BEIRUT BLAME STIRS POLITICAL FINGERPOINTING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000505390051-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 9, 2010
• Sequence Number: 51
• Publication Date: September 28, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/09: CIA-RDP90-00552R000505390051-5
0pg6E_
R -J
USA TODAY
28 September 1984
By Ann Devroy
and William Ringle
USA TODAY
WASHINGTON - The is-
sues of who bears responsibil.
ity for the latest bombing of a
U.S. outpost in Beirut and for
the quality of U.S. spying have
grown into the latest presiden-
tial campaign flap.
President Reagan touched
off the controversy by noting
"near destruction" of the Cen-
tral Intelligence Agency "in re-
cent years, before we came."
And he suggested the CIA's in-
ability to gather intelligence
contributed to the bombing.
Reagan later said his re-
marks - made Wednesday in
Ohio - were "distorted" in
press reports. Networks re-
played his speech Thursday
night to rebut his charge.
Former President Carter
said Thursday that Reagan's
comments were "insulting"
and "completely false," and
that the bombings "had been
brought about by (Reagan's)
deeply flawed policy and inad-
equate security precautions."
Two Americans were killed
in a blast last week at the U.S.
Embassy annex, which echoed
similar bombings last year at
the old embassy and at a Ma-
rine headquarters building.
Joining the fray-
13 Democratic rival Walter
Mondale, who said Reagan
should "stand up and say he is
responsible."
? Carter's CIA Director
Stansfeld Turner, who denied
making cuts in overseas agents.
Reagan press spokesman
Larry Speakes strongly denied
Reagan was blaming Carter.
"The president was discuss-
ing a decade-long trend,"
Speakes said - a period that
would cover the Ford adminis-
tration when Vice President
George Bush was CIA director.
However, Reagan aides said
after the speech the president
was referring to the Carter ad-
ministration.
STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/09: CIA-RDP90-00552R000505390051-5