REAGAN SEEKS TO AVERT SHUTDOWN OF COVERT AID TO NICARAGUA GUERRILLAS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000605520003-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 20, 2010
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: May 3, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/20: CIA-RDP90-00552R000605520003-2
ARTICLE
T5AM^ r~R )tefD WASHINGTON POST
3 MAY 1983
Reagan Seeks to Ayer
Shutdown of Covert.-Aid,
r
By PatrickM. Tyler
and Loiu 'Cannon
The Reagan .administration yes-
terday sought an,3lth=hour compro-
mise to avert a congressionally or - -
dered shutdown of covert-CIA assist-
ance to guerrilla forces operating
against the leftist Sandinista.govem
ment in Nicaragua.
"A compromise is in the works," a
high ad.ministre'tiontrficial said.
While the precise :nature' of any
compromise was unclear Rep- C.W.
(Bill) Young (R-Fla., a =rnernber of
the House Permanent -Select Com-
ntittee-on Intelligei&, said he had
received a telephozii4call-from CIA
Director William;Z ' Casey",saying
that he had'-preposed 'pta r; that
would impose greater''
reater restrictions on
covert activity in ,Nicaragua. "-
Administration "--soiroes :said the
-restrictions would be -aimed at en-
suring that covert-activity was lim-
ited to interdiction ~of arms supplies
to leftist guerrillas in E1..Salvador.
While this L the -supposed purpose
of the present covert activity, some
administration critics have charged
that it is aimed at destabilizing or
overthrowing the Sandinista govern-
ment.
Young said that Casey told him
his compromise plan vas outlined in
.-a .letter last week .-to Committee
Chairman - Edward P. Boland (D-
`-Mass.) ayd; I. 'Kenneth t "Robinson
(R-Va.), the panel's:ranking,B.epub=
hcap pit t _
Legislation by' Boland aad`Rep.
Clement J. Zablocld jD-Was.) to cut
off funds for all e6vert' activity in
Nicaragua is scheduled -to come up
in the committee this morning, but
Young said he and Robinson had
asked for a delay because of sched-
uling conflicts.
Young has proposed an. amend-
ment that would cut off the funding
45 days after it was determined that
Nicaragua was no longer aiding the
When the mate Intelligence
Committee meets at 2 p.m. today it
also will have legislation before it to
shut down covert aide. The bill, pro-,
'
David F. Durenberger
posed by Sen.
(R-Minn.), was first considered two
weeks ago but was put over because
of poor attendance at the session. -
Congressional sources said yester-
day that there are only "five hard
votes" on the Senate committee to
cut off covert aid, with eight needed.
Two senators, William S. Cohen (R-
Maine) and Walter D..Huddleston
(D-Ky.), are regarded as undecided.
Efforts to cut off funds for covert
activity have divided both parties
and provoked lively debate within
the administration. The president
and his national security advisers
have made it known that they prefer
no additional restrictions, but' they
have been told by friendly congress-
men that they must make some?con-
cessions or face the possibility :of a
House-voted cutoff on covert assist-
. ance. -
- But the issue also has-deeply-di
vided congressional Democrats, risk-
ing the fragile . unity they appear to
have achieved in the House on major
domestic legislation.
Last week House Majority Leader
James C. Wright. Jr. (D-Tex.) deliv
ered a stinging rebuke to the nation-
ally televised response of Sen. Chris-
topher J. Dodd (D-Mass.) to -Rea-
gam's speech on Central America be-
fore -a joint session of Congress.
Wright accused Dodd .of "florid ihet-
oric" and "hyperbole.,- adding:. "L be-
lieve in a. bipartisan foreign. policy.
We've got one president."
Some Democrats have privately
STAT
"Where-are pressures onboth sides
for. a compromise;'., one administra-
tion official- said yesterday.- The
Democrats don't want :to . be held
responsible for_what.happens if1hey
cut off 'the .funds.' And some of our
1 hard..liners-are beginning to 'realize
they're going.to have to. accept some
more restrictions in:order.to save the
package." - -
The' administration is most-con-
cerned about.-winning congressional
approval of $60 million in -military
aid funds that Ihave been bottled up
in ''both houses of -Congress. Last
week a House -Appropriations -sub-
committee voted to give the admin-
istration-half bf its request-
"Getting -the full -appropriation,is
most important to us, but we'd like
to keep the covert activity, too, .in
some form," said an administration
.official. "It's -a --tool we'd like _ao
have'' - ~,
expressed political concern's that
'they would' be held responsible if the
leftists won in El Salvador -after
,Congress cut off funds for covert
activity and refused the'- president
the funds he has requested for out-
right military assistance.
leftist ?u, Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/20: CIA-RDP90-00552R000605520003-2