U.S. DISPUTE RAGES OVER SECRET WARS AND PRESIDENTIAL POWERS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000505080004-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 10, 2010
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: May 8, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/10: CIA-RDP90-00552R000505080004-1
SPJc JOSS. *::_R(11UR'Y (Cf)
8Hac 1983
I.S.
pute ra es over s
ential iowers
end ~~esi~
congressy~on~a critics say they don't want to rule out
covert .intelligence activities but -would sharply
restrict them
The congressional move to.cutmff aid to the Nicara-
guan rebuts has been cast in terms of preventing the
Reagan administration .from -violating the law.
.beneath the.surtace, it has been much more than that.
Zntelligeace -tommiuees '.disagree
In a:party line vote, the Bouselnttlligence Commit-
'tee, +whicb As =cwtrolled by Democrats,. approved -a.
raanlution Tuesday '"to prohibit- Lin States support
for military or paramilitary operat mess in Nicaragua?
the Senate Intelligence Lomit tee, Dowever,-whicb
is controlled -fie R.epublxans? -voted Friday. stn permit.
continuance of covert support for ! icarrAm m rebels,
at :least until the end of Septembc, -leaving 'the ulti-
mate -fate ,af Reagan's covert jxvgnim -up is the an.
.As part of a compromise, the -committee also
demanded a report by the end of September on
Reagan's objectives in Centzl America
-in the House committee, the narrow argument-was
that Reagan has ignored a congressicmal mandate of
last-December -forbidding U.S. support for-efforts . to
overtbow the San == gov==W=L
-However, members -of The -committee did rat dh-
cuss the=.move in teems of legalities. Tbey-discussed
it in, terms :of opposition to Reagan's overall 'Ceatsal
Arnerican.pobcies
Fundamentally, Democrats. in Congress -believe
Reagan is~; yW t D -win militarily in Central America
because be -seas the struggle primarily in military
terms- T'hey' are necking negotiabcm -
Nor did .Reagan cast the argument in =legalistic
terms in an interview with, White House correspoo-
dents Wednesday. He pictta'ed the Nicaraguan rebels
as "freedom fighters" and argued, essentially, that the
United States must support tbose'who oppose dictate
riaL leftist regimes -
The debate also centers on the issue of whether the
president shonid be tree -to do what be thinks is
necessary-cif be believes the -nat:ion's-security is at
stake. -.
-The dearest statement ?of Reagan's attitude on this
question came two weeks ago from - White House
~-.counselor Edwin Meese III, Who told :reporters:
"it is the responsibility -of the presideat't b conduct
foreign policy, limitations on that by' Congress are
improper, as far as I'm concerned."
By James McCartney
wad>n*wn Sun mu
WASHINGTON President- Reagan's-supportezs
depict the United States as a pitiful, belpless_paat.in
Central America. t ying 'to fight communist treater ,
AS VW puts it. "with nne'haad wed behind its' bad -'
ghat .is what will they: say, if C og rem wits
off ~uney m support a :Seers;'War -agaiat the .
'To- Bern's .oppooer~ aisst~e='3a ;"tb-Fceat
coo iosal debate.-over -Wr ragua 'is ~gtubeed fer-
ent They saki .' n_ = +arsb&t1d .a -demo=tic
- society try to fight.a coaaowOWal, covertwad? - - -
In tact debate has raised 'unresolved issues-about
-pr?deatzal p--- ands sears that have'baunted
the nation si_nee tbetragedyat: tbeBay of Pigs:mCuba
in 19fi1 ~ _ - ? - -- - -
Ray Curie., former bead of intelligence for the Mate
Department. -argues that Reagan should :be Able to
wage a-secret war against the Sandini as and'aranc
other intelligence specsalists~
rwi have to
47be Soviets and Cubans operate -secret--wan,'
,
ble ~to counter ;them .at
Cline -said. ' We.&ave #o be
tbeir own game., with tbe'baty' ands of methods that
will worm"
Former CIA -Dir'Cwr 'Stanfield 2'u. ner -disagrees-
It was, be has written, a - "mistake" .for, the CIA to get
involved in Nx:aragua..
Turner argues that the lessons of modern histoi y, - n
= ;age of irstantx ouaication, prove that,a-detno-
erratic society-tarmot gage-'in coven-- tthigeace-.
operations that might be .politically - controversial,
because they .inevitably:?will be. -exposed ..and thus
backfire
Some covert activities =might be justified, Turner
said. because they would have broad :publicsupport if
,exposed, "but the Nicaragua .operation is Mot tone of
hearts _. .-.z _
'Zbe roap- ssional tebate- ver covertaction in Nic-
aragua now goes far bevood the -question of whether
Reagan violated the law ?by -sea'etly supporting anti-
Sandinista guerrillas, -the~[is~suueiinitially raised .by
members of the Fieose,nteiigenee Comma ere.-r>
Reagan's policies chalfeaged
Today many in Congress mostly Democrats .but
also a few Republicans -- are - challenging .Reagan's
hard-line policies in Central America annoys the board-
They also are questioning his presidential powers.
and seeking -to resaict them '
And they are raising -basic questions -about x:oveTt ..
action by the CIA Such questions have tora'the-agency -
apart- with internal power struggles in-recent-nears
and threaten to do so :again ;Z-,
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/10: CIA-RDP90-00552R000505080004-1