Meeting with President Cristiani, September 26, 1990
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lead_399_022_all_tr.txt - Transcription (Scripto)
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- 11 Pages
- File Name (Dublin Core)
- lead_399_022_all
- Title (Dublin Core)
- Meeting with President Cristiani, September 26, 1990
- Date (Dublin Core)
- 1990-09-26
- Date Created (Dublin Core)
- 1990-09-26
- Congress (Dublin Core)
- 101st (1989-1991)
- Policy Area (Curation)
- International Affairs
- Record Type (Dublin Core)
- attendance lists
- Rights (Dublin Core)
- http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/CNE/1.0/
- Language (Dublin Core)
- eng
- Collection Finding Aid (Dublin Core)
- https://dolearchivecollections.ku.edu/index.php?p=collections/findingaid&id=26&q=
- Physical Location (Dublin Core)
- Collection 007, Box 399, Folder 22
- Institution (Dublin Core)
- Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS
- Archival Collection (Dublin Core)
- Robert J. Dole Republican Leadership Collection, 1985-1996
- Full Text (Extract Text)
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Sept. 26, 1990
10:30 a.m. S-230 Meeting with President Cristiani
(checked) Chafee - yes ON the way
(checked) Coats - yes -
(checked) Domenici - yes -
Helms - yes -
(checked) Mack - yes
McCain - yes - NOT coming
(checked) Nickles - will try
(checked) Simpson - will try
(checked) Symms - will try
(checked) KASTEN- YES
(checked) Durenberger
WILL CALL BACK:
Jeffords
Kassebaum
Kasten
Lugar
Pressler
NO Stevens
(page 2)
10:30 a.m. S-230 Meeting with President Cristiani
Chafee - yes .
Coats - yes
Domenici - yes
Helms - yes
Mack - yes
McCain - yes
Nickles - will try
Simpson - will try . (arrow) INDEXING
Symms - will try
KASTEN - YES
DURENBERGER - YES
WILL CALL BACK:
Jeffords
Kassebaum
Kasten
Lugar
Pressler
NO Stevens
(page 3)
10:30 a.m. S-230 Meeting with President Cristiani
Chafee - yes
Coats - yes
Domenici - yes
Helms - yes
Mack - yes
McCain - yes
Nickles - will try
Simpson - will try .
Symms - will try
KASTEN - YES
WILL CALL BACK:
Jeffords
Kassebaum
Kasten
Lugar
Pressler
NO Stevens
(page 4)
10:30 Wednesday
BOB DOLE
KANSAS
United States Senate
OFFICE OF THE REPUBLICAN LEADER
WASHINGTON, DC 20510-7020
Y Chafee
Y Coats
NO Cohen
Y Domenici
NO Durumberger
Y Helms
Y Nickles
Jeffords 45141
Kassebaum w.c.b.
Kasten w.c.b.
Lugar w.c.b.
Y Mack
Y McCain
(page 5)
wcb. Pressler
No Rudman Cathy - in law passed away
Y Simpson
? Stevens Delynn
Y Symms Say will try
NO Wallop Kathy
19
(page 6)
SENATOR:
Re: your meeting with Salvadoran President Cristiani, Wednesday, September 26, 10:30 am.
ARRANGEMENTS/BACKGROUND. You are hosting the meeting (scheduled for 30 minutes), for key Republicans (list of invitees attached, with initial responses). Mitchell will have a separate meeting for Democrats -- he declined a joint meeting -- on Tuesday.
ISSUES.
Military aid. Dodd, et al, are determined to go forward with their proposal -- presumably on Foreign Ops appropriations -- to cut/fence 50% of military aid; Dodd claims he has 55 votes, but I doubt it. The Administration supports fencing 15% of the aid, and conditioning an additional 15% -- but strongly opposes the Dodd proposals. As Cristiani's recent letter to you indicates (copy attached), he is here principally to lobby for as much aid, with as few restrictions, as possible. At a minimum, we ought to end up insisting that the MFLN meet criteria at least as stringent as those we set out for the Salvadoran Government.
Jesuit murder case. The investigation/prosecution of the Jesuit murder case grinds on. One colonel and a number of low-ranking military personnel are under arrest, and the judge in the case has indicated he intends to make formal charges and begin the trial this year. Leftist charges that the whole process has been a "cover-up" and/or "whitewash" continue -- including from the American Jesuit community (I was visited this week by a Jesuit friend of Dennis Shea's, who made just this pitch). One important note: you will recall suggesting to Cristiani at your last meeting (in Mitchell's office) that he appoint a panel of U.S. jurists to help out on the investigation -- he has just announced that initiative, a "blue ribbon panel" of three American judges to consult with Salvadoran officials. You should congratulate him on that initiative.
Negotiations with the MFLN. They are proceeding, but going no where fast -- largely because it is clear the MFLN is hoping that the Congress is going to give them a big present, in the form of an aid reduction, on a silver platter, and is not going to negotiate seriously until it sees what Congress does. There have been five rounds of talks -- most recently, they have focused primarily on the MFLN's principal agenda item, reform of the Salvadoran armed services. You should commend Cristiani for his continuing commitment to negotiations, and urge him to keep at it, no matter how frustrating the MFLN's tactics.
AL
(page 7)
(text surrounding El Salvador coat of arms)
Republica De El Salvador En La America Central
Lic. Alfredo Cristiani
Presidente de la República
San Salvador, September 14th, 1990
(handwritten) Al (end handwritten)
The Honorable Robert Dole
United States Senate
141 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Dear Senator Dole:
I am most reluctant to intrude on your valuable time. But pending decisions by the United States Senate can have such an immediate and enduring effect on our country and its prospects for peace, that I believe it incumbent upon me as its President to convey my thoughts to you.
