U.S. to keep troops in Honduras

Press, 3 February 1984, Page 6

U.S. to keep troops in Honduras

NZPA-AP Washington The United States Defence Secretary, Mr Caspar Weinberger, said yesterday that the Pentagon planned to keep a “permanent” force of “somewhere around 700 to 800” United States soldiers in Honduras after the military exercises ends in that Central American nation.

It was the first time that the Pentagon (Defence Department) had publicly confirmed reports that a sizeable contingent of United States soldiers will remain in Honduras when the joint exercises, known as Big Pine 11, finish later this month. United States troops may take part in another

round of exercises starting in June.

Mr Weinberger, testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee about the Administration's 1985 Budget request, was asked about reports that 1000 American servicemen would remain in Honduras.

Several important facilities, including roads, ocean piers, radar stations, and other installations, had been built during Big Pine 11, “and you don’t take that with you when you leave,” he said. And “as far as a permanent presence is concerned, there will be some men in there in that category. I don’t think it will be quite 1000 — somewhere

around 700 or 800,” to maintain the military facilities. Mr Weinberger said that more exercises might be scheduled later if Honduras, a strong United States ally, invited the Pentagon to participate. Although Mr Weinberger did not identify the troops which will remain, Pentagon sources said that they would include air traffic controllers, medical specialists and civic action teams.

The exercises began in September and engaged about 5000 United States troops at their peak. Their stated purpose is to help train the Honduran Army and build military facilities inside the country.

In a related development a still-unpublished United

States House of Representatives report criticised the Pentagon for building military installations in Honduras without obtaining Congressional approval. The report said that the extent of United States construction work suggested a “semi-permanent” American presence.

"The fact that additional exercises are now being planned and that no-one was willing or able to tell us of the future plans for these new facilities points to an ongoing significant United States presence,” said the report by the House Appropriations Sub-committee on Military Construction.