Lugar Sees Major Trouble for U.S. Contras Policy

Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.), the outgoing chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, says the Reagan Administration’s policy in Nicaragua may be fatally flawed and predicts it will be in serious trouble in the Democratic-controlled Senate.

Lugar said that some presidential advisers have seemed more eager to back the contras , as the rebels are called, in a war than to negotiate a peace that achieves American aims.

“Trying to build a democracy, that was our objective,” Lugar said. “It wasn’t to back the contras during a war.” Moreover, Lugar said that barring a popular uprising, “the contras could not win.”

Lugar said his differences with President Reagan over the contra aid program were not well publicized, but he discussed the disagreement in detail in an interview after it became apparent from last Tuesday’s election that the Democrats would control the Senate and he would surrender his committee chairmanship to Sen. Claiborne Pell of Rhode Island, the ranking Democrat on the panel.

“I generally feel that on Nicaragua, we could have done better if we could have worked out positions with the Democrats that would have gotten substantial support and longevity, therefore, in his (Reagan’s) policy,” Lugar said.

He said efforts by Reagan’s special envoy, Philip C. Habib, to achieve a diplomatic solution were undercut by lack of Administration support.

Lugar also said he is worried by the lack of consensus in Congress for the contra program. The Senate approved by a narrow 53-47 vote the Administration’s $100-million request for military and other aid.

He added that it was difficult getting the 53 votes and made clear he fought for the bill against his better judgment.

Lugar said he would have preferred a compromise with the Democrats that would have required a second vote on military aid after allowing a period for negotiations with the leftist Sandinista government.

But he said he pushed the bill through after both John M. Poindexter, Reagan’s national security adviser, and Secretary of State George P. Shultz said the President objected to such a compromise.