Israel denies aiding contras

Press, 3 February 1987, Page 6

Israel denies aiding contras

NZPA-Reuter Jerusalem

Israel has again denied that it transferred funds or weapons to Nicaraguan contra rebels and said the Government refused a request from President Ronald Reagan’s National Security Council to aid the rebels.

“A member of the National' Security Council of the White House approached me in the presence of two other Israelis and suggested that Israel be involved in helping the contras, in arms and guidance,” said the Defence Minister, Mr Yitzhak Rabin.

“His suggestion was rejected until the end. According to my knowledge, and I believe that I know, Israel transferred no arms to the contras,” he said.

A Senate Intelligence

Committee report issued in Washington last week said Mr Rabin advised diverting profits from United States arms sales to Iran to the United States-backed Right-wing contras fighting to overthrow Nicaragua’s Government

The report also said that Mr Rabin had offered last autumn to ship captured Soviet-bloc weapons to the contras.

“There is no truth to this claim,” he said yesterday.

A senior Israeli official told reporters that the United States informally asked Israel to supply information on its role in the deal. Israel would cooperate with investigators still probing the affair, said Mr Rabin.