PREZ GAINING GROUND ON CONTRA AID

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000403720036-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 8, 2012
• Sequence Number: 36
• Publication Date: March 13, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
t Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/08: CIA-RDP90-00965R000403720036-0
ARTICLE
ON PAGE
NEW YORK POST
13 March 1986
Prez gaining ground
on contra aid
By NILES LATHEM
Bureau Chief
WASHINGTON - Presi-
dent Reagan has made
"substantial gains" in his
campaign to muscle a
$100 million aid package
to Nicaraguan rebels
through the Democratic-
controlled House,
sources said last night.
New head counts taken
by White House congres-
sional lobbyists indicate
that Reagan is within 25
votes of winning next
week's House showdown
vote on aid to the U.S.-
backed contras.
Just last week, Reagan
was reported to be trail-
ing by as many as 60
votes, officials said.
"We now believe that a
victory is within reach
without forcing the
unn ideceasaf y ,0
mises," said a senior
White House stragetist.
The new head counts
came as Reagan an-
nounced he was send-
ing U.S. envoy Philip
Habib to Central
America to promote re-
gional peace talks in
advance of Wednes-
day's vote.
Reagan labeled
charges that he is not
interested in a peaceful
Nicaraguan settlement
"ridiculous noises."
Reagan's lobbying
strategy for his aid
package involves daily
presidential statements
to Congress on the dan-
gers posed by the San-
dinista government.
The President and,
of er senior foreign
pollc -also
are barraging waver-
In members, of, n-
ess t f a Si d Q
military buildup in
141carMa,
A New York con-
9resamen. who has
been undecided
he will vote, told The
Pont that officials In-
formed him vesterdav
that U.S. intelli ence
a-
agencies
new Soviet
150 hiffh-iDerformance-
Ta_n_1s-__Fo_ NicaraguiL
earertisw
These kinds of details
are part of a hardball
tactic to warn Demo-
crats of the political
risks they could be tak-
ing in this election year
by voting against the
contras and allowing a
"new Cuba" to thrive
on America's doorstep.
Reagan's decision to
send Habib, to. Centrai
ierigi tp,prPa~-gt~ het
gional peace talks also
won him several Dem-
tails about the 5nvIet
Ab.
PHILIP HABIB
Peace envoy.
ocratic votes yesterday.
Reagan announced
Habib's departure for
El Salvador, Guate-
mala and Honduras at
the White House.
"We're going to listen
- we'll talk to anyone
who has something to
offer," he said.
But Reagan pointed
out that the U.S. has
tried to engage the San-
dinistas in negotiations
rilhe'O es in the past
f13e' y af& 'dnd "ni`ne
times gotten nowhere."
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/08: CIA-RDP90-00965R000403720036-0