NICARAGUAN REBEL TELLS OF KILLINGS AS DEVICE FOR FORCED RECRUITMENT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000200810034-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 24, 2012
• Sequence Number: 34
• Publication Date: September 12, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/24: CIA-RDP90-00965R000200810034-7
ARTICLE APPEARED '
ON PAGE A a dods
White T ecise officials have acknowl-
edged that Colonel North, a Marine,
was involved in rebel activities and
helped the rehab raise money and ad-
vised than after Congress cut off aid
last year. Co ngre s approved W mil-
ion in nm 'J.
The White oouse would not ulco~my matt
Nicaraguan Rebel Tells ofKillings
As Device for Forced Recruitment
By JOEL BRINYLEY
Spuyu to no New York Taus
MIAMI, Sept. 11- A former director
of the largest Nicaraguan rebel group
says in a court affidavit that the rebels
routinely forcibly recruited new fight-
e b b killing Saodniata ottl-
and small Nicaraguan in many
towns.
In an affidavit to the World Court
that is to be made public on Thursday,
Edgar Chamorro, who was a leader of
the guan Democratic Force
until last fall, said the forced recruits-
ment was v
eced
an and was done
with the lmowd acquiescence
of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Rebel units 'would arrive at on-
defended the town village, assq~bl and then pro.
teed to kill - in full view of the others
- all persons working for the Nicara-
guan Government, including police,
local militia members, party mem-
bers, health workers, teachers and
farmers" on Government coopera-
tives, his affidavit says.
"It was easy to persuade those left
alive" to join, he added. Bosco Mato-
moros, spokesman for the Nicaraguan
Democratic Force, today called Mr.
Chamorro's charges "an absolute lie"
and said, "It's repugnant."
Assurance on Aid Reported
But in an interview at his home here,
Mr. Chamorro said he was told of many
cases of forced recruitment in the
nearly two years he was with the
group. Other rebel leaders have ac.
knowledged that some of their mem-
bers brutalized civilians, but they have
added that anyone found guilty of that
was expelled, punished or executed.
Recently, rebel leaders said they had
begun programs to insure that their
fighters did not mistreat civilians.
Mr. Chamorro's affidavit also says
two officials from the National Se-
curity Council assured the rebels 10
months ago that they would take over
supervision of their military operations
just after Congress voted to forbid fur-
ther American aid.
The officials, identified as Liao. Col.
Oliver North and Ronald F. Lehman
2d, began meeting with the rebels in
Honduras in May 1984. The two assured
the rebels that "President Reapm re-
mained committed to removing the
Sa
was unable to ndinistas from power." although he
say publicly that
time because of the impending Presi-
dential elections, addirng that the White
House would "see to it that we received
all the support that was necessary for
that purpose," the affidavit says.
on the charge about Mr. Lehman today I
~
and said Mr. Lehman was not available
e C.I.A. identified
also Mr. amorro said
tnasa main
. an a an
ors v e
for comment. r4~ 309 "Ch of them
The House Select committee on In. '-
tellige ce is investigating whether the . Our W200 was nvtseded to
'
N.S.C.
s involvement with the rebels
violated the Congressional prohibition
an aid. President Reagan and other
senior officials have said the involve.
meat did not violate either the letter or
the spirit of the law, but
some mem-
bers
s
disagree. Chamarro said he was inter.
viewed last week by the director of the .
security Accounting Office's national i
part of an investi- '
gatien of the C.I.A.'s role in advising
the rebels how to lobby members of
Congress. The G.A.O. is the investiga-
tive arm of Congress.
Mr. Chamorro gave his affidavit to
Paul Reichler, a Washington attorney
representing Nicaragua in its World
Court case against the United States.
The Reagan Administration has
refused to participate in the case, say-
ing the court does not have jurisdiction.
hearings that begin 1bursday,
N i will try to prove that the
that the
Srebels ve been agents of the United
Mr. Chamorro said he remained a
strong opponent of the Sandinistas. He
gave the affidavit, he said, "not to help
the Sandinista Government at all." He
added, "But as a Nicaraguan I feel a
responsibility to tell the truth to the in-
ternational Court."
Because Mr. Chamorro previous
rebel disclosures by
&_ZRW
affidavit sa the
reoe1 o racers e
12 September 1985
a
these members to ehanhe
Mr. Chamorro said that when Cola
, the rebels dust
nelerftNotherth faidirstendedvisitedhe
a identified him-
self by name but not by agency, and
"thought he was from the Ponta-
800-
in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/24: CIA-RDP90-00965R000200810034-7