As the Senate resumes its final weeks of legislative work in the 101st Congress, it will consider the FY 1991 foreign aid appropriations bill, which includes economic and military assistance for El Salvador. The House has already adopted a measure which would withhold 50 percent of our military assistance for next year, and Senators Dodd and Leahy are proposing a similar measure to the Senate.
I want to take this opportunity to bring you up to date on developments in El Salvador since the House vote in May, and to share my feelings with you regarding the upcoming debate in the Senate.
As you may know, the FMLN guerrillas returned to the peace talks last April, after launching their bloody November offensive in a desperate but unsuccessful attempt to foment a popular insurrection and overthrow our democratically elected government. The failure of their offensive, the subsequent loss of their traditional support from Nicaragua and Eastern Europe, and the continued support of our government by all of the Central American Presidents and the U.S. Government, were significant factors in pressuring the FMLN to return to
....
(page 8)
(text surrounding El Salvador coat of arms)
Republica De El Salvador En La America Central
Lic. Alfredo Cristiani
Presidente de la República
..../2
the negotiating table. Indeed, our country is strongly united behind the principles I announced when I took office:
* The only solution to the conflict is political, not military; only a negotiated settlement can bring permanent peace.
* The negotiations must be unconditional, uninterrupted, confidential, and outside the country to enhance the dialogue.
* The basic goals of the process should be a ceasefire, followed by a peace agreement calling for the disarmament, demobilization, and integration of all members of the FMLN into our democratic way of life.
Last December, at the Central American Presidential Summit in San Isidro de Coronado, Costa Rica, the region's leaders expressed their support for our government and called on the FMLN to immediately cease its hostilities, renounce its violence against civilians, and return to the negotiating table to carry out the Esquipulas and Tela declarations for national reconciliation.
As part of this mandate, I met with U.N. Secretary General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar in January, requesting his intermediation resuming the dialogue. This led to the April 4 Geneva Accord between our government and the FMLN, which restarted the peace process under U.N. auspices. Four lengthy sessions have been conducted on a monthly basis since May, and the fifth round is taking place in San José, Costa Rica, at this present time. The basic framework of the talks calls for a two-stage process: political agreements to be reached on issues agreed upon in Caracas, Venezuela, followed by a ceasefire and reintegration of the FMLN into the civilian, institutional, and political life of the country. The objectives of the process are: the consolidation of our democratic process, the respect for human rights and national reconciliation.
As the talks resumed, a positive note was struck: a Human Rights Accord. This important agreement, signed in July, calls for the immediate observance of basic principles of human rights by both sides,
....
(page 9)
(text surrounding El Salvador coat of arms)
Republica De El Salvador En La America Central
Lic. Alfredo Cristiani
Presidente de la República
..../3
with U.N. verification to take place after a ceasefire. This Accord constitutes the first signed agreement in the entire history of the conflict, and is surely a hopeful sign of progress.
The last three sessions have been devoted almost exclusively to the subject of the Armed Forces, the most ambitious and difficult substantive topic on the agenda. Our Government has presented bold and detailed initiatives on this issue. I regret to have to say the FMLN has not shown good faith on the military issues. At the last session, and to quote Congressman Joe Moakley, the FMLN's proposal on the key issue of military reform "was particularly extreme and unrealistic, and provided no opportunity for the United Nations mediator to bring the two sides closer together". Moreover, as Congressman Moakley also noted, the FMLN has been preparing and publicly threatening with another military offensive in El Salvador. Just a few days ago, the Honduran authorities discovered yet another shipment of weapons coming in from Nicaragua and destined to the FMLN.
With these latest developments in mind, you can readily understand why any withholding or reduction in U.S. military aid to El Salvador, at this critical moment, would be a serious mistake:
* It would send the wrong signal to the FMLN, and in fact the bills already proposed for discussion have done just that, by encouraging them to delay or hamper the peace dialogue; and even endangering it if the FMLN pursues a more violent approach.
* It would deprive our democratically elected government of much needed resources to defend ourselves from further armed attacks, sabotage, and other acts of violence.
* The present conditions in proposed bills are placing an irregular armed group at the same level of the legitimate government of our country.
Our Government strongly believes it would be a much more positive steps to condition any withholding of military aid to a ceasefire agreement verified by the United Nations. Until then, it is imperative
....
(page 10)
(text surrounding El Salvador coat of arms)
Republica De El Salvador En La America Central
Lic. Alfredo Cristiani
Presidente de la República
..../4
for the survival of our democracy and the achievement of a true and permanent peace in our country, that the FMLN be told in very clear and unmistakable terms that the U.S. continues to stand behind us and the other Central American Presidents in supporting our efforts for peace in our region.
I recognize and share Congress' deep concern over the tragic and senseless murder of the six Jesuits and their two employees last November. They join the ranks of many other thousands of victims of extremist violence in this sad and bloody conflict. I am personally committed to prosecuting all those responsible for this terrible deed, and I am pleased to report that progress has been made toward that end, as was publicly expressed by the Provincial of the Jesuit community.
Meanwhile, El Salvador's military defense needs remain as before, to protect our infant democracy from unrelenting aggression and achieve peace.
Before you vote on this matter, I hope you will consider these reflections. The Salvadorean people will be very grateful for it.
Very truly yours,
(signature)
(page 11)
10:30 a.m. S-230 Meeting with President Cristiani
Chafee - yes
Coats - yes
Domenici - yes
Helms - yes
Mack - yes
McCain - yes
Nickles - will try
Simpson - will try
Symms - will try
KASTEN - YES
WILL CALL BACK:
Jeffords
Kassebaum
(crossed out) Kasten
Lugar
Pressler
Stevens
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