MEDIASCAN TRANSCRIPT - CBS FACE THE NATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000505400045-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 9, 2010
• Sequence Number: 45
• Publication Date: May 22, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/09: CIA-RDP90-005528000505400045-0
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MEDIASCAN TRANSCRIPT
CBS Face the Nation
22 nay 1983
Sunday
Ser.. Goidwater, General Wallace '`Nuddig who is in charge of our troops in Central
America, said that, like it or not, we are engaged in the war, the United States is
engaged in the war that's going on down there, and he says we have not done what is
required of us. What do you think? What is required of us and shall we do it or not?
GOLDWATER (Chairman, Intelligence Committee): I think the first thing that's required
is for the president to make a new statement of his position, which would be the
country's position, on Central America. Now I think this is such ar, important part of
our foreign policy that it's only become really important ir. the last two months, that
if I were the president preparing this paper, I would say i'. it becomes necessary to
save Central America, we will use our troops, our aircraft, our forces. It's that
important. And as I say, it's only become that important lately, and I agree with
General Nuddig. I read his report, and I think he's correct.
From CBS News, Washington, a spontaneous and unrehearsed news interview on Face the
Nation with Sen. 'Barry Goldwater (R-Ariz.) and chairmar, of the Senate Intelligence
Committee. Sen. Goldwater will be questioned by CBS News congressional correspondent
Phil Jones, by Elizabeth Drew of New Yorker ?Sagazine and by the moderator, CBS News
correspondent George Herman. Face the Nation is produced by CBS News, which is solely
responsible for the selection of today's guest and panel.
HERriAN; Sen. Goldwater ir. your first answer you suggest chat President Reagan state a
policy of American, United States' willingness to go in with troops into E1 Salvador.
That-immediately brings up two Questions, one military one political. Let me start or.
the military one first. You're an old time soldier, Army, Air Corp and Air Force.
You remember the Armed Services Committee. What would it take, what would it cost the
United States in terms of men ,and equipment, to go into a place like E1 Salvador where
.we might face an unfriendly populous who is not overly font of Yankees? What would it
take for us to go in and solve the problem, clean it up? GOLDWATER: I think the mere
threat, if made in a strong way, if made in a way that people will believe, the mere
threat would suffice. Now we've lived long enough in this country offering to help
other countries and then not helping, failing to help, that our friends around the
world very much believe that we're a paper tiger, that I think if the president made
it abundantly clear that the Garribean is our problem now, starting with Cuba, and we
would use what forces necessary to maintain Central America, I have a strong feeling
we would not have any further trouble. If we had trouble, it's very difficult to
answer the question you've asked, because we really don't understand now, at least I
don't, the number of plans that would be required, the number of troops or ships. I
think we could start with a quarantine, for example, a ship quarantine to make it
possible to completely stop supplies going into Nicaragua and San Salvador. We could
use aircraft if that became necessary, and you have to keep in mind that they are just
completing, I think, a 10,000 foot strip in Nicaragua, where the Russians can land
their own equipment.
DREW: Sen. Goldwater, you said the president should make a new statement. He made a
speech before Congress not very many weeks ago in which he said, among other things,
'We will never use.... We will not use American troops,' to which he got great
applause. Do you think he .should not have said that, or has the situation changed
riEDIASCAN - CBS Face the Nation 03/17/83
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