LIBYAