Administration to Get Half of Counterterrorism Funds It Sought

In a setback for the Reagan Administration, Congress will cut in half a State Department request for $54 million in counterterrorism aid for Central America and will limit the money’s uses, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee said Thursday.

The Administration requested the funds in September after four off-duty U.S. Marines were killed in a terrorist attack in El Salvador in June. But both Republicans and Democrats questioned whether the additional request is necessary on the heels of a multibillion-dollar foreign aid authorization, and some objected that the aid might be used by military and police forces guilty of human rights abuses.

Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.), chairman of the Foreign Relations panel, said that he had postponed consideration of the bill until next month to allow time for a compromise, but he predicted that the final result will be much smaller than the request.

“I think we will have some police aid but no military aid,” he said. The Administration’s request provided $27 million in military aid, $26 million in police aid and $1 million for a witness protection program.

Confused by Timing

“Senators don’t understand the timing of the request,” Lugar explained. “The Democrats don’t frankly want it at all, and the Republicans aren’t enthusiastic about it. I could get it through the committee on a 9-8 partisan vote, but I think I would not get it through the floor of the Senate or through the House.”

He said he expects most of the money to go to El Salvador, with smaller amounts for Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama and Guatemala. Aid to Guatemala would be blocked until an elected civilian goverment takes over from the present military regime.

Most of the police aid would go for training, with limited amounts available for equipment, congressional aides said.

Forbidden Under Law

Current law prohibits U.S. aid to foreign police forces, a legacy of revelations in the 1970s that the United States had trained and equipped Latin American forces later found guilty of torture, murder and other abuses. But Congress exempted El Salvador, Honduras and Costa Rica from that prohibition in the aftermath of the murder of the Marines in June.

A State Department spokesman said that the Administration still wants the full $54 million.

“The counterterrorism assistance request for Central America is an important and carefully conceived program to respond to urgent needs of the governments of Central America,” spokesman Gregory Lagana said, reading a prepared response. “It is designed to help those governments redress specific areas where equipment, training and technology for combating terrorism are lacking.”

He said the Administration believes the aid is needed to safeguard progress toward democracy in the area.