TARGETING A U.S. AMBASSADOR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00901R000700060042-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 17, 2005
• Sequence Number: 42
• Publication Date: July 2, 1984
• Content Type: MAGAZINE

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Targeting a U.S. Ambassador
F or the record, his assignment was to
convey President Reagan's congratula-
tions to El Salvador's new president-elect,
Jose Napoleon Duarte, and to accompany
Duarte back to Washington. But whenRea-
gan's ambassador at large, Gen. Vernon
Walters, arrived in San Salvador that Friday
last May, he was rushed to U.S. Ambassador
Thomas Pickering's' heavily guarded resi-
dence on an urgent secret mission. Waiting
there with Pickering was not Duarte, but
Roberto D'Aubuisson, the right-wing can-
didate still bridling at his defeat by Duarte
two weeks earlier. And Walters wasted no
time in announcing the United States had
incontrovertible evidence that D'Aubuis-
son and other members of his ARENA Par-
Sources in El Salvador say that a Helms staff
aide telephoned D'Aubuisson in San Salva-
dor and leaked the contents of the letter
before it became public. A top Helms aide
denied any direct contact between anyone in
his office and D'Aubuisson, but recalled that
early copies had been made available to
Salvadoran journalists in Washington.
Whatever the source, "ARENA was livid
about the elections," said a source in San
Salvador. "The whole thing was unleashed
by the Helms letter."
D'Aubuisson, who could not be reached
for comment, has longbeen regarded by U.S.
government officials as a principal architect
of El Salvador's right-wing death squads.
Sources in that country said that within days
of the Helms letter becoming public,
D'Aubuisson met with a "very small"
group of party officials to discuss
Pickering's murder as a response to
U.S. meddling. "They mentioned
Pickering by name," said one source.
The plotters did not mince words or
speak in code, the source said. "There
was no doubt."
`Take It Seriously': There was also
no solid evidence as to how far-if at
all-the murder plans had actually
progressed before the Walters mis-
sion. "One never uncovers a plot as
such," says one knowledgeable U.S.
government source. "One uncovers
evidence and then has to decide
whether to take it seriously or not.
This one we took seriously." Indeed,
the intelligence reort prompted Rea-
gan to tspatc ormer CIA official
Walters, a veteran military and diplo-
matichand respected by Latin conser-
yatfives or isT strong anticommunist
Pickering and Helms: Was the letter to blame? stance. A U.S. official said the general
ty were plotting a political murder. The lectured D'Aubuisson on the proper
intended target: none other than U.S. Am- "role of the loyal opposition" and did not
bassador Pickering himself. have to dwell specifically on D'Aubuisson's
Walters's warning of dire consequences pending request for a U.S. visa or ARENA's
for El. Salvador's right-should the murder vulnerable lifeline to Salvadoran supporters
plot succeed-seems to have squelched the living in the United States-who would not
alleged conspiracy. But the bizarre scenario, welcome federal investigations of their im-
confirmed last week by sources in San Salva- migration status, currency transactions, tax
dor and Washington, remained a disturbing returns and bank accounts.
lesson in the savagery of Salvadoran politics. In the wake of that meeting,
And it was likely to cast a shadow over the the ARENA leader ceased his
administration's extensive--and expen- public denunciations of the
sive-policy there. There was also the politi- election-and his hints about
cally damaging assertion that one of the ignoring the returns. He was
U.S. Senate's conservative icons-North further encouraged in this
Carolina's Republican Sen. Jesse Helms, lowered profile by Senator
now battling for re-election-was blamed by Helms himself--at President
some top administration figures for inad- Reagan's request. Even before
vertently triggering the assassination plot. the death plot was discover-
According to sources in El Salvador, the ed, Washington sources said,
plot against Pickering was prompted by a the president had summoned
letter Helms wrote to President Reagan-a Hems to the White House pri-
rambling, vitriolic missive protesting U.S. vase quarters fora "stern lec-
interference in Salvadoran elections ' be- ture" about the senator's public
half of the moderated ~1Qt~eg1 9n eRelei es20051 P
in the Salvador elections. Later,
STAT
with the help of Se' ate Majority Leader
Howard Baker, Helrt s was hastily added to
a delegation headed for Duarte's inaugura-
tion-and asked to make contact with
D'Aubuisson. But fart from being blamed for
setting off a murder-plot, one Helms aide
insisted, the senator was called on as "a
peacemaker ... to re uild links with the 46
percent of the people there who voted for
D'Aubuisson."
Just four years ago former U.S. Ambassa-
dor to El Salvador ;Robert White told a
congressional hearing that D'Aubuisson
was a "pathological #ciller" who could-at
least byU.S. judicial 'tandards-beconvict-
ed of murdering El ,kalvador's Archbishop
Oscar Romero in 19, 0. White's successor,
Deane R. Hinton, tried a more conciliatory
tack; emerging from a meeting with D'Au-
buisson after his pail ty's surprising strong
showing in 1982 Assembly elections, Hinton
proclaimed, "Bobby, proved himself to be a
fine, young democrat,"
Plot: Now, despite the alleged conspiracy,
relations seem cozierthan ever-at least on
the surface. On May 31 D'Aubuisson was
granted a temporary U.S. visa previously
denied him, and he Was expected to meet
with Helms and other members of the Senate
Foreign Relations Committee in Washing-
ton this week. Though administration fig-
ures have privately ccc'~ntended that it is safer
to have D'Aubuisson inside the
political, process rather than
outside, the plot against Picker-
ing mayj well complicate fur=
ther efforts to work with him
-or with anyone else on El
Salvador's extreme right wing.
The latelpt disclosure also will
raise questions about the ethi-
cal sensitivity of an administra-
tion that complains loudly
about harassment ofU.S. diplo-
mats overseas and then grants a
visa to someone it believes has
plotted to murder one.
MARK STARR with ROBERT
RIVAR in San Salvador and JOF~1
WAL OTT, JOHN LINDSAY ai-~TAT
THOMAS M. DeFRANK in Washington