Singapore ‘No. 8’ in Code of Nations

WASHINGTON —  Singapore, diplomatically called “Country No. 8” in congressional hearings Tuesday, became the latest nation to be identified as having been solicited by the U.S. government for aid to Nicaragua’s contra forces.

According to testimony by Elliott Abrams, assistant secretary of state for inter-American affairs, a CIA official suggested that Country No. 8 be asked to donate long-range radios that he thought were made in that Southeast Asian city-state. A committee source identified Country No. 8 as Singapore.

Abrams testified, however, that when a leader of Country No. 8 was approached in 1985, he replied: “We don’t make those radios.” And so, Abrams said, “that was the end of that.”

Sources have identified countries 1 through 5, which were also solicited for help, as Israel, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, China and South Korea. Brunei, which kicked in $10 million at Abrams’ request, has been identified publicly by name. There has been no testimony yet about countries 6 and 7, and committee sources would not explain why Singapore was dubbed Country No. 8 instead of No. 6.