2 SENATORS SAY DUARTE FAVORS NICARAGUA TALKS

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP90-00552R000303000019-7
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
K
Document Page Count: 
1
Document Creation Date: 
December 22, 2016
Document Release Date: 
August 20, 2010
Sequence Number: 
19
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
April 21, 1984
Content Type: 
OPEN SOURCE
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PDF icon CIA-RDP90-00552R000303000019-7.pdf84.58 KB
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__ Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/20 :CIA-RDP90-005528000303000019-7 ~'~ ~r.~= rf~ j~ 1~~~ ~'O~c; Tic -~L-~--_ 21 April 19~: ,~ ~~en~~Qr~ ~a~ ~~IFC~~'C~~L~CI ~ ~Ee~S B}' B. DR'v-MMO\'D Al'RES Jr. pedal teTLe hew, York Timms AI;Dr E~t'S AIR FORCE BP SE, 1`'ld., April 20 - Ti+vo ttnited States Senators said today that Jose Napoiebn Duarte, R?ho is running for the pr-si- , dency of E] Salvador, told them he ; would sal: negotiations with Nicara- gun if he was elected. Reagan Administration officials i have accused Nicaragua of seeking the ' overL:.roR? of the Salvadoran Govern- ment L'trough its support of rebels in that count-~?. Much of the support is be- i lieved to be in the corm of clandestine i s}tipments of ammutition. I Both Senators are members of Con- gressional committees that deal a:th Central American matters. They called for continued United States sup- port of the Governments and armed farces of El Salvador and Honduras, as well as a flow of arms to rebels fighting the Nicaraguan Government. On Wednesday a United States Army helicopter in which the two Senators were passengers was hit by fire near the Honduran border. Salavdoran rebels said the aircraft and a second UH-1H helicopter was on a reconais- saacemission. United States diplomats in El Salvador denied the accusation. "We've been through the valley of the shadow and come out unscathed," Senator Johnston said this afternoon, moments after landing here. "A lot of I w~m~~ copter was hit near L'te El Salvador- ~ Honduras border had "heightened our axareness that there's a R?ar down' there and heopie get shot at every day." No one was hurt in the incident, which occurred when the two Senators ~ ? arrived to visit a Honduran refugee i camp, and the aircraft, after putting ~ doRT briefly for a quicl: inspection by -its American crew, took off again. Asked whether the incident took ,place over E1 Salvador or Honduras, Senator Childs replied, "lt was rebel ' territory, wherever the heck we were." people are dying down there and we're lucky not to be among them." Senators Bacl Doane Senator Chiles said he had gone to Central America "very pessimistic" buthadreturned "very optimistic." Besides El Salvador, the Senators ? visited Honduras, Panama and Nicara- ?. gun. Both expressed the hope that Mr. ~ Duarte would win the Salvadoran eleG The Sena_ors, J. Bennett Johnston of i "We believe he can control the army,l Lc?,.:isiana and Lawton Chiles of Flor-' id::, bo~~t Democrats, said that whey they titic;tt; licaragua after sewing " -N'-.D?y3rte, cfficials there were non- committal wizen told about hir.I Duarte's neeotiatong offer. But the Nicaraguans had "noL~tirtg dispsragi~E tc say about Duarte," Sez:a:a Chies said, "although they ex- pressed concen tY,at the right in El Sal- valor would persit rSm to do that." hit. C?files said lrir. Duarte did not speci`