The Implementation of the Humanitarian Assistance Package for Central America
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THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE PACKAGE FOR CENTRAL AMERICA HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFFAIRS OF THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDREDTH CONGRESS. SECOND SESSION THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 1988 Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 88-526 WASHINGTON ':1988 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402 COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS DANTE B. FASCELL, Florida, Chairman LEE If. HAMILTON, Indiana WILLIAM S. BROOMFIELD, Michigan GUS YATRON, Pennsylvania BENJAMIN A. GILMAN, New York STEPHEN J. SOLARZ, New York ROBERT J. LAOOMARSINO, California DON BONKER, Washington JIM LEACH, Iowa GERRY E. STUDDS, Massachusetts TOBY ROTH, Wisconsin DAN MICA, Florida OLYMPIA J. SNOWE, Maine HOWARD WOLPE, Michigan HENRY J. HYDE, Illinois GEO. W. CROCKETT. JR., Michigan GERALD B.H. SOLOMON, New York SAM GEJDENSON, Connecticut DOUG BEREUTER, Nebraska MERVYN M DYMALLY, California ROBERT K. DORNAN, California TOM LANTOS, California CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey PETER H. KOSTMAYER, Pennsylvania CONNIE MACK, Florida ROBERT G. TORRICELLI, New Jersey MICHAEL DEWINE, Ohio LAWRENCE J. SMITH, Florida DAN BURTON, Indiana HOWARD L. BERMAN, California JAN MEYERS, Kansas MEL LEVINE, California JOHN MILLER, Washington EDWARD F. FEIGHAN, Ohio DONALD E. "BUZ" LUKENS, Ohio TED WEISS, New York BEN BLAZ, Guam GARY L. ACKERMAN, New York MORRIS K. UDALL, Arizona CHESTER G. ATKINS, Massachusetts JAMES McCLURE CLARKE, North Carolina- JAIME B. FUSTER, Puerto Rico JAMES H. BILBRAY, Nevada WAYNE OWENS, Utah FOFO I.F. SUNIA, American Samoa JOHN J. BRADY, Jr,, Chief of Staff PATRICIA A. WEIR, Staff Assistant SUBCOMMITTEE ON WESTERN HEMISPHERE AFFAIRS GEO. W. CROCKETT, JR. Michigan, Chairman GERRY E. STUDDS, Massachusetts ROBERT J. LAGOMARSINO, California SAM GETDENSON, Connecticut HENRY J. HYDE, Illinois PETER H. KOSTMAYER, Pennsylvania ROBERT K. DORNAN, California TED WEISS, New York CONNIE MACK, Florida JAIME B. FUSTER, Puerto Rico MICHAEL DEWINE, Ohio STEPHEN J. SOLARZ, New York DON BONKER, Washington VICTOR C. JOHNSON, Subcommittee Staff Director TABOR E. DUNMAN, Jr., Minority Staff Consultant NANCY A. AGRIS, Subcommittee Staff Consultant LORNA E. WATSON, Subcommittee Staff Consultant (II) OWN a I 1 0 CONTENTS WITNESSES of Michigan; Page Hon. David E. Bonior, Representative in Congress from the State Deputy Majority Whip; chairman, Leadership's Task Force on Nicaragua ..... 4 Hon. Richard Cheney, Representative in Congress from the State of Wyo- ming; Chairman, Republican Conference ................................................................ 8 Ted D. Morse, Director, Task Force on Humanitarian Assistance in Central America, Agency for International Development .................................................. 26 MATERIAL SUBMITTED FOR THE RECORD Statement by Nicaraguan Cardinal Obando y Bravo endorsing A.I.D.'s Cash- for-Food Program ......................................................................................................... 34 APPENDIXES 1. Correspondence from Ted D. Morse, Director, Task Force on Humanitarian Assistance to Central America, Agency for International Development to Hon. Geo. W. Crockett, Jr., Chairman, Subcommittee on Western Hemi- sp here A ffa irs ............................................................................................................... 49 2. Correspondence frow ('arolyn R. Eldridge, Grant Office, Management Serv- ices Branch, Offic( (f&''ocurement, Agency for International Development to Dr. Donald C. Kamiinsky, MPH, Vice President, International Division, The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc ........................................................ 50 (ID THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE PACKAGE FOR CENTRAL AMERICA THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 1988 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS, SUBCOMMITTEE ON WESTERN HEMISPHERE.AFFAIRS, Washington, DC. The Subcommittee met, at 1:30 p.m., in room 2200, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Geo. W. Crockett, Jr. (Chairman of the Subcommittee) presiding. Mr. CROCKETT. The Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere Af- fairs will come to order. We meet today to examine the implementation of House Joint Resolution 523, a humanitarian assistance package adopted by the Congress to support the Central American peace process, and in particular to support the Sapoa Accord signed by the Nicaraguan Government and its armed opposition. HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 523 The assistance provided in that resolution was intended to sus- tain the Contra forces while the negotiations