CITING CONTRADICTIONS, SENATORS ASK FOR EVIDENCE OF CUBAN ROLE IN ZAIRE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81M00980R000600090009-8
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 15, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 18, 2004
• Sequence Number: 9
• Publication Date: May 27, 1978
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2004/05/21 : CIA-RDP81 M00980R000600090009-8
ARTICLE APPEARED
ON PAGE A-13
For E.~dE'Tice of Cuban Rolein'Zaire'
27 May 1978
CtingT
By John M. Goshko
Washington Post Staff Writer
The Senate Foreign Relations Com-
mittee asked the director of the Cen
?tral Intelligence, Agency yesterday for
the evidence that prompted President
Cartei!s' charges of Cuban involve-
ment in the rebeI invasion of'Zaire. -
The committee's request to Adm:
.Stansfield Turner came against ? a
background of confusion andesome-
skepticism about the accusations made
by Carter on Thursday.'
At a Chicago press conference, the
president asserted that Cuba had
helped, to train, and equip. the Angola-
based rebels who invaded ";Zaire's
Shaba province. "
Administration officials have said'
Carter's charges were based. on new
intelligence received by the White
House on Wednesday. However, dur-
ing the past few days, different ad-
ministration sources have given con-
flicting versions of the Cuban role in
the Zaire invasion.
The State Department's official pos-
ition, which it publicly reiterated yes-
terday, is that Cuba helped train the
rebels. However, it is known that
some factions within the department
contend that this assertion is
grounded in inadequate and unrelia-
ble intelligence.
On Wednesday night, a senior de-
partment official, in a background
briefing'for reporters who accompa-
nied Secretary of State Cyrus R.
Vance to New York, said he was not
aware of any recent training provided
the rebels by Cuba.
In response to questions yesterday.
about whether, . that contradicted the
president's charges, . a department
spokesman, Tom Reston, said the offi-
cial-had not.seen the new information
in, the, possession of the White House
when he spoke, to reporters Wednes-,
day night.
Reston said this fresh intelligence
harked un the. department's earlier.
public assertion that the rebels were
given Cuban, training and Soviet
weapons. Asked. when the training
took place, Reston said, "The time
frame was directly leading up to the
invasion."
However, some department officials
are known to still have doubts about
the reliability of the administration's
evidence. Some reportedly have said
privately they believe Carter made his
public charges as part of a White
House campaign to win.a loosening of
congressional restraints on actions the
.;executive branch can take to counter
Soviet and Cuban' influence in Africa.
The confusion that these contradic-
tions have caused became evident yes-
{
fleeted doubts among committee
members about Carter's charges.
McGovern said: "I don't want to say
I'm skeptical of what the, president is
saying. But. I recognize a contradic-
tion when I see one, and I ' think it
should be cleared up."
McGovern, who met with Cuban
Vice President Carlos Rafael Rodriguez at the United Nations last week,'I
said-the Cuban had assured him "in
the strongest possible terms" that his
country had "absolutely no involve,
ment" with the Zaire invasion.
"He. told me," McGovern added,,
"it's as Shakespeare said, `Much ado
about nothing."' `
terday when Vance testified at ,a. The senator said he and Rodriguez
closed session of the' Senate Foreign also had discussed Cuba's military
Relations Committee. role in. other parts of Africa. Accord- t
Sen. George McGovern (D-S.D.) said ing to McGovern, Rodriguez said
afterward. that he called attention to Cuba, which aided Ethiopia in its re-
official Cuban government denials of : cent conflict with Somalia, would not
involvement in- Zaire and asked Vance take part militarily in Ethiopian ac-
about the Carter charges. tions against :rebels in Eritrea. prov-
Vance referred to "new evidence," ince "unless other foreign powers in
McGovern 'said: But in response to a tervene.'
motion asking, for a written report on McGovern said Rodriguez . took a
this evidence, according to McGovern different line in regard to. Rhodesia,,
and other committee sources, Vance where rebels operating, from neigh-
broke in to say that the new intelli- boring countries. are fighting the.
and added: "I'd prefet that you ,get
Rodriguez . said' if Anglo-American
mediation efforts' produce a solution
the Senate returns from the coming. .porting the. guerrillas, Cuba will -ac
week's recess. In announcing the ac- cept that result. Otherwise; he added,
tion, . committee;: Chairman John . Cuba "reserves the right to help its
Sparkman '(D-A10 denied that' it re- friends" among the guerrilla forces. .
Approved For Release 2004/05/21 : CIA-RDP81 M00980R000600090009-8