NEW YORK AREA'S SENATORS ARE DIVIDED ON LATIN POLICY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000505400060-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 16, 2010
• Sequence Number: 60
• Publication Date: April 30, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/11/16 :CIA-RDP90-005528000505400060-3
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New York Area's Senators
Are Divided on Lafin~Policy
By JANE PERLEZ
Spea-1 co Tie Ne.~ York Ttmes
VJASKINGTON, April 29 -Five United
States Senators from New York, Nea? Jersey
and Connecticut, spealang in the wake of
President Reagan's appeal for bipartisan suP-
port of his military and earnotnic aid proposal
for Central America, gave varying assess-
ments of what United States policy should barn
the region. -
Theirviews ranged from that of?Christopher
-J. Dodd, Democrat of Connecticut, who has
long taken exception to the Administration's
-approach, to that of Senator Alfonse+ M.
D'AmaLt), Republican of New York, who said
he agreed with the President's premises.
Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, 'Demo-
crat of New York and vice chairman of the Sen-
ate Intelligence Committee, said theAdmiais-
tration had to "muster hemispheric diplomacy
because, absent that, nothing else will work."
The two New Jersey Senators,.Bill Bradley
and Frank R. Lautenberg, both Democrats,
said they wanted to learn more about the
policy options in Central America.
The Senator said be was disturbed ~ own and be talking about a com-
the nature of the mon market," he said. 'Regional dis-
support for Adminis- ~ eons ought to be pursued, but that's
tration policy, comparing the SltuatlOn i ~
to the one at the united Nations when he
was the chief United States delegate.
"'T'here is a pattern right now of what
I slaw at the United Nations," he said. .
`.People would vote against you and
I come up and say they didn't mesa to duo
it,~hat they were really for you."
-Now, he said, the Administration is
accepting private assau?ances that "we
ark with you" when in fact these assur-
anoesarenot ftrm.
Alfonse M. D'Amato
Mr. D'Amato, who has supported the
Adminisuation's realuesu for military ~
and economic aid, said he believed
President Reagan's stated 90.30 bal-
ance of economic to military aid to the
region was coneet. Economic aid is
paramount, he said.
"People aren't foolish," Mr.
D'Amato said. "If an effort is made to
.Mr. Reagan annealed to Congress Wednes- improve theireconomicneeds,theywill
day tught to approve his request foz 5600 mil- i ~~ those for?ce_c blowing up
lior. in ecoomic and military aid for Central ~ ge said he did not believe that covert
Amerce in the 1984 fiscal year. supper by the United States of aati-
Canriinict
Senator Lowell P. weicker Jr., Republican `?It has ~ ~ ~ aced the law.
of Connecticut, was "too busy" the day after - aggression
Mr. Reagaa's speech to discuss Central Amer- rather than create an overthrow," he
ice, according to his press secretary, Brendan said. "I believe the Presidem. it is not
Fitzsimmons. Mr. Weicker was traveling in ' our mteat to overthrow the Nicaraguan
his state on Friday and was unavailable, Mr. ' Government but rather to interdict the
flow of wen
Fitzsimmons skid today. T 3be Salvadoran Government has to
Here are the major points made by the Sena- be seat a clear message, Mr. D'Amato
tors in interviews here: said, that they .`are not going to take
our money and then thumb their noses
at-tu.
I?aniel Patrick Moynihan "We've got to let them know that
Mr. Moynihan said his chief noncern was we're not god LO wort them unless
. they go along with eoooomic aad.human
that '.the Administration has not been able to ~~ ~~~.. ~ ~.
mobilize the Latin Americar~s who are even ; $e raid he believed that the Admatinis-
He said he rejected the notion that "if we ; ~~ Amertcsa cotmtrus to stabilize
could just train the Salvadorans. why all would ~ the area.
be well,,' adding~'W e've been training the Sal-+ ~'.~ CZIi'1St0 l2er .Dodd
~aaora~as for a quarter of 8 ceattay."~ - - ~ .. p J
troubles" ovit.b-the President's aid pack-
age. "They're not large sums,.. be said.
'.`T've voted for it so far."~
He said the statement by the United
States Ambassador to El Salvador,
Deane R. Hintoq that the United States
.COWd be involved there for 10 years was
the sentiment of a `very discouraged
?
man.
"In a democracy you don't sustain
foreigxt policies for that long," Mr.
Moynihan said. __
tration needed to seek the support of
dlr. Dodd, who responded wedneday.
night oa behalf of Congressional Demo-
craw to President Reagan's speech, '
said the Administration labored :order :
the hmdamental misconception that "ff
it +were not for Rusaian agents there ,
would not be revolution" in Central ,
America.
The senator, a member of the For-
eign Relaticros Committee, said the Ad-
ministration had Lo realize that Central
America lacked a history of hoamogerii- !,
ty?
. "It -s not natural that they all be sit-
not going to solve the internal prob.
lams."
In El Salvador, be said, as long as the
"option exists for dialogue between the
insurgents and the Government it ought
to be pursued.,,
"I think we have the leverage to ef-
fecuate that,.. he said. "Also a ceast~
fife .,
Mr. I~dd, who has visited the region
three times in the last two and a half
years, added that he believed it would
be `?a mistake" for the United States to
pursue "alone" a leadership role in
such talks.
In Nicaragua, Mr. Dodd said, the
United States has to take the Govern-
ment up on its stated "willingness to sit li
down to talks." i
Frank R. Lautenberg
The freshman Senator said thatal- '',
though be would not wte to cut United ',
States military aid to the region he ',
wanted to "hear some more" before he
voted for increased expenditures.
He prefaced his comments by saying
he had been "doing some reading," but
he did not pretend to have expertise on
American foreign policy options in Cen-
i tral America.
"I see a substantial threat of Marx-
ism moving into the area, and I don't
take the Cuban and Russian influences
lightly," Mr. Lauteaberg said. "I think
we have to be vigilant."
What concerns him most, he said, is
the specter of the United States' "put-
ting larger chips oa the shoulder, and
the fighting getting bigger."
"The more military aid that goes in,
the more defiant they become," he sai-
dofthe guerrillas in El Salvador.
"I am not willing to art the strings,"
Mr. Lauteaberg continued. "Ne have to
continue the press~ue for negotiations
and show we want an honest end."
Bill Bradley
Mr. Bradley was the most cautious of ':
the Senators, saying he was in the midst
of a "very thorough analysis" of what
"atr long and short term interests in
the re530a 8re."
. "Ottr policy should be ,to promote the
center," Mr. Bradley said. "We have a'
violent left and violent right. How you i
go about promotitrg the nutter is the pEG!
million question."
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/11/16 :CIA-RDP90-005528000505400060-3