Editing 78-04-A5 (section)

= Cubans and Russians =

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=== Transcript ===
The Senate Foreign Relations committee has had a growing amount of testimony
about Cuban and Russian infiltration and influence in Panama. But for some
reason, it seems unwilling to launch a thorough investigation of those tips it
has received.

A group of Panamanians best described as civic and educational leaders
appeared before the Senate committee and told of witnessing the landing and
takeoff of Soviet planes at the Rio Hato air strip. This was a United States
air base in World War II which later we turned over to Panama. The Soviet
planes come in low over the ocean to avoid radar detection.

The same witnesses told of how a group of Panamanian students every six
months is sent to Cuba to study. What was it the Soviets said about winning
just one generation in a country and having that country forever?

Other interesting testimony was that Panamanian students are sent to
the U.S.S.R for five year study periods. Also that Torrijos has requested Cuban
advisors to come to Panama and teach his administration how to "set up neighborhood
committees to facilitate the government's control of the people on a local level".
They told the Senators there were agreements between the Soviet Union and Panama
to be implemented after the treaties were ratified; involving construction (by
the Russians) of a hydroelectric plant in Panama and establishing diplomatic
relations with Moscow among other things.

Lieutenant General Daniel Graham, now retired, but formerly head of the
Defense Intelligence Agency writing in The Navy Times said rumors of Cuban
operatives in Panama are backed by pretty solid evidence. The general had to be
circumspect because of the risk of exposing classified information, but he made
it pretty clear there were Cuban guerilla warfare specialists in Panama. Being
careful not to put his former colleagues in military intelligence on the spot,
his comments nevertheless made it clear that a congressional investigation
is warranted.

Word in Washington today is that Americans and Panamanians have met with
anti-treaty senators and talked of Cuban infiltration. Still a pro-treaty
Senator Frank Church complains that if we don't give General Torrijos the Canal,
Panama will move to the left. Actually Panama hasn't much of a move left to
make. In 1976 in the United Nations out of 21 votes Panama voted 20 times with
the Soviet Union against the United States.

Do you suppose the Congressional committees are going to wait and investigate
all these reports after we've given the canal away? Anything is possible. The
Soviet planes flying over Cuba violate the 1963 agreement between President Kennedy
and Khrushchev. Our state department defends the Soviet presence in Cuba on the
grounds the planes are there for defense and the agreement referred to offensive
weapons.

This is Ronald Reagan.

Thanks for listening.
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=== Details ===
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<TR><TD WIDTH="150">Batch Number</TD><TD WIDTH="150">{{PAGENAME}}</TD></TR>
<TD>Production Date</TD><TD>03/13/[[Radio1978|1978]]</TD></TR>
<TD>Book/Page</TD><TD>[[Radio_Commentary_Books#Reagan:_In_His_Own_Hand|RihoH-207]]</TD></TR>
<TD>Audio</TD><TD></TD></TR>
<TD>Youtube?</TD><TD>No</TD></TR>
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===Added Notes===

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