SENATOR FAVORS CONTINUED U.S. SUPPORT FOR CONTRAS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000100530005-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 22, 2010
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: September 15, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

-STATE
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/22 : CIA-RDP90-00552R000100530005-9
ASSOCIATED PRESS
15 September 1983
WASHINGTON
SENATOR FAVORS CONTINUED U.S. SUPPORT FOR CONTRAS
BY T. LEE HUGHES
Sen. Lloyd Bentsen, a congressional adviser to the president's commission on
Central America, said Thursday he believes the "contras" fighting the leftis t
Nicaraguan government should continue to receive U.S. support.
The Texas Democrat said he met with the "contras," or
counter-revolutionaries, during a recent five-day visit to El Salvador,
Nicaraoua.and Honduras, though he declined to specify the circumstances.
"I was impressed with some of the contras I met with who had been very much
opposed to (former Nicuraguan President Anastasio) Samoza, had fought to
overthrow him, and felt they'd been betrayed by the Sandinista government" that
succeeded Samoz.a, Bentsen said.
Bentsen said the counter-revolutionaries he met "were intelligent,
broad-gauged and totally committed." He also said they were "risking their lives
and living under some of the most difficult of circumstances."
Bentsen said there was "no question in my mind" that the
counter-revolutionaries were aiming to overthrow the leftist Sandinista
novernment that assumed power in 1979.
However, because of the size of the Nicaraguan armed forces, "I don't think
that's realistic that they can overthrow that government," Bentsen said.
According to congressional testimony, the CIA has been providing financial
backing for the counter-revolut4onaries. The Reagan administration has said it
does not want to overthrow the Sandinistas, but wants to prevent them from
aiding Marxist guerrillas fighting against the U.S.-backed government of El
Salvador.
Bentsen said at least some continued U.S. support of the
counter-revolutionaries is justified to put pressure on the Sandinista
government to stop assisting the El Salvadoran Marxists.
"I think it's serious pressure on (the Sandinistas) and causes a substantial
diversion of their efforts and that it lessens their capability of supporting
insurgency in E1 Salvador," said Bentsen
"I would not be for cutting off all of the funding because I believe that if
you did that you'd lose the bargaining power that you have to try to bring about
a peaceful solution...," Bentsen said.
Bentsen said he also met with El Salvadoran President Alvaro Magana and
Daniel Ortega, Nicaraguan junta coordinator.
He said Ortega "would not acknowledge" that the Sandinistas were providing
support for the leftist guerrillas in El Salvador and contended that "they were
just exporting ideas," not arms.
c0 T 'LUED.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/22 : CIA-RDP90-00552R000100530005-9