Distemper over Central America

After Shultz and lawmakers tangle, the prospects for aid dim

The point of contention was familiar: U.S. military and economic aid to Central America. So were the adversaries: Secretary of State George Shultz and members of Congress. And so were the results: election-year posturing and exploding tempers. Only this time the shouting on Capitol Hill was not merely for effect. The Administration's urgent requests for emergency military aid to the government of El Salvador and for the contra rebels fighting Nicaragua's Sandinista regime were clearly in peril.

Last week's flare-up occurred during hearings by the House Appropriations subcommittee on foreign operations. Although the subject was an Administration request for $259 million in additional military aid to El Salvador over the next 18 months, Wisconsin Democrat David Obey could not resist lecturing Shultz about Lebanon. Obey charged that State Department briefings for Congressmen on Lebanon had been "the least informative, the least substantive and the most pitiful I've ever witnessed." Now, Obey went on, "we appear to be in a position where we are going to run into another foreign policy failure in El Salvador."

Shultz, who has shown flashes of temper in recent months, listened with increasing impatience as Illinois Democrat Sidney Yates joined the assault. He read aloud part of a New York Times story reporting that a former high military official in El Salvador had named Roberto d'Aubuisson, the right-wing candidate for President in the March 25 election, as a leading figure in the death squads that have been murdering civilians. "How many killers have been brought to trial?" Yates asked. Shultz could not cite one, but argued that the murders had decreased in number. If death-squad activity continues, Yates persisted, would not the elections be "meaningless"?

"Do you think elections are meaning less?" snapped Shultz.

"That isn't what I said," replied Yates. "There have been no efforts to change the situation there. The attitude of this Administration is that El Salvador will receive as much money as is necessary from now until eternity."

Shultz had heard enough. "I really don't understand you people!" he exploded. "Here we have an area right next to us, which a cross section of Americans on a bipartisan commission studied very carefully . . . and have concluded that it is in the vital interests of the United States. Now there are problems there. We all know that. And what you're telling me is that because there are problems, let's walk away."

"No!" Yates protested. "I'm not saying that."

"Yes, you are!" shouted Shultz. "What I'm telling you is that we have to struggle with these problems. That's the reality."