in military aid for fiscal
year 1986. The Senate approved it in
full, but the [louse reduced the re-
quest to $56 trillion.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/24: CIA-RDP90-00965R000201080043-7