LAWMAKERS DIVIDED ON ANGOLA AID

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000403900016-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 25, 2010
• Sequence Number: 16
• Publication Date: November 26, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/25: CIA-RDP90-00552R000403900016-0
:11PRP-*LE APPEARED
ON Inv 444 .- -
STAT
Lawmakers
Divided on
Angola Aid
President Favors
4 fisting Rebels
By David B. Ottaway
Waa mgton oY Staff Writer
he favors a covert-aid operation to
the rebel group, the National Union
for the Total Independence of An-
gola (UNITA). He said it would be
"more useful" and "have more
chance of success" than various bills
irr,Congress calling for either open
mih ary or humanitarian assistance.
!ire than 100 members of Con-
g>;ess,- are cosponsoring a bill that
was--introduced by Rep. Mark D.
Siijander (R-Mich.) and authorizes
QT million. in overt military aid to
UNITA.
Another bill, sponsored by House
Rules Committee Chairman Claude
Pepper (D-Fla.) and Rep. Jack
Kemp (R-N.Y.), would provide the
same amount in humanitarian as-
sistance.
More than 100 members of Con-
gress have written President Rea-
gan opposing U.S. assistance to
rebels fighting the Marxist govern-
ment in Angola.
The letter states that U.S. in-
voLVement in the Angolan conflict,
"v 3aether direct or indirect, covert
oreevert, would damage our rela-
tionxnvith governments throughout
Africa and undermine fundamental
U.S. policy objectives in southern
Africa."
'Dated last Friday, it was initiated
br,Rep. Matthew F. McHugh (D-
l!iLTA. a member of the House Per-
minent a ect 'tee on Intel-
Ii nc
Keagan announced that day that
WASHINGTON POST
26 November 1985
Supporters and opponents of U.S.
aid to. UNITA have been mobilizing
forces in and outside of Congress in
recent weeks as the administration
has continued to debate the contro-
versial shift in U.S. policy toward
the Angolan conflict.
Despite Reagan's open backing of
covert aid to UNITA, the adminis-
tration has not sent a formal pres-
idential finding of such a decision to
Congress' two intelligence over-
sight committees, according to con-
gressional sources.
A White House spokesman said
yesterday that no decision has been
made on such a covert-aid program.
While the panels could not block
a covert-aid plan by the Central In-
telligence Agency, they can express
their views on any such operation
and could, if opposed, eventually act
to cut off funding.
Among those recently expressing
opposition to the administration
plans is the Organization of Africa
Unity (OAU).
Its secretary general, Ide Ou-
marou, sent letters this month to
Reagan, House Speaker Thomas P.
(Tip) O'Neill Jr. (D-Mass.) and Sen-
ate Majority Leader Robert J. Dole
(R-Kan.) saying U.S. aid to UNITA
would constitute "a gross violation
of Angolan sovereignty and terri-
torial integrity" and impede U.S.-
led negotiations aimed at obtaining
independence from South Africa for
Namibia.
A group of African ambassadors
met Nov. 8 with Vernon A. Walters,
U.S. ambassador to the United Na-
tions, to express opposition to U.S.
aid for UNITA. They also
presented him with an OAU mem-
orandum warning the United States
that such aid would be considered
"a hostile act against" the OAU.
Among influential Americans op-
posing U.S. aid to UNITA is David
Rockefeller, former chairman of
Chase Manhattan Bank.
In a letter Nov. 12 to Rep. How-
ard E. Wolpe (D-Mich.), chairman
of the.House Foreign Affairs sub-
committee on Africa, Rockefeller
said "such U.S. involvement with
UNI3'A would mark a sharp depar-
ture' from administration policy,
creating "intolerable risks" that
would "needlessly endanger Amer-
ican lives and American property"
in Angola.
Rockefeller said the U.S. Export-
Import Bank, with approval of the
National Security Council, has been
encouraging expansion of trade be-
tweap Angola and the United States
thatZrow totals $1 billion and of
U.S,7investment there, now more
tharr$500 million. "Angola has be-
come one of the largest and best
ecor mic partners" of the United
States in Africa, he said.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/06/25: CIA-RDP90-00552R000403900016-0