Just over half of this year's money would be used for civil defense supplies and other nonlethal equipment.

While largely restricting themselves to selling nonlethal equipment, Western suppliers sometimes engage in heated competition to sell to Angola.

There have been limited arms sales Venezuela, Chile, and Bolivia while other nations have bought nonlethal military equipment.

The United States gives Ethiopia millions of dollars of foreign aid and some nonlethal military equipment.

Whatever figure is chosen, a senior State Department official said 90 percent of the money would be for purchases of "nonlethal" equipment.

Under the Administration's definition, "nonlethal" equipment includes helicopters, boots, uniforms - "anything that couldn't be used to kill people," an official said.

Mr. Abrams has said he knows of only one foreign government that contributed nonlethal equipment to the contras over the last year and a half.

The program has given African troops only nonlethal equipment like communications gear.

In recent years, the United States has provided the Uzbek military with money, access to American military schools, nonlethal equipment and Special Forces training.

This month, those nations are taking delivery of $20 million of nonlethal military equipment from the United States - trucks, uniforms, radios, but no guns.