U.S. Criticizes Soviet Arms for Nicaragua

The White House stepped up its criticism Monday of Soviet-sponsored arms shipments into Nicaragua, charging there has been “a serious increase” over the last month in the flow of armaments to the Sandanista government.

The arms buildup coincides with a government crackdown on civil liberties, launched Oct. 15, and with a heightened military offensive against the contras, the rebel insurgents backed by the Reagan Administration.

The White House said that Soviet and Bulgarian freighters were photographed by a U.S. reconnaissance plane last week as they transferred their cargo to Nicaraguan freighters at the Cuban port of Mariel for transport to Nicaragua.

No Comment on Plane

The White House refused to confirm reports that the plane--the SR-71, a supersonic aircraft equipped with sophisticated photographic equipment--was fired upon by Soviet-made SAM missiles. Reconnaissance flights have been flown over Cuba regularly since Reagan took office in 1981.

The Administration’s latest efforts to put the spotlight on Soviet assistance to Nicaragua were seen as part of the maneuvering leading up to the Geneva summit between President Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev on Nov. 19-20. The Administration wants to remind the world that the Soviets have not moderated their behavior in such regional conflicts as Nicaragua.

Soviet supplies to Nicaragua have always been cyclical, according to a State Department official. Therefore, this latest flow of arms does not necessarily indicate an all-out assault by government forces against the contras.

Won’t Provide Numbers

The White House refused to provide numbers to support its claim of the “steep” increase in weaponry. Spokesman Larry Speakes also declined to specify the kind of equipment being transported through Cuba to Nicaragua.