WHITE HOUSE CITES C.I.A.MATERIAL ON A CUBAN ROLE IN ZAIRE INVASION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81M00980R000600080044-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 29, 2006
• Sequence Number: 44
• Publication Date: June 16, 1978
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2006/11/30: CIA-RDP81M00980ROO
NEW YORK TIMES
White House Cites C. A. Material -on-
. Cuban Role in Zaire Invasion
By BERNARD GWERTZMAN
Special to The New York 'rimes
WASHINGTON, June 15-The Admin-
istration has added a new dimension to
its efforts to substantiate President Car-
ter's assertions that Cuba was deeply in-
volved in training the Katangan rebels
who invaded Zaire last month from bases
in Angola.
Faced with repeated denials by Fidel
Castro, the Cuban leader, that Havana
was involved in any way and expressions
of skepticism by some members of Con-
gress about Mr. Carter's evidence, the
White House has been concerned that
Mr. Carter's credibility was being chal-
lenged. officials acknowledged today.
Until now, the Administration had
refused to make public any documenta-
tion of the charges against Cuba. But
yesterday, Jody Powell, the President's
spokesman, authorized. disclosure to re-
porters,. on a private basis, of declassified
memorandum by Herbert E. Hetu, the
Central Intelligence Agency's head of
public information, summarizing the Ad-
ministration's position. The document is
dated June 2.
A C.I.A. spokesman said today that Mr.
Hetu had not actually drafted the materi-
al but had only conveyed it in memoran-
dum form to the White House, at its
request.
He said the White House had wanted
"a sanitized" statement about the intelli-
gence information and it was the White
House's decision on what to do with the
document.
'Wide Variety of Sources'
The memorandum flatly asserts that
"evidence from a wide variety of sources
over the past two years refutes Castro's
denials of any direct or indirect involve- qThe invasion of Zaire in March 1977
ment." was supported by Cuban troops in Lunda
But the document lacks details on the Province who were with the Katangan
sources of the C.I.A.'s information. It has troops before and at the time of the inVa-
been tha reluctance of the Administration sion. No source was given.
to divulge these sources in detail that qAfter the first invasion, military
has produced the most criticism on Capi- training for the Katangans continued in
tol Hill. northeast Angola "with the active sup-
One Democratic member of the House, port of Cuban instructors." Over the sum-
who requested anonymity, said today mer , the guerrillas had established train,
that on the basis of a briefing from the ing bases in at least five Angolan towns:
C.I.A. and Mr. - Castro's denials, I think Cazombo, Nova Chaves, Chicapa. Sauri-
an impartial jury would acquit Castro mo, and Camissombo. No source was
for lack of evidence." given.
The Katangans, members of the Lunda gin August 1977, 5,000 Katangan re-
tribe, which predominates in northeast cruits and 1,500 veterans of the first
Angola and southern Zaire, crossed into Shaba invasion were reported to be under
Shaba Province in southern Zaire from the control of Cuban and East German
Angola, via Zambia, on May 13 and over- instructors and in addition "Cuban and
ran the town of Kolwezi, which they left Angolan troops transported large quanti-
a few days later. ties of weapons from Luanda to a camp
In March 1977, the Katangans also near Cazombo for the use of Katangans
crossed into Zaire and were driven out around this time."
two months later. gin early 1978, the Katangan leader,
In the first days after the latest Katan- Nathaniel M'Bumbo, annourveed his inten-
gan invasion, the Zaire Government tion to invade Zaire and said that Cubans,
charged that the Cubans were behind it, were providing arms and training. It was
but the Administration said repeatedly reported elsewhere that this was done
it could not confirm that until May 19, in a letter to the Zambian 'Government.
when Tom Reston; a State Department At the same time, Cubans were re-
spokesman, said new information had be- portedly organizing the movement of a
come available showing "recent" Cuban large number of Katangan troops from,
training of the rebels. northeast Angola toward the Zambian
Castro Admits Cuban Training Role border, and the Cubans accompanied the
g force as advisers. No source was given
It had been known that Katangans had for the information.
received Cuban training in 1975, some- 3 Major Conclusions Listed
thing admitted by- Mr. Castro, but the
Cuban leader in a meeting with the chief The memorandum listed three major
American diplomat in Havana on May conclusions:
17 specifically hied any recent involv. "I. The Cuban presence in Angola is
ment. pervasive. Little of importance is done
Since Mr: Reston's statement, enlarged without their involvement.
upon by Mr. Carter-on May 25 and again 2. Katangan insurgents have been
yesterday, the Administration has been trained and armed by the Cubans and
engaged in trying to prove its case. possibly by the East Germans for several
The C.I.A. memorandum said that there years. Thi sassistance ha had the active
was "no independent information" to upport of the Angolan government. The
confirm press reports that Cubans had Soviets have been indirectly involved in
accompanied the Katangans into Zaire. this activity.
tro's t said, does "contra- "3. The May 1978 invasion of Shaba
But the evidence,
province, as well as the March 1977 at-
Among other disclaimers. tack took place with the cooperation of
Ag the e assertions in the memo are
the following: the Angolan government and -the
?
QAs early as the summer of 1976, Sovi- Cubans.
et and Cuban advisers requested Presi- Several senators, when advised of the
dent Agostinho Neto of Angola "to sup- C.I.A. memorandum, said that it was _ a
port incursions by Katangans into Zaire." close summary of what they had been
No source was listed for the information. told in a briefing by Adm. Stansfield
gin mid-1976, Cuban and East German Turner, Director of Central Intelligence.
officials provided military training to the But they said that despite rather exten-
Katangans at Saurimo Air Base in Lunda sive questioning, he did not provide the
Province. No source was given. sourcing information they had requested.
Traditionally, the intelligence com-
munity has been extremely reluctant to
provide details about the sources of infor-
mation.
The members of Congress were told
that the material had come from Katan-
gan prisoners and African and European
diplomats, but they were not told much
more than that, senators said.