CENTRAL AMERICA/U.S. AID

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP95B00890R000700190010-3
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 4, 2011
• Sequence Number: 10
• Publication Date: March 14, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified and Approved For Release 2011/11/04: CIA-RDP95B00890R000700190010-3
CBS EVENING NEWS
14 March 1984
R? After six days of very heavy White House
C, L AMERICA Min- ?
:./~?S? AID lobbying, the Senate Appropriations Committee today
It
Central
ved two record aid proposals
A
r
appro
nilitary
ergency
ea
in
gave the go-ahead for $93
inistration says is needed
d
m
aid for El Salvador,. aid the a
Pnl l nnsin2. On covert aid -. =-----
__ _ - =. - _ - - -;_? no,Ke_ep :LiML ~_~~....., - b.--.~ -- tin the Sandinista
-to~Nicaragua-'-s-contras, rebels= figh g
-- _ _- ., -- --_-regime --the committee reversed itself and
morenat a
ibl
$
e
. immediate $7 million and a poss
th
d
e
,
later date. As David Martin has learne
_administration request is needed to fund a growing
guerrilla force.
formed sources-tell CBS News the number of
I
n
MARTIN:
CIA-supported guerrillas battling the Sandinista
nia government of Nicara - has -grown. to..nearl _18 000.:-an
increase of ,000 since last summer. The CIA is spending
$3 million a month on this army of contras, which has now
reached the size limit set by President Reagan two years
ago. It is also nearly twice the size of the
Nicaraguan-backed guerrilla forces fighting to overthrow
the government.of El Salvador. Yet intelligence analysts
ave
say its impact'is substantially less. The contras havee
now begun mining Nicaraguan ports an have also
Mexico to shut off vital oil shipments. -They
? . bombed _a-radio-.intercept station. used* by Cu..ans and .
Ca raguans o -. eavesdro =on ---the -Salvador-an-army. Yet
intelligence anal ystsey~ndere is no inistas dence
operation is forcing
their support of the guerrillas in El Salvador or their
own military buildup. -Soviet bloc ships continue to bring-
rmythe
ta
i
i
_a
s
n
in new military hardware for the Sand
es ver ahi load of tanks. But there is still
? r no sign of. the long-expected arrival of Soviet-build HiG
aircraft.- This video tape purchased by CBS
- - most of the Sandinista air force. Except for these -- - - -
helicopters outfitted with rocket pods, itaisssa But the
delapidated force of Korean War vintage p
Sandinistas are building a new airfield with runways that
are the longest in Central America and taxiways where
planes can disperse behind earthen shields. Intelligence
analysts say that sooner or later the Sandinistas intend
to base-modern jet. aircraft here. Some analysts believe
the Sandinistas will accelerate their nbuildup Pdduring uringnthe
? American presidential campaign, betting that Reagan will not risk greater involvement in a
controversial war. But they say if he is re-elected
there's likely to be another step up in America's
not-so-secret war against Nicaragua. David Martin, CPS.
News, the Pentagon.
Declassified and Approved For Release 2011/11/04: CIA-RDP95B00890R000700190010-3