CONCERN OVER CURB SHOWS CARTER WANTS TO ACT IN ANGOLA, CLARK SAYS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP99-00498R000100140086-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 20, 2007
• Sequence Number: 86
• Publication Date: May 25, 1978
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2007/06/22 : CIA-RDP99-00498ROO0100140086-5
STAT]
BALTIMORE SUN
ARTICLE APPEARED 25 May 1978
ON PAGE A-6
in.? wants . to -act
-C .... t :
^ I " Car -
D cern , over curb. shows ter,,-
concern- over restrictions on covert action.
in Angola made it "self-evident" that Mr.
Carter wanted "to do something in Ango-
t;gy,: said yesterday President Cartee's
Washington Bureau of The sun - dent if the President continues to refer ing legislation, but added: "It is inaccurate
Washington-Senator Dick Clark (D., over and over again to this being an im- to interpret these consultations as sug
IIoa author of one of the key foreign pol- pediment that they did intend to do some-- gesting that the President has decided that
icy; restraints worrying the administra- thing in Angola. . : a change should be made- in our policy.
?= ltiir.-Clark confirmed that he had been
visited by two top national security offi-
cials earlier this month as the administra-
tion-sought ways to counter expanding So-
viet-and Cuban influence in Africa.
-:.~Adrn: Stanfield Turner, director of the
Central Intelligence Agency, and David
Aaron, deputy director of the National Se-
vuEity Council, were reported to have
sought Mr. Clark's reaction-to the idea of
covertly: supplying aid to anti-Cuban
krces in Angola.
At the White House, Jody Powell, the
President's press secretary, yesterday re-
fdsed~ to detail the exchange with Mr.
CMr?k,, but said the senator was the ob-
vious authority to check with on the appli-
cation of the amendment that Mr. Clark
had.sponsored.
Mr. Clark's amendment to the 1976 In-
ternational Security Arms Export Control
Act prohibits any U.S. support, direct or
indirect, for military or paramilitary ac-
tion in Angola without specific congres-.
sional authority. It was from bases in An-
gola that' the Cuban-trained Katangans
last week invaded Zaire.
Mr. Clark also declined to discuss his
conversation. with Admiral Turner and
Mr. Aaron. But, he said that concern over
his amendment made it "evident that the
administration wanted to take some ac-
tion in Angola."
. "I can only conclude that it is self-evi-
"I think it would be a great mistake for This is the case with Angola as it is for
us to get involved in that kind of civil war. other areas of United States policy." _ i
You can't get in just a little bit, said Sen- Mr. Reston added: "N6 -implication
ator. Clark, who added he had detected no; should be drawn from this request ]to Con-.
evidence that his Senate colleagues want= gress for a review of legislation] that be is
ri
"
d
l hi
"ti
htl
tten
amen
-
g
y w
ed to repea
s
ment.
He said Mr. Carter faced "understand-
able frustration", with Soviet and Cuban.
involvement in Africa and added: "Under '
the circumstances, it's easy to look other
places and say, `I am bound by this and I
am bound by that and therefore my hands
are tied."'
- ,
He said that if Mr. Carter wanted his
amendment changed, "he ought to say so.
Otherwise, he ought to stop talking about
- -
this impediment."
But at the White House, Mr. Powell in.
dicated there was no rush and said no de-
cisions had yet been made on.any specific,
legislative proposals.
Mr. Carter's concern "is not over any
specific actions he wants to take next
week or next month or tomorrow night "
piece of legislation."
"What we are engaged in is not an
academic exercise. We are. reviewing at
variety of legislation which restricts the
President's ability to execute foreign poli-
cy"
part of that foreign policy, the U.S.
yesterday announced a $55,000.contribu
tion to the International Red Cross to help''
destitute refugees from the' war in thei
Shaba province of Zaire.. ..... ~j
Announcing the aid, Mr.. Reston said
that Kolwezi, the copper-mining town cap-#
tured from the Katangans by Belgian ands
French paratroopers, is, now "a dead city,,
without water, electricity or food." .: l
Dealing with another aspect of the war,
the State Department spokesman cast
Mr. Powell said. - - - doubt on reports that the Russians had
Rather, he said, it was over "to what used prior knowledge of the Katangan at,
extent it is constructive for other nations tack to buy, up supplies of cobalt, expect:
to be informed by act of Congress that ing the Zairean mines to be shutdown. 4
certain acts in Ameican foreign policy are
foreclosed."
At the State Department, Tom Reston,
the department spokesman, did little to I
end the confusion over what precisely lay
behind the initial complaints of the Presi-
dent about an inability to offer speedy as-
sistance to friends in trouble. -
Mr. Reston said "consultations" were."
under way with Congress on the restrain-
Approved For Release 2007/06/22 : CIA-RDP99-00498ROO0100140086-5