SOURCES SAYS U.S. SENDS DATA TO IRAQ

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000807560003-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 8, 2012
• Sequence Number: 3
• Publication Date: December 16, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/02/08: CIA-RDP90-00965R000807560003-6
QRTIrLF AFPEARED
W; r/`rE
source says
U.S. sectds
data to Iraq
Both sides in war
thus receiving aid
By Julie Johnson
Washington Bureau of The Sun
WASHINGTON - A senior ad-
ministration official confirmed yes-
terday that the United States has
been secretly providing intelligence
information to Iraq while at the
same time covertly selling weapons
to Iran.
But the administration denied
that it was "attempting to engineer a
stalemate" in the 6-year Persian Gulf
war.
The official said the information
consisted of damage assessments af-
ter Iraqi warplane raids on economic
targets in Iran, but not satellite re-
connaissance photos as has been re-
ported.
Meanwhile, other sources in the
government, saying that the admin-
istration's objective was quick reso-
lution to the Iran-Iraq war with "no
winners or losers," maintained that
if the United States appeared to be
helping both sides "it would have all
been in pursuit of the goal of some
sort of resolution ... so that neither
side would win."
"I don't think It's anybody's inter-
est, any country in the world, to
have either side win," another senior
administration official said yester-
day. "Our idea wasn't to prolong the
war. Our outcome was that there
would be no winners or losers and
that the thing would get over quick-
ly. I guess that was the objective,"
said the second senior official, who
also asked to remain anonymous.
The hin ton Post reported
yesterday that the Central Inte f-
ence Agency or two year, n
retlunneled etaI1a inT.eul-e athe from sensitive
issance sae es.
According too c s quoted in
the Post account, the Iraqis obtained
information within hours after
bombing raids, giving them an edge
in assessing damage and preparing
for the next attack.
Such Information, and the dam-
age assessments, could be useful to
BALTIMOR', SU;
16 December 1_986
the Iraqis in their bombing raids on
Iranian oil terminals and power
plants, said Stephen Goose, a senior
research analyst with the Center for
Defense Information.
Mr. Goose said rumors had been
circulating in intelligence and mili-
tary circles for nearly two years that
the United States was passing satel-
lite reconnaissance information to
Iraq.
Publicly the United States has
maintained a stance of neutrality in
the war, a position reaffirmed yester-
day by the White House and State
Department.
"Our policy is one of trying to
bring an end to that conflict as
quickly as possible in such a way
that there are no winners and no
losers and to restore peace and sta-
bility to the region," said White
House spokesman Larry M.
Speakes.
Charles Redman, State Depart-
ment spokesman, added that the
U.S. objective "is not to have a stale-
ihate" and that the administration's
position of neutrality "has not been
changed."
Mr. Speakes, as did Mr. Redman,
declined to remark on the Post re-
port, citing the government's rule
against commenting on intelligence
matters.
For weeks, however, there have
been unconfirmed reports that the
United States was sharing intelli-
gence information with Iraq.
The reports included the use of
Airborne Warning and Control
Systems (AWACS) based in Saudi
Arabia. Knowledgeable officials,
however, denied the reports.
However, a senior administration
official speaking at the White House
- without confirming that a trans-
fer of intelligence to Iraq had oc-
curred - said that such an act
would not be in direct conflict with
the secret sale of weapons to Iran.
"One would not necessarily have
been a problem for the other effort."
he said, maintaining that the
amount of weapons sold to the Irani-
ans was too small to alter the out-
come of the war and that "if indeed
some sort of intelligence-sharing
took place with the Iraqis" it would
do little more than offset any "upper
hand" that the Iranians may have.
While Iraq Is viewed to be vastly
superior to Iran in its aerial attacks.
its efforts in recent months have
even more precisely targeted Iranian
pumping stations and power plants
and have helped even the odds a bit
in a war that analysts say had been
tilted slightly in favor of Iran, Mr.
Goose said.
Stephens Broening of The Sun's
Washington Bureau contributed to
this article.
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/02/08: CIA-RDP90-00965R000807560003-6