BRIEFING FOR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS IN THE HEARING ROOM OF THE HOUSE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE ON NICARAGUA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91B00389R000200300001-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 23, 2012
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: March 17, 1988
• Content Type: MEMO

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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/23: CIA-RDP911003891-R000200300001-6 cy.
1,1W1 bir or 0
OCA 88-0884
17 March 1988
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: Briefing for Members of Congress in the Hearing Room
of the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Nicaragua
1. On 17 March 1988 a closed "Top Secret" level briefing,
on the subject of fighting between the Sandinistas and the
Resistance on the Honduran/Nicaraguan border and the
President's decision to send 3,100 troops to Honduras for a
training exercise was provided to any interested Member of the
House. The briefing was held in 226 Rayburn, a relatively
large room, and the Capitol Police did control access to the
room during the briefing. I would estimate that as many as
200 House Members attended, as did most of the Members of the
House Foreign Affairs Committee. Representative Dante Fascell
(D.,FL) chaired this meeting and did his best to control a
somewhat chaotic session, assisted by the House Foreign
Affairs Committee staff. It was impossible to identify
exactly who was there, but identities were checked and the
press was evicted from the room before the briefing began.
2. The main briefer was Mike Armacost, under Secretary of
State for Political Affairs, assisted by Elliott Abrams,
Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs.
Marty Roeber was the briefer for CIA7 the undersigned also
attended.
3. The briefing lasted for about an hour and a half,
punctuated by a brief recess so the Members could go to vote.
Marty was called on to do much of the actual briefing and did
his usual first rate job. He was again low key, factual and
clear in his presentation, and in answering the questions as
well, some which were good, some which were clearly partisan.
Armacost was treated generally with respect, but certain
Members were a bit hostile toward Abrams. There is little
point in reviewing what was said because of the many press
conferences that were held after the briefing, including one I
got caught in while escorting Abrams over to the House
Intelligence Committee. Much of what was discussed is already
on the news as I write this anyway, at least the major points,
so I will not go into details in this MFR.
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Distribution:
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/23: CIA-RDP91B00389R000200300001-6
Deputy Director, House Affairs
Office of Congressional Affairs
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/23: CIA-RDP91B00389R000200300001-6
SESSION NAME: H FAC. 17 M AR.
SCANNED: 1-1 MAN( aq
INDEXED: 12 MAY e)41
CHECKED: 12. MAY FA
MFR.
DATABASE:Cbr-vjr=ilszji orNa _ re-cords_ 2.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/23: CIA-RDP91B00389R000200300001-6