NEW PROBE OF NICARAGUA REBELS ASKED

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000605040070-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 20, 2013
• Sequence Number: 70
• Publication Date: February 28, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/02/20: CIA-RDP90-009658000605040070-3
28 February 1985
NE~~T PROBE OF NICARAGUA REBELS ASKED
BY ROBERT PARRY
tivASHT.NGTON
~ civil liberties groin called Thursday far a congressional invests ation
.into Honduran allegations that CIA -trained Nicaraguan rebels engaged in "death
squad" activities in Honduras.
hSorton H. Halperin, director of the Center for National Security Studies,
urged the chairmen of the House and Senate intelligence committees to request
any information the administration might have on the allegations. Halperin's
group is sponsored by the American Civil liberties tin ion,
Honduran military sources have told- American news organizations that
Nicaraguan rebels were implicated in between 15 and 18 political murders since
1980. But Nicaraguan rebel officials have denied the charges and the allegations
have never been lodged formally.
Halperin,-who was a staff adviser to President Nixon's National Security
Council, also urged the committees to determine if dol. Ricardo Lau, who has
been linked to the reported killings, is still associated with the Nicaraguan
Democratic Force, the largest rebel group, known 'by its Spanish initials FDN,
The Associated Press re orted last month that FDN officials had assured the
CIA that Lau a former National Guard officer under de osed dictator Anastasio
Somoza, was removed from the retie group by he s ar of 7 ,
But according to statements by two rebel leaders, Lau was still with the FDN
at least until Iasi year and, according to one American, was spotted this year
traveling with Enrique Bermudez, the FDN's top general.
Congress cut off CIA aid to the rebels last years but President Reagan has
_vowed to fight to restore funding through con ress~onai votes expected in April.
"I believe recent controversies about the role of the Central
Intelligence Agency in political violence in E1 Salvador, and in encouraging
the use of assassination as part of an effort to overthrow the government of
Nicaragua, make urgent an investigation of the Honduran military's allegations
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con cerning the (FDNI before further aid .., is authorised by ... Congress,"
Halperin said.
Nis letters-were sent to Sen. David Durenberger, R-Minn., Senate Intelligence
Committee chairman, and Rep. Lee Hamilton, D-Ind,, House Intelligence Committee
chairman. Officials of the panels could not be reached by telephone immediately
to comment on the request.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2013/02/20: CIA-RDP90-009658000605040070-3