CIA REPORTEDLY LURED SIX OF PASTORA'S AIDES TO RIVAL 'CONTRA' GROUP

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00587R000200880050-1
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 14, 2010
• Sequence Number: 50
• Publication Date: May 30, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
STAT
:aid
thrat/fUNO but not whesttt world
the CIA ftm giving mmary am Mid
advice to the contras, although the
agency to allowed to exchange Intel.
ligence with them. The CIA also has
secretly hnnwlad severed million dol-
lars to the rebels for pool x ects
this past year. U.S. officials say.
Rebel dficWs sai,/ UNO's Costa
Rican-based forces reeewty eoelred
five shipments of arms that were
,used to entUce Mr. Pastora'g poorly
suP 0 ??-4VW to switch alle-
glances. Boson Matamoros. a contra
spokesman, said UNO's military
supplies came from -International
sources' but would not elaborate.
STAT Asked about a CfA role in Mr.
- astoe's downfall. CIA spokeswom-
Kath Phef.
had no comment.
Mr. astora, now seeking political
asylum in Costa Rica. Is being de-
tained by authorities. In a telephone
interview from jail. he declined to
discuss the alleged CIA role in his
ouster but said: The Americans
want to remove one government and
Impose another. We want nothing to
do with that.'
The rebel of lcials. representing
both' Mr. Pastors and UNO. said they
have known 'Armando' as a CIA of-
ficer attached to the U.S. Embassy
In Costa Rica. The rebels. including
Alvaro Jerez, a leader of a Pastors-
allied group. said 'Armando' has
bgerr a CIA Mourn to thegebels for
several years.
The ouster of Mr. Pastora culml-
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/14: CIA-RDP91-00587R000200880050-1
RALTIMORE SUN
30 May 1986
CU P v lured six of Pastora's .
. 6 aides
to rival contra
g
roup
WASHINGTON (AP) - A CIA of.
flcer lured six of 'contra' leader
Eden Pastora', top lieutenants to
abandon him fora rival U.S.-backed
umbrella group. leading to Mr. Pas-
tora'a quitting the anti-Sandinista
war effort. according to officials of
Nicaraguan rebel factloru.
Contra officers s ld a man tdenti-
fled only by the cover name at 'Ar-
mando' but known to them as a CAA
offend Mr. a com.
Q s
siilitary aid if they would
nates three years of CIA attempts to
force the charismatic, former Sandi.
nista commander to unite with corn.
peting factions of the splintered con-
tra rebel movement and accept
greater U.S. control.
Mr. Pastora, known as Com-
mander Zero during the revolution
that ousted dictator Anastasio So-
moza Debayle In 1979. broke with
his former Sandinista comrades In
1981 and took up arms against
them a year later. gut he refused to
join forces with the CIAO
Nlcaraduan Democratic Force,
U
NO's chief military arm. charging
that
in Mr. many of its leaders had ft
moza's National Guard.
Mr. Jerez said Mr. Pastora be.
Revel] he had an agreement with the
SStaat eDepartment on sharing future
for cooperation
other
b
ar
g
e
se
m f
e
s
i
eo ~
- -91c" Mr. foas.
ton learned about theattempt to
lure away his commanders. Pastors
loyalists Protested to the State De-
Partment and CIA headquarters.
UNO spokesman Carlos Ulvert
disputed the claims that the ARDE
commanders were lured away from
Mr. Pastora. He said that several
months ago. the ARDE commanders
- not UNO - made he first con.
tact' In the talks that led to their
desertion from Mr. Pastora.
But Carol Prado. a spokesman for
Mr. Pastora's ARDE group, said the
latest attedesertidn W4110 mpt Mr. yPa~s.
tors, a popular but unpredictable
leader. Ms. Prado said those U.S. ef-
forts began as early as 1983 and
Initially involved threats to halt cov.
ert CIA aid to ARDE.
United St pAkDLleaders said the
Pastora In mi n tried to oust Mr.
s
House between Addoollfo`Po the White
morro. then second.ln-commandh o
Mr. Pastora, and Lt. Col. Oliver L.
North. a senior adviser on President
Reagan's National Security Council.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/07/14: CIA-RDP91-00587R000200880050-1