CIA MAY BE OFF LIMITS, SENATORS SAY

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000303570119-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 26, 2010
• Sequence Number: 119
• Publication Date: April 6, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/26: CIA-RDP90-00552R000303570119-4
APPEARED
CIA may be
off limits,
senators sav
2 voice fears on role
of L.S. in Nicaragua
By ALFONSO CHARDY
Hemid Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON - Two mem-
bers of the Senate Intelligence
Committee told their colleagues
Tuesday that the Reagan Adminis-
tration may be violating congres-
sional limits imposed on covert U.S.
activities against Nicaragua's San-
dinista government.
Sens. Daniel Patrick Moynihan
(D., N.Y.), the committee's vice
chairman and ranking minority
member, and Patrick Leahy (D.,
Vt.) charged that the situation in
Central America has created a "cri-
sis of confidence" between Con-
; Tess and the intelligence communi-
ty.
:hey said many congressmen no
longer believe the administration is
complying with the limits placed on
covert action last year by the Bo-
land Amendment.
The amendment sponsored by
Rep. Edward Boland (D., Mass),
chairman of the House Intelligence
Committee, prohibits the CIA or the
Defense Department from spending
federal funds "for the purpose of
overthrowing the government of
Nicaragua or provoking a military
exchange between Nicaragua and
Honduras."
The still-classified guidelines ap-
proved by the congressional com-
mittees reportedly did authorize the
CIA to supply weapons, training
and guidance to anti-Sandinista
counterrevolutionaries in an effort
to halt Nicaraguan shipments of
weapons to leftists fighting the
U.S.-backed government in El Sal-
vador.
Aides to Moynihan and Leahy
said the administration sho.ld re-
gard their decision to address the
Senate as a warning to re,n in the
operation in Central America.
THE MIAMI HERALD
6 April 1983
Otherwise, they said, it faces the Leahy said that both the Senate
possibility of legislation aimed at and House intelligence panels have
cutting off all support for anti-San- been "concerned for a considerable
dinista guerrillas, or at least the period about U.S. activities in Cen-
tightening of guidelines. tral America. their nature and
"If one is to believe the detailed scope, and above all their purpose."
accounts seen in the press in recent Leahy noted that in January he
days," Leahy said, "the administra- had toured several Central Ameri-
tion is actively supporting, and per- can countries, accompanied by
haps even guiding, a large-scale "nonpartisan" staff of the intelii-
anti-Sandinista guerrilla movement gence panel, and had prepared a
now involved in open combat inside "highly classified" report for the
Nicaragua. committee on CIA activities in the
"From reported statements of region.
some anti-Sandinista . leaders, the "That report bears materially on
apparent ... aim of their military the question of whether the execu-
campaign is to overthrow the pres- tive branch is complying with both
ent government of Managua," the letter and the spirit of the re-
Leahy said. . striction placed on it by the intelli-
In one of the most recent of these gence committees," Leahy said,
press reports, The New York Times urging senators to read the docu-
Sunday quoted an unnamed Hondu- ment.
ran source as saying the United "What we are dealing with here
States was extensively involved in is not a partisan issue of whether
training and arming the rebels be- the administration's Central Ameri-
fore they entered Nicaragua from ca policy is right or wrong," Leahy
Honduras. declared. "The question is whether
The Times account said the U.S. it is within the letter and the spirit
assistance to the guerrillas included of the law."
information on Nicaraguan troop He stated: "Differing perceptions
movements, the shipment of plane- over the objective of U.S. activities
loads of arms and ammunition to in Central America have created a
M`iskito Indians last August, and crisis of confidence between the in-
underwater equipment and explo- telligence committees and the intel-
sives for Argentine-trained sabo- ligence agencies."
tage teams infiltrated into Nicara- The committees, he said, "have
gua earlier this year to blow up an obligation to remove this crisis
port facilities at Puerto Cabezas on of confidence, and to assure the
the Caribbean coast. American people and our colleagues
The Times account also reported in the Congress that the law of the
that more than 50 out-of-uniform land is being obeyed."
U.S. military advisers of Hispanic In a subsequent interview, Leahy
background had trained rebel para- said his personal belief was that the
military units in Honduras last year. administration "may be" in viola-
The intelligence-gathering opera- tion of the Boland restrictions, but
tion, code-named Royal Duke, was declined to discuss his report in de-
carried out in part by U.S. Air Force tail.
personnel making regular recon. He said, however, that in conver-
naissance flights along the Nicara- sations with CIA operatives in Cen-
guan-Honduran border, The Times tral America, he had come to the
said. The reports were then given to conclusion that the CIA and the ad-
the Honduran military with the ministration as a whole believe they
understanding that they were to be are complying with the law.
passed on to the rebels. "These CIA men told me that
The Times quoted the Honduran they have advised the counterrevo-
source as saying that the covert op. lutionaries that whatever they are
eration, run by U.S. Ambassador doing is simply directed at inter-
John Negroponte and Honduran dicting the flow of arms toward El
military chief Gen. Gustavo Alva- Salvador, and not toward over-
rez, was directed from three com- throwing the Sandinista govern-
mand centers - the rebels in south- ment," said Leahy, "but maybe
ern Honduras, the Honduran mili- events have overtaken them."
tary from its headquarters in Tegu- Moynihan, who has been increas-
cigalpa and the U.S. Embassy in Te- ingly outspoken about the covert
gucigalpa.
;C. N'. , ,TLED
STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/26: CIA-RDP90-00552R000303570119-4