Shultz Criticized for Opposing Aid to Angolan Rebels

Secretary of State George P. Shultz faced a right-wing revolt in Congress and disagreement within Administration ranks Wednesday over his opposition to U.S. aid for pro-Western guerrillas in Marxist-ruled Angola.

Conservatives in Congress are promoting a bill to send $27 million to the South African-backed rebels, arguing that the aid would be consistent with U.S. help for anti-Communist guerrillas in Nicaragua, Afghanistan and Cambodia.

But Shultz is campaigning against the plan, insisting that it would harm U.S. efforts to negotiate a withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola. And his position has drawn fire from some of the Administration’s staunchest supporters on Capitol Hill.

Complaint by Kemp

“I think what Shultz is saying is inconsistent with the President’s policy,” complained Rep. Jack Kemp (R-N.Y.).

Administration officials said that U.S. policy on Angola has been under review since Congress repealed a prohibition against aid to the rebels in July. Congressmen said they have been told that both Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger and White House national security adviser Robert C. McFarlane had argued in favor of aid, but Shultz’s objections prevented any change.

“We understand that a number of people in the National Security Council take a contrary view, and that the policy is in a state of flux,” said Rep. James A. Courter (R-N.J.). “Obviously, we’re trying to put as much pressure as we can on the Administration to look at this thing from a new angle.”

Earlier this month, Rep. Claude Pepper (D-Fla.) introduced a bill to provide $27 million in non-weapons aid to the Angolan rebels, the National Union for the Total Independence of Angola, commonly known as UNITA. This is the same amount of aid as the United States is providing the Nicaraguan rebels.

In response, Shultz wrote House Republican Leader Robert H. Michel of Illinois, asking him to “discourage” the proposal, saying it would only produce “a stalemate at higher levels of violence.”

Instead, Shultz argued, UNITA and the Angolan government should be encouraged to negotiate a political solution that would include withdrawal of the Cuban troops propping up the regime.

“The settlement we have proposed offers the only reasonable way out for the parties directly concerned,” Shultz wrote in his letter.

‘A Moral Necessity’

That prompted an angry reply from Michel. “United States support for UNITA--even in such a small way--is not only a geostrategic but a moral necessity,” the Republican leader wrote back. “I cannot see how we can argue that aid to the democratic forces in Nicaragua helps the chances of negotiations while aid to UNITA somehow damages the negotiating process.”

GOP congressmen made copies of the letters available to reporters and some were scathing in their criticism of Shultz, a veteran of the Nixon Administration viewed by some conservatives as too moderate.

“George Shultz is arguing on behalf of a failed policy,” said Courter. “You can’t get the Cubans out of Angola by saying ‘please.’ . . . You need pressure to lead to useful negotiations.”

Kemp said he discussed the issue with Shultz in a telephone call late Tuesday, and they “had a friendly disagreement.”

“We repealed the Clark Amendment (the 1976 law banning U.S. aid to the rebels), and now Secretary Shultz has imposed a de facto Clark Amendment of his own,” Kemp said.

Meeting With Reagan

He said he plans to raise the issue with President Reagan next week at the President’s regular meeting with Republican congressional leaders.

“I plan to make sure the President gets a chance to take a look at what’s going on here,” Kemp said.

State Department spokesman Charles Redman said that Shultz had no comment on the issue--except to confirm that the secretary of state “has been in contact with Congressman Michel.”