Sheryl P Walter Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Message Text SECRET PAGE 01 HAVANA 07222 132125Z ACTION SS-25 INFO OCT-01 ADS-00 SSO-00 026 W ------------------025650 132128Z 14 O R 132045Z AUG 79 FM USINT HAVANA TO SECSTATE WASHDC NIACT IMMEDIATE 1188 AMEMBASSY MANAGUA NIACT IMMEDIATE INFO AMEMBASSY MOSCOW AMEMBASSY PANAMA USCINCSO QUARRY HTS CZ S E C R E T HAVANA 7222 EXDIS MILITARY ADDEE HANDLED AS SPECAT EXCLUSIVE E O 12065 XDS-3 8 13 99 SMITH WAYNE S OR-M TAGS PINS PINT MILI CU NU SUBJECT APPROACH TO CUBANS ON PRESENCE IN NICARAGUA REF STATE 210793 1 S-ENTIRE TEXT 2 I HAVE ASKED FOR APPOINTMENT WITH VIERA AND HOPE IT WILL BE GRANTED NEXT DAY OR TWO IF NOT I WILL RAISE WITH SOMEONE ELSE IN MINREX 3 I WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT CUBAN RESPONSE WILL BE TO DENY THERE IS ANY SIGNIFICANT CUBAN MILITARY PRESENCE IN NICARAGUA DEMARCHE WOULD BE MORE EFFECTIVE IF I WERE IN POSITION TO REFUTE THIS WITH ONE OR TWO SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF A LARGER CUBAN MILITARY PRESENCE PERHAPS INR COULD SUPPLY IN TIME FOR CALL ON VIERA 4 IN CONVERSATION WITH MINREX OFFICIAL AT THIRD-COUNTRY RECEPTION AUG 9 I MENTIONED SOME CONCERN IN US OVER SECRET SECRET PAGE 02 HAVANA 07222 132125Z CUBA'S MILITARY ROLE IN NICARAGUA CUBAN OFFICIAL SAID THIS SIMPLY ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF EXAGGERATED US INTELLIGENCE REPORTS EARLIER REPORTS HAD SUGGESTED MASSIVE CUBAN SHIPMENTS OF ARMS TO NICARAGUA NOW THAT SANDINISTAS WERE IN POWER HE WENT ON LOGICAL QUESTION WAS WHERE HAVE ALL THOSE ARMS GONE RATHER THAN BEING WELL-ARMED WITH CUBAN WEAPONS AS ONE WOULD HAVE EXPECTED Sheryl P Walter Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P Walter Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 SANDINISTAS APPARENTLY WERE SO SHORT OF MILITARY EQUIPMENT OF ALL KINDS THAT THEY WERE ASKING US AND EVERYONE ELSE IN HEMISPHERE FOR HELP 5 I COUNTERED THAT WHATEVER THE DEGREE THERE WAS NO DOUBT CUBANS HAD HELPED SANDINISTAS BUT THAT AS PRESIDENT CARTER'S STATEMENT MADE CLEAR US UNDERSTOOD FULLY THAT MAJOR FACTOR IN SOMOZA OVERTHROW WAS FACT THAT HE HAD LOST SUPPORT OF PEOPLE 6 ANTICIPATING THAT VIERA MAY TAKE SAME LINE AS LOWERRANKING MINREX OFFICIAL AND SUGGEST THAT REPORTS OF GROWING PRESENCE ARE NO MORE RELIABLE THAN WERE THOSE OF MASSIVE SHIPMENTS OF ARMS IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO HAVE SOMETHING NEW AND SPECIFIC TO BACK UP THOSE EARLIER REPORTS HAS EMBASSY NICARAGUA SEEN LARGE QUANTITIES OF SPECIFIC ITEMS I COULD REFER TO SUCH AS SOVIET ROCKET LAUNCHERS MACHINE GUNS ETC OR DOES INR HAVE SOMETHING HARD I COULD USE IN DEMARCHE SMITH SECRET NNN Sheryl P Walter Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P Walter Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Message Attributes Automatic Decaptioning Z Capture Date 01 jan 1994 Channel Indicators n a Current Classification UNCLASSIFIED Concepts DEMARCHE MILITARY ASSISTANCE SPHERE OF INFLUENCE Control Number n a Copy SINGLE Draft Date 13 aug 1979 Decaption Date 20 Mar 2014 Decaption Note 25 YEAR REVIEW Disposition Action RELEASED Disposition Approved on Date Disposition Case Number n a Disposition Comment 25 YEAR REVIEW Disposition Date 20 Mar 2014 Disposition Event Disposition History n a Disposition Reason Disposition Remarks Document Number 1979HAVANA07222 Document Source CORE Document Unique ID 00 Drafter n a Enclosure n a Executive Order X3 19990813 SMITH WAYNE S Errors N A Expiration Film Number D790368-0195 Format TEL From HAVANA OR-M Handling Restrictions Image Path ISecure 1 Legacy Key link1979 newtext t19790889 aaaactws tel Line Count 82 Litigation Code IDs Litigation Codes Litigation History Locator TEXT ON-LINE ON MICROFILM Message ID c7175171-c288-dd11-92da-001cc4696bcc Office ACTION SS Original Classification SECRET Original Handling Restrictions EXDIS Original Previous Classification n a Original Previous Handling Restrictions n a Page Count 2 Previous Channel Indicators n a Previous Classification SECRET Previous Handling Restrictions EXDIS Reference 79 STATE 210793 Retention 0 Review Action RELEASED APPROVED Review Content Flags Review Date 18 jan 2006 Review Event Review Exemptions n a Review Media Identifier Review Release Date n a Review Release Event n a Review Transfer Date Review Withdrawn Fields n a SAS ID 1965547 Secure OPEN Status NATIVE Subject APPROACH TO CUBANS ON PRESENCE IN NICARAGUA TAGS PINS PINT MILI MASS CU NU US To STATE MANAGUA Type TE vdkvgwkey odbc SAS SAS dbo SAS_Docs c7175171-c288-dd11-92da-001cc4696bcc Review Markings Sheryl P Walter Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Markings Sheryl P Walter Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014 Sheryl P Walter Declassified Released US Department of State EO Systematic Review 20 Mar 2014