on a permanent cease fire continued; to provide medical assistance to Nicaraguan chil- dren on both sides of the conflict; and to support the work of the Verification Commission which had been created by the Sapoa agreement. The aid package directs the Agency for International Develop- ment to oversee the program, but specifies that the actual delivery of the assistance would be handled by a neutral organization agreed upon by the Nicaraguan Government and the Contras. The delivery of the assistance was to be monitored by a Verification Commission headed by Cardinal Obando y Bravo and the Secretary General of the Organization of American States. CONCERNS ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION Since the law was enacted, several concerns have been raised with regard to the implementation of this package by the-Agency for International Development. I will enumerate a few of these con- cerns with the expectation that they will be addressed by the wit- nesses: First, that AID may be violating the intent of the legislation and of the Sapoa Agreement by providing assistance to the Contras outside of Nicaragua, through organizations which are not neutral and which have not been agreed upon by both parties, and without (1) i 2 the verification procedures required by both the Sapoa agreement and the legislation. Secondly, that cash payments are being made to the Contras inside Nicaragua with no verification whatsoever that the assist- ance is in fact reaching the intended beneficiaries, or that it is being spent for the intended purposes: food, medicine, clothing and shelter. And, thirdly, that a credible and neutral organization-the Pan American Development Foundation-has been proposed by the Sec- retary General of the Organization of American States and has been accepted by the Nicaraguan Government, but the Contras continue to stall on reaching agreement on any delivery mecha- nism so that they continue to receive cash payments. Finally, we are concerned about the decision by the Contras last weekend to break off the negotiations with the Nicaraguan Govern- ment after the government had accepted-and even gone beyond- their proposal. We need to assess the relationship between these extended nego- tiations and the justification for continued U.S. assistance to the Contras. We hope that the hearing today will address these concerns and others that the Subcommittee Members have with regard to the implementation of this program. It is the Chair's intention to conduct as much of this hearing as possible in open session. However, at such time as a quorum is present, the Chair will entertain a motion to proceed into executive session either at the discretion of the Chair, in case that should be necessary for the discussion of sensitive matters. At this point, I would like to recognize our distinguished Rank- ing Minority Member of this Subcommittee, the gentleman from California, Mr. Lagomarsino. Mr. LAGOMARSINO. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Chairman, while I can understand the importance of the Subcommittee exercising its oversight responsibilities on the imple- mentation of the humanitarian aid package to Central America, I find it hard to understand why the House Democratic leadership is so intent on intimidating and brow beating AID on this issue. I only wish the same vigor and energy would be applied to encourag- ing Sandinista compliance with the Sapoa agreement for "unre- stricted freedom of expression" and release of political prisoners. AID FOLLOWED THE LAW AID has tried scrupulously to follow the law in implementing the legislation to provide humanitarian assistance to the contras and aid for the Nicaraguan children. It has followed the legislation, taken into account the legislative history of the law, and it has con- sulted with all the appropriate congressional committees and lead- ership offices. It has done everything appropriate to implementing a program of aid which had the specific purpose of keeping the Democratic Resistance in Nicaragua from-starving to death. No one has yet been able to make a legitimate claim that some- thing other than humanitarian aid has been provided. Yet every effort on the part of some in the House Leadership has appeared to 3 be directed at stopping humanitarian aid for the Contras in spite of an overwhelming vote March 30 of 345 to 70 to authorize that aid. Apparently, elements of the House Leadership are trying to over- turn that decision through intimidation of AID with messages from the Democratic Caucus and the Democratic Study Group, none of which have the force of law. If the House Leadership is so con- vinced of the legitimacy of its case, then it should bring the matter to a vote on the House Floor and let the Full House express its will on the matter. I think the previous vote of 345 to 70 is a good indi- cation that Members of this body had no intention of allowing the Contras