News In Brief

House asked to check report of CIA anti-Sandinist manual

A New York congressman called Wednesday for a House investigation into a report that the Central Intelligence Agency provided a manual to Nicaraguan rebels advising them that government officials can be ''neutralized'' with the ''selective use of violence.''

''I find it hard to believe that the US government would place itself in the position of encouraging terrorism, but that is what the manual seems to be doing ,'' said Rep. Thomas J. Downey (D).

The Associated Press story, quoting intelligence sources, said the CIA produced the psychological-warfare manual for the US-backed rebels about a year ago.