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Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788R000100330001-5 SPECIAL EDITION -- WALL STREET JOURNAL Libya May Resume Killingsof By Yousser M. IpraHim Staff Reporter of THE WaLL STREET JOURNAL TRIPOLI, Libya—Libya is threatening to revive death-squad activity against dis- sidents living in Western Europe and the US., a prospect that is causing alarm among Western diplomats and business ex- ecutives here. In announcements broadcast over state- Tun radio and television over the past three days, the Libyan government said it is pre- paring to recruit and train assassination teams to eliminate all opposition to the re- ime of Libyan leader Muammar Qad- afi. The resumption of such suicide squads, after a three-year lull in attacks against dissidents abroad, appears to be aimed partly at avenging last week's fighting between 20 armed dissidents and Lib- yan security forces here in the Libyan capital. The fighting is believed to have « been the biggest : open rebellion Tripoli against th Qadhafi regime since it came to Muammar Qadhafi power 15 years ago. Libya's determination to resume death- squad activity abroad threatens to worsen an already difficult relationship with West- ern governments doing business here. Many West European nations continue to resist calls by the Reagan administration for a political and economic boycott of Libya. The U.S. itself may be vulnerable be- cause, despite its boycott on Libyan oil im- ports, American companies still produce and market half of Libya's crude-oil out- put, estimated at 1.1 million barrels a day. In addition, European diplomats say there are nearly 1,000 Americans living in Libya, despite a Reagan administration ban on travel there. Libya has in the past resorted to the ar- bitrary arrest of business executives living here to force the release of Libyans ar- rested abroad. This campaign of intimida- tion is widely expected to be revived if — death-squad activity resumes and some of the assassins are arrested overseas. By all accounts, the severe reaction of the Libyan government to last week's fighting here is the most virulent cam- paign in years against opponents of the Qadhafi regime. Diplomats here beliéve that the government fully intends to liqui- date all opposition, including dissidents who live in places such as Egypt and Su- dan. The Libyan media also is openly call- ing for the overthrow of Sudan's president, Gaafare! Nimeiri, whom Libya accuses of having helped train the dissidents involved in last week’s fighting in Tripoli. Internal Opposition U.S. officials in Washington said that the fighting underscored what they consid- ered to be growing internal opposition to Col. Qadhafi. At the same time, Britain's decision to sever diplomatic relations af- ter a British policewoman was killed out- side the Libyan Embassy in London indi- cates Tripoli’s increasing political -isola- tion. Yet Col. Qadhafi apparently isn’t wor- ried that Libya’s image abroad might be tarnished further by the revival of death squads. ‘‘I don’t think he cares at all about world opinion,’’ one Western diplomat here said. ‘‘This is an armed challenge. (Last week's fighting) has had too much atten- tion here in Tripoli and he cannot let it go at that.”’ Col. Qadhafi also doesn’t appear to be concerned that Western companies will pull out of the country. Western European executives continue to populate Tripoli hotels because of lucra- tive business opportunities here. Although the country’s oil revenue has plunged 50% since 1980 because of the world oi] glut and lower production, Libya still has about $10 billion in revenue a year from oil. That is more than enough to trigger competition among Europeans to sell goods to this country. Despite official antagonism to- ward the West, Libya has shown a distinct preference for buying Western goods and food. West European diplomats here said they prefer to maintain relations with Libya as long as possible. ‘We don’t want to push them to the edge as long as we can help it,’ one ambassador said. He added that unless there is flagrant resumption of killing Libyans living in his country, his government isn’t prepared to heed the Reagan administration's call for an eco- nomic boycott. “The Americans should practice what they preach first,” the ambassador said, referring to the continued presence of some U.S. oil companies here, including Occidental Petroleum Co. of Los Angeles and Marathon Oil Co., a unit of Pittsburgh- based. U.S. Steel Corp. Both Exxon Corp. and Mobil Corp. have pulled out of Libya in the past 2% years, although Mobil still is attempting to obtain compensation for its operations in the country from the Libyan government. Libya appears to be making a broader more determined effort to train assassina- tion squads than it did in 1980 and 1981, when dozens of Libyan dissidents were ‘Shot to death on the streets of London, Rome, Paris and other European capitals, Government broadcasts here described the TERRORISM -- 26 JUNE 1984 17 May 1984 Pg. 35 Mn isstdents Overseas formation of ‘‘suicide incubators” to re- cruit and train volunteers willing to die in order to ‘‘exterminate the enemies of the revolution abroad and confirm that Britain and America will never be able to protect (dissidents) .”’ Such suicide tactics have been used by Iran and Syria, most notably in Beirut and Kuwait last year. Mobilizing Support Public support in Libya for the death squads has been mobilized through so- called peoples congresses, which have been held throughout the country to adopt resolutions calling for the elimination of Libyan dissidents abroad. The campaign has reached such a frenzy that most nor- mal activity has stopped—many markets and other businesses have been closed—so Libyans can attend the congresses, The government also has launched a media campaign detailing the alleged con- spiracy that led to the fighting between dissidents and government forces last week. Libyan officials asserted that the 20 dissidents were funded and trained by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and Brit- ish security forces with the connivence of Egypt, Sudan and ‘‘Arab reactionary re- gimes’’ to destabilize Libya with a cam- paign of bombing and armed assaults. The alleged plot reportedly was uncov- ered when three infiltrators were caught at the Libyan-Tunisia border on May 6. One of them confessed that they were supposed to link up with a group of armed men holed up in an apartment building in central Tripoli. Security forces then raided the building, and at least 12 of the dissidents were killed. LIBYAN THREAT... Continued when two others were remanded on charges of conspiracy to cause explosions. Two British people are already in detention in Libya. No charges have yet been brought against Mr Douglas Leddingham,. British Caledonian’s manager in Tripoli, and Mr John Campbell, who works: for an ail company. Scotland Yard is believed to be close to naming the person suspected | of killing WPC Yvonne Fletcher, who was shot from the Libyan People’s Bureau in London. Commander Bill Hucklesby, head of the anti-terrorist branch, was reported to be confident that he would soon have’ enough evidence to name the killer. Approved For Release 2000/08/07 : CIA-RDP96-00788R000100330001-5