CONGRESS UNITS SEEK TO HALT DELIVERY OF ANGOLAN MISSILES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000201830076-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 28, 2012
• Sequence Number: 76
• Publication Date: April 3, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

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I Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/29: CIA-RDP90-00965R000201830076-8
NEW YORK TIMES
3 April 1986
Congress .Units Seek to Halt L
Delivery of Angolan Missiles
By STEPHEN ENGELBERG
Special to The New York Times
WASHINGTON, April 2 = Senior
members of the House and Senate in-
telligence committees are trying to
prevent the Reagan Administration
from delivering portable antiaircraft
missiles to rebel forces in Angola, ac-
cording to congressional and Adminis-
tration sources.
These sources said Representative
Lee Hamilton, the Indiana Democrat
who is chairman of the House Select
Committee on Intelligence, has told the
White House he will try to get a bill
enacted that would cut off covert aid to
the rebels if . the decision is not
reversed. .Iffier Congressional official
said the dministration had notified
the intelligence committees of the deci-
sion to send the missiles last Thursday,
the day Congress adjourned for its
week-long recess.
Senator Patrick Leahy, the vice
chairman of t e Senate committee, has
expressed support for Mr. Hamilton's
position, the sources said.
The conflict between some members
of'the intelligence panels and the Rea-
gan ministration reflects deep dis-
agrementss over the wisdom of provid-
jng covert American supporttogtter-
rilla movements aroun t he world.
Open-Request Bill Offered
The committees have no authority to
overturn a Presidential decision- but in
practice the executive branch haq Pan
erally heeded Congressional conce
about
The committee has two o Lion to cut
-
off
a-ld7f can a minate all f ding for
t e operation from the Central Intelli-
gence Agency budget or it can ss a
resolution barring of
money or the operation.
In 1976, Congress passed the Clark
Amendment, which cut off all aid to the
Angolan rebels. In 1983, Representa-
tive Edward Boland pushed through an
amendment that cut off aid to the Nica-
raguan contras. The Clark Amendment
was repealed last year.
In February, the House committee
wrote to President Reagan asking him
to reverse his decision on aiding the An-
golan rebels. Meanwhile, Mr. Hamilton
began moving his bill through the
House committee. The bill has cleared
the intelligence committee and is still
be ore the House Foreign Affairs Com-
mittee.
This week it was disclosed that the
Administration had eci to expand
its covert programs In Angola and Af-
R n ssan~~ing rebel forces in
ose countries hundreds of St' er
anti-aircraft missiles to the Angolan
and Afghan rebels- It marked the first
time that t the mtntstration was will-
ing to introduce American-made weap-
ins on a large scale into the conflict.
Previous American support had been
limited to Eastern bloc armaments
that could not be directly traced back
:his country.
< B law the President must notify the
Congressional oversight committees of
anticipated indigence operations.
Mr. Hamilton has already introduced
a bill that would require the Adminis-
tration to make an open request for aid
to the Angolans that would be voted on
by the entire Congress. AmLLIle sources
said if this maneuver fail Mr.
amilton has spoken of going er
and ring to cut on or restrict-f t ov-
e aid program, which is estimat at
a level of about $15 million.
Declassified in Part -. Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/29: CIA-RDP90-00965R000201830076-8