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Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788R000100330001-5 SPECIAL EDITION -- TERRORISM --. 26 JUNE 1984 WASHINGTON POST 6 June 1984 Pg. 18 Administration Hoping to Keep Pressure on Soviets U.S. Seeks Allied Accord on Terrorism By Lou Cannon Washington Post Staff Writer LONDON, June 5—The Reagan administration, eager to obtain a show of western unity and keep pressure on the Soviets, is struggling to convince US. allies to reaffirm the basic goals of the Atlantic Alli- ance and also condemn international terrorism, according to U.S. and Eu- Topean officials. These officials predicted that the six western industrial nations and Japan, which meet here this week at their annual economic summit, would reaffirm the NATO commit- ment to deploy intermediate-range nuclear weapons in Europe in an effort to convince the Soviets to re- turn to nuclear arms talks. But there was pessimism among US. and British officials on whether France and Italy would agree to pub- lic condemnation of “state supported terrorism.” Officials say there is even less unity on U.S. policy in Central America, which President Reagan views as an essential element of US.-Soviet conflict. Nevertheless, a senior U.S. official said that Reagan intends to press his views on Central America in private meetings later this week with the other government leaders. This official, expressing growing White House skepticism that Nic- aragua is willing to halt its “subver- sion” in El Salvador and move to peaceful resolution of differences with the United States, said that the primary accomplishment of Secre- tary of State George P. Shultz’s visit to Managua Friday was to demon- strate that the United States is will- ing to talk to Nicaragua. The U.S. Official described the statement is- sued by the Nicaraguan junta after Shultz departed as “deserving of the Pulitzer Prize in fiction.” The statement had emphasized that Nicaragua ‘is willing to discuss US. security concerns, but insisted that a third nation participate in further meetings. US. diplomats and State Depart- ment officials initially reacted favor- ably to the meeting and the commu- nique, but officials traveling with Reagan have been cautious about the prospects for a breakthrough in the negotiations. Today’s remarks were the toughest yet from a White House official. On the terrorism issue a senior British official said tonight, “We most certainly intend to raise the issue of terrorism and have some very specific ideas, especially when they [the terrorists] operate under a diplomatic cloak, but I’m not able to say precisely what will come out of it at the summit .... We're trying to open up the whole international ap- proach.” The official said he believed that British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher would address the issue no matter what the other nations did. The senior U.S. official called Thatcher “our ace in the hole,” meaning that she could be relied upon to make a statement even if the other nations would not go along. “The ... president wants a full discussion of terrorism, including state-supported terrorism,” the U.S. official said. “Clearly not everyone is prepared to go as far as we go.” The issue was discussed tonight by Reagan and Thatcher at a private meeting at 10 Downing St., but none of the U.S. officials accompanying Reagan, including national security affairs adviser Robert C. McFarlane, was present. White House sources were unable to say whether any agreement was reached. US. officials say that even Thatcher is less concerned than the United States on the issue of “state- supported terrorism” the phrase the Reagan administration uses to de- scribe international acts of violence fostered by Libya or Iran. The British, spurred by the killing :of a London: policewoman who was shot from the Libyan Embassy in April, would like the summit to re- affirm adherence to the 1961 Vienna Convention governing the privileges of diplomatic immunity. What they especially want is to prevent the as- signment of didlomats to western nations who have been expelled from other countries for unacceptable be- havior. A senior U.S. official said that he - expected, even if a public statement is not issued, that the seven nations would informally agree to a greater exchange of intelligence information and to the commitment of additional financial resources to combat terror- On April 17, in the wake of the - shooting at- the Libyan Embassy here, White House spokesman Larry Speakes said, “Terrorism is a prob- lem for all nations, and this govern- ment will work as closely as possible with governments—particularly oth- - er similarly threatened democra- cies—to deal with it.” On April 26, the president sent a package of four antiterrorism bills to Congress that would make the tak- ing of hostages a federal offense, out- law airline sabotage, provide rewards for information on terrorist activity and prohibit the training and sup- port of terrorists. ' On another issue, U.S. officials discounted a published report that the United States was considering sharing its strategic oi reserves with other western nations because of a threatened cutoff of oil. supplies from the Persian Gulf. A senior of- ficial. said that the only agreement the seven nations have at this point is that they would not go to the spot market. to obtain oil because this would force a sharp increase in oil prices. Washington Post London corre- spondent Michael Getler’ contrib- uted to this report. Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDB96-00788R000100330001-5