WHITE HOUSE: DEM REPS UNDERMINED NIC MISSION

Document Type: 
Collection: 
Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 
CIA-RDP91-00561R000100020118-9
Release Decision: 
RIPPUB
Original Classification: 
K
Document Page Count: 
1
Document Creation Date: 
December 22, 2016
Document Release Date: 
February 17, 2012
Sequence Number: 
118
Case Number: 
Publication Date: 
April 12, 1984
Content Type: 
OPEN SOURCE
File: 
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PDF icon CIA-RDP91-00561R000100020118-9.pdf106.88 KB
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Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/17 :CIA-RDP91-005618000100020118-9 - By NILIIS LATAEM ! Bureau Chief WASHINGTON -The ~ Reagan a ministration ~ believes'~bemocrats on ~ the ~iouseTnfeZl't nce Committee un ermin II.S. effoi'ES pr?Oessure -ibe goveramen-t o~'Tv~c_ siagua ~ eaking- sensitive eta1T about s.l' ~CId's coveriulaer8- lion in Central America' W the~ress, - +Senior administration officials told The Post last night that they be- lieve committee mem- bers leaked secret de- tails of a briefing Director VG'illiastl_Casey gave them about. the mine-laying operation in Nicaraguan harbors. They believe the moti- vation behind the leaks was to score .political points against .Presi? dent Reagan .during an election year.. - White House officials announced _ yesterday that the mining.stopped ; earlier this week after the administration came under heavy fire from Congress and U.S. allies. Officials are hoping that, by -stopping the mining, Reagan ~ can ? convince the House to approve a bill which would give S21 million of emergency aid to CIA-backed guerrillas ' for other activities. A senior t~S'hlte House official said yesterday that a CIA_ ship, regis- tered in.Panama,.whieh is orchestrating the mining, left Nicaraguan , K?aters two days ago. ii~arhor mirting~. sere is leaked NEB,' YORK POST 12 April 1984 issue of" it until last get ass p age for the S21 weekend . But the ship left after ?' It is no coincidence, thelrebej~d package for elite CIA-employed : say' officials, that the The Senate approved commandos ffrom Ar- criticism came after the aid before the mia- gentina and Chile made ~ Caste briefed members ing furor erupted last another run in the Nica- of the House Intellt- week, but House raguan harbors to plant gence Committee two -..Speaker Tip O'Neill has a series of acoustic Weeks ago. predicted that it will mines. White House officials not pass the House. "I wouldn't ? run a believe that someone on - speedboat by there," the that committee leaked ~ O'Neill ,vesterdav secret details of the called the minin thereglare ~ implying ,operation to, the .press operation "terro sir' m_ at still some - . _ _ -- d~cr. . The Post reported in Monday's edition chat the Adrriinistratioa wa`s forced to back down after islembers of .Con- gress became enraged that the mining opera- tion was going on with- out formal .notification from the CIA. . But, u?hl~?'The Admin- istration has backed down, it remains furi? ous with members of Congress who may have jeopardized the"; kev, eletnPnf -;., ;.~ ,.~ forts to stop the spread of revolution in Central America. ' White House officials . noted yesterday -that the existence of the mining operation was reported in the press as early as January. But members of Con- gress did not make an - "There may have And . he added that been some laws violet- Case ~ none erv, ed.". said an official, verv poorly as head of -?? - - -- .-.e r... - may tx called to roves- ne pas taken liber- tigate the matter. .ties that no of er mem- The House and Senate ber of tLe'CIA'has ever Intelligence Commit? none before,"- the tees were formed in 5pe~:ker said-~- 1915 to oversee the Administration offi- operations of the U.S. cials said that if Con. intelligence agencies. gress fails to approve The. ,c~jA; and .other the funding, the ~ agencies were required may be forced to halt ?to disclose all details of the entire anti-Sandin- th l e r operations to the ista operation as early committees, but com-? as next week. ~,.,?~ memoers and staffers are sworn to se- Crecy about what is dis- cussed. The Senate on Tues- day night voted &4.12 to condemn the mining operation - a move which isnon-binding. The administration is expected to launch a lobbying campaign to But other ~intelligenee experts noted that the anti-Sandinista rebels, who have been operating out of bases in Honduras for two years, still may continue their campaign ? with aid from Latin Am- nerican countries like Ar- gentina - Israel is also known to be assisting the rebels. STAT Declassified in Part -Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/17 :CIA-RDP91-005618000100020118-9