C.I.A. operations concern Congress

Press, 14 June 1984, Page 21

C.I.A. operations concern Congress

“Observer” special correspondent in Washington

The struggle between the Reagan Administration and Congress over control of the Central Intelligence Agency's operations in Central America has become public and noisy. At stake is whether the C.I.A. can continue to finance the army of anti-Communist Contras it has unleashed against Nicaragua s Sandinista government, and whether the intelligence agency and the Pentagon can keep up their secret co-operation in the Administration’s now public against the "Sandinistas. ’ President Reagan and the C.I.A.

Director, William Casey, have been put on the defensive by disclosures that the Administration, which is still seeking $2l million for the Contras, has. in collusion with C.I.A. and the Pentagon, surreptitiously by-passed the spending limits set by the Congress. The amounts involved are not known, but the tricky procedures have been disclosed by Administration officials gjpd estimates run into millions of dollars. Congress usually scrutinises and

approves all military and intelligence activities, but it appears to have lost track in Central America.

A number of congressmen opposed to the Administration's Central American activities have charged that the Government is using questionable accounting procedures to hide arms transfers and other expenses that go beyond the limits set by Congress. Neither the Pentagon nor the jC.I.A. has made any comment. ■ Earlier revelations that the

C.I.A. was responsible for the mining of Nicaraguan harbours, attacking Nicaragua petroleum storage tanks, financing Jose Napoleon Duarte's election campaign in El Salvador, and seeking to funnel arms secretly to El Salvador's army, have not deterred the Administration. Neither have charges that Mr Casey has been less than candid in his reports to Congress. An opinion poll has indicated that two-thirds of the American public believe that the situation in Central America is a threat to the United States but only 37 cent approve of the Administration's

Central American policies. Many Congressmen are con- ' cerned’ that the C.I.A. has spent ; much more than the $24 million ■ Congress provided for its Nicara- ' gua operations last year. The ■ United States military build-up in ! Honduras, and the presence of | American soldiers in that country ' — which is the supply base of the C.l.A.'s Contra force — has served to increase the controversv. ,

Many in Congress suspect that j weapons the United States has sent ; to Honduran bases have been ' passed to the Contras and other? , United States clients in the region, j