CHANGE IN BILL MAY HELP CONTRAS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000605040058-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 4, 2012
• Sequence Number: 58
• Publication Date: September 15, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/04: CIA-RDP90-00965R000605040058-7
ARTICLE AP EARE
ON PAGE
WASHINGTON POST
15 September 1985
th
an a in Bill
May g Help Contras
Ban.on Aid From Third Countries Was Eased at
Last Minute
By Robert Parry ment on the change in the aid pro- he then agreed to revise the Lan-
Assoc te,t Pre',r vision. Government officials and
The Reagan administration en- other sources spoke about it on con- any guage,
"understanding" the ban against
gineered alast-minute change in ditiori they not be identified by "understanding" with a prohi-
the new foreign aid law that appar- name. Y bition against any White House
ently allows it to reach an "under- Some congressional aides said
mil-
standing" aid in exchanger for helping the
" with other countries to they now'believe the administra- contras. Pell said he believes the
ship military aid to rebels fighting Lion's tacit approval of the "third- two versions "really say the same
the government of Nicaragua, U.S. country" shipments might have con- thing."
government officials say. tlicted with the foreign aid bill's One State . Department official said the Congressional Democrats who, original language.
accepted the behind-the-scenes came The in an change in unusual parliamentary
the bill's language cerned that thenPell la guageswould
change shortly before the law's en- "take away from the
actmenf now say they were tin- sovereign de-
move after House and Senate ne- cisions" of other countries to aid the
aware that several U.S. allies re- gotiators had finished work July 26 contras.
portedly had cleared,withthe,.White on the measure, which
House their lane to send military provides A Republican congressional aide
p $ 12.7 billion in assistance world- said State Department officials felt
aid to the counterrevolutionaries, wide and $27 million in nonlethal the original .language would have
also called contras. aid to the Nicaraguan rebels.
Various sources close to the reb- When the conference ended, the e "hapere" plans
conferenhave blocked the White
els have said assistance has come bill contained language statin ? H
from Israel S 11
h
t
e st any?krna to the contras. mi Mary aid for the rebels
andinistaovernment emit,- tc R.,?I:__ n - . from fri,-nlrrv
a
as sustain ance ... shall provide assistance solicito allow the administration
their war a ainst Nicara of to
ua's t
em. I it -county shi ments of U.S. economic or military asr st-
tide said the change would
havehel e M e ntr
co
e
e
out
Korea, Taiwan; The United States g? ouse from talking to countries
... shall enter
Guatemala, Honduras and Venezue- into no understanding, either formal about providing nonlethal aid to the
cont
a
s
Ia. or informal, under which a reci
Those "tFi? d
ere a s. changed. g ere not oars
any "arrangement condition-
ing or impliedly for U.S.
he kite ouse an the State Sen, Claiborne Pell (D-R.I.), the aid gtoxa country in exchangge for its
Department said they had no coin- author of the original language, said helping the contras.
assistanc to
had told the negotiators those countries is not used toe co-
to i ence ency at in ac- that President Reagan might veto erce their help. The final langua8e
source ors ing c to oseto t private an _ government the bill if the wordin w
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/05/04: CIA-RDP90-00965R000605040058-7