HAIG CAUTIONS HILL AGAINST ENDING AID TO EL SALVADOR

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Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP90-00552R000100390023-5
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
K
Document Page Count: 
1
Document Creation Date: 
December 22, 2016
Document Release Date: 
July 29, 2010
Sequence Number: 
23
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
March 11, 1982
Content Type: 
OPEN SOURCE
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PDF icon CIA-RDP90-00552R000100390023-5.pdf142.38 KB
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Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/29: CIA-RDP90-00552R000100390023-5 A.T -fC _:E A21'E_LIiE By John M. Goshko Secretary of State',Alexander M: Haig Jr., speaking against. a back- ground - of - mounting- controversy. about U.S. policy in Central Amer= .ica, told Congress yesterday_that cut- ting off military aid would be"a fatal blow" to the government of El Sal'.. vador in its struggle against leftist- guerrillas. "I think it would be' ,,a catastro- phe," Haig said. "In practical.terms, the guerrillas are not.about to over- whelm the country. But ,American- arms are a crucial factor, even more 'in political and--psychological terms than in actual material terms." The secretary's testimony before. a Senate subcommittee- came on a day. that saw a rapid-fire series. of devel- opme_ nts continue to push the- de- bate over El Salvador and-Nicaragua. to the forefront of congressional and executive branch attention- Among. er :n s ?s rdcy and-list night were p Twenty s"x,, prominent., officials- of past Republicarr and Democratic administrations emerged from a clas- sified intelligence- 'briefing" at-the- . State'Departent to say, they la' been given convincing; evidence: that the Salvadoran-,guerrillas= are ? being- aided, supplied and guided- from out.-,, side, by Cuba_ and Nicaragua.'How ever, the former offcials:also;agreed?; that the evidence is 'so' "sensitive" that it cannot be made public with- out causing serious damage- to- U$. .ability to collect'. intelligence in=. t1 - future. ~: - ... .........r. THE WASHINGTON POST 11 March 1982 Haig; Defense Secretarjr Caspar Weinberger W.; Weinberger and some other. sen= Uones, chairman for administration officials refused-161 nt`Staff reiterat , comment.. on. a- report yesterday: in fore the House Fo The-Washington Post that President ttee, that the i Reagan has approved a $19 million nd, plans or inten program to destabilize 'the-. revolu- troops to El Salv, tionary .'Sandinista-dominated gov its support ernment'in Nicaragua. Instead, they civilian government- there' to- in- took- the position, described by. Haig Erased military and economic aid. as "consistent and longstanding.pol-. s. The administration, obviously icy,". that the government does not - oncerned that its policy toward comment. publicly ;on covert activ- Central America could be derailed ities, but. they added' that their ~i- by_ persistent questions about wheth- { lence should not be interpreted as i di f ng or a s hea er the United States confirmation of the report. ;s new Vietnam-type involvement, this However, White House counselor week mounted a campaign to swing Edwin Meese III told a journalism- .public opinion behind its approach. seminar here last night that The The effort began Tuesday when Post. report placed the administra.01 tion in a "totall untenable gnror intelligence officials gave re- y position!' porters a detailed briefing, including Meese said: "Here is a situation. in- the, display of blowups of aerial re- which the security of the country is connaissance photographs, designed seriously affected, whether the arti- to show that Nicaragua is building a? cle be true or false. If it is true, then suable - military establishment with very important secrets vital to our Cuhan and Soviet help. The second natonaJ interest and vital to the site , brief- cess of any such. mission have beens~age came yesterday, with the brief- u)& aimed at enlisting the support of s you have reveated. If it is fal e, then. ,___-- -- ,- 1-- former officials and with Haig's. ap-. snot`rejected Mexican President Jose I l,, GSg31 QSSA, J me- XJpder heavy questioning fmni t t ff ill ' as a o ac er s o o Lopez Port Republican and Democratic meall d h t Th ld axy sai e seer aragaa.- e: 9 Nicaraguan capital of Managua. He continue discussing the idea with said the principal flaw in the Mex- Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge.Cas ican peace initiative, which he as- another hint that Washington wants . .... ......... r.,,.. - .L_ ~___:1:- ~.. r ., Posed by the United States and re re- b y ""'~"`6- ' fuel negotiations, Haig expressed "?" ' 'lack of a requirement.that Nicaragua l hope that after the March 28 e ec "Commit itself tocease sad desist" in hb,,, tions fora constituent assembly, is ;nun ement w 4U its nei g s rnciucea; to- lay sown rneir arms nil '.means possible to, -.bring-', :, about?`a, _theoatvaaoran peoPie::- :~ a 'reciprocal `oblizations by those who Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/29: CIA-RDP90-00552R000100390023-5 irst