'Battle for C. America under way in Salvador’

Press, 3 February 1982, Page 8

'Battle for C. America under way in Salvador’

NZPA-Reuter Washington The United States plans to rush SSSM worth of helicopters and military supplies to El Salvador. „ The Administration will also ask Congress for SIOOM more in weapons and economic aid despite warnings by Democrats that the United States might become involved in a Vietnam-type conflict in the area. The Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Af-. fairs (Mr Thomas Enders) told House of Representatives and Senate sub-commit-tees yesterday that the aid was required because “the decisive battle for Central America is under way in El Salvador.” The Administration has accused the Soviet Union and

Cuba of supplying weapons to guerrillas in El Salvador and considers that a Leftwing victory there would reverberate throughout the region.

Opponents of more aid to El Salvador were advised that Congress could block the $55 million arms proposal only by passing an unprecedented law banning the President from using his emergency powers to send the aid. The Administration does not need Congressional approval for the emergency supplies to El Salvador, which Mr Enders said would come from Pentagon stores. About $25 million worth of the equipment would be helicopters to replace those destroyed by guerrillas last

week in an attack on El Salvador’s biggest Air Force base. Mr Enders said the Administration would also seek more aid for Honduras, because the Cubans were trying to unify Left-wing factions there. Asked why the Administration considered that the Salvadorean situation justified emergency arms aid, Mr Enders replied: “For if after Nicaragua, El Salvador is captured by a violent minority, who- in South America will not live in fear?” Senator Claiborne Pell (Dem., Rhode Island) said this reminded him of Administration arguments for American aid in South-East Asia.