WE HAVE JUST RECEIVED OUR OWN INDEPENDENT, FIRST-HAND, FACT FINDING REPORT ABOUT THE CRITICAL SITUATION FACED BY COMMANDER EDEN PASTORA'S ARDE ANTI-COMMUNIST GUERRILLA FORCE IN SOUTHERN NICARAGUA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP87M00539R001802760012-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 16, 2009
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: April 15, 1985
• Content Type: LETTER

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STAT
EXECUTIVE SECRETARIAT
ROUTING SLIP
ACTION
INFO
DATE
INITIAL
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DCI
X
2
DDCI
X
3
EXDIR
4
D/ICS
5
DDI
X
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DDA
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DDO
x
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DDS&T
9
Chm/NIC
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GC
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IG
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Compt
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D/Pers
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D/OLL
X
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D/PAO
-
6
SA/IA
17
AO/DCI
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C/IPD/OIS
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NIO /LA
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ATF/DO
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D L DI
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Z7 (10-81)
Y x cutive Secretary
l April 85
Date
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 April 15, 1985
The President
The White House
Washington, D.C. 20500
Approved For Release 2009/09/16: CIA-RDP87M00539RO01802760012-2
'. CnUfeb , taf ez Zenaf e
Executive Registry
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85- 1630
We have just received our own independent, first-hand, fact
finding report about the critical situation faced by Commander
Eden Pastora's ARDE anti-Communist guerrilla force in Southern
Nicaragua. Eden Pastora is a strongly anti-Communist Freedom
Fighter, but his forces desperately need American help. He seems
to have a genuine popular following. He is a charismatic leader
who already has attracted a wide following in Nicaragua. Like
the FDN in the North, Pastora's ARDE in the South deserves our
support.
Eden Pastora has received some U.S. government support in the
past, and we believe that support should be immediately resumed
and increased. No matter what difficulties may have occurred in
the past, we believe that in this critical period, U.S. policy
toward Eden Pastora should at least be guided by the time-tested
maxim: "The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
The recent March, 1985 U.S. State and Defense Department booklet
entitled The Soviet-Cuban Connection in Central America and the
Caribbean describes Eden Pastora as a "legendary military
leader. It quotes Pastora's own critique of Sandinista leaders
as direct evidence of the Sandinista commitment to Marxism-
Leninism:
"[Sandinista leaders] isolated themselves from what
Sandinismo is supposed to be about. Violations of
human rights, Cuban troops in Nicaragua, the alignment
toward the Soviet bloc, the moral deviations, it's a
long list."
This indicates that the State and Defense Departments believe
that Eden Pastora deserves our support as much as the FDN.
A recent Administration policy paper states that "the United
States has a clear, undeniable moral imperative not to abandon
those brave men and women [the Contras] in their fight to
establish democracy and respect for human rights in Nicaragua."
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The President
April 15, 1985
Page 2
Yet Eden Pastora's guerrilla forces have just had two outposts in
the jungle overrun by Marxist-Leninist Sandinistas, and just like
our own Revolutionary War Minutemen citizen-soldiers, his
volunteer troops need all kinds of supplies urgently.
Eden Pastora has liberated over 10,000 square kilometers of
Sandinista territory. Thousands of helpless refugees from
Marxist-Leninist oppression have trekked for weeks through the
jungles seeking freedom and his protection.
Mr. President, we realize that in this climactic phase of
American foreign policy toward Central America, we are now facing
up to the extreme danger of a Central America dominated by
Marxist-Leninist Sandinistas backed by Soviet and Cuban support.
Because of this Soviet-Cuban support, we are forced to respond in
kind. Eden Pastora's forces have already been attacked by Soviet
MI-24 Hind helicopters capable of spreading "Yellow Rain"
Chemical and Biological Warfare munitions.
While there are certain legal and legislative constraints on U.S.
aid to the anti-Sandinista Freedom Fighters, we believe that much
can be done to help Pastora's and the FDN's Contra forces.
Accordingly, we request the following immediate policy actions:
1. U.S. policy concurrence in military support of FDN and
Pastora's ARDE Contras by democratic Central American
Armies;
2. Release of American constraints on the use of FDN and
ARDE-owned Contra aircraft in the region;
3. Release to FDN and ARDE Contras of old non-U.S. rifles
previously used by regional armies and also rifles
captured from,Marxist rebels;
4. Urgent provisions to Pastora of 100,000 rounds of 7.62
mm. B-39) ball ammunition, 100,000 rounds of 7.62 mm.
(B-49) ball ammunition, 100,000 rounds of 50 caliber
ammunition, 1,000 M-79 grenades, and 100,000 rounds of
5.56 mm M-16 ammunition from regional army-owned
surplus stocks;
5. U.S. policy..concurrence in regional military provision
of surplus foodstuffs and medicines to FDN and ARDE
Contras;
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The President
April 15, 1985
Page 3
6. U.S. policy concurrence in provision of defensive
measures against Soviet "Yellow Rain" to the Contras by
regional armies;
7. U. S. provision to Eden Pastora of one third of the
pending $14 million in U.S. humanitarian aid to the
anti-Communist Nicaraguan Freedom Fighters, in order to
help Pastora take care of the thousands of refugees
fleeing from Communism into the area controlled by
Pastora.
Mr. President, we believe that each of these policy actions is
fully consistent with existing law and legislative guidance.
Moreover, these policy actions are fully in accordance with the
"Symms Amendment", which passed Congress overwhelmingly three
times in 1962, 1982, and 1984. The "Symms Amendment" requires
U.S. resistance to Soviet military bases in Cuba, and U.S.
resistance to Soviet-Cuban subversion and aggression anywhere in
the Western Hemisphere, by force of arms if necessary.
We believe that U.S. failure to comply with the Symms Amendment
and adopt the above policy actions would be interpreted by our
friends in the region as a sign that the U.S. will not be able to
reverse Soviet-Cuban subversion and aggression in Central
America.
With warmest personal regards,
Sincerely,
Oe"
Copies to:
Secretary of State
Secretary of Defense
Under Secretary of Defense for Policy
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff
L,irector of the Central Intelligence Agency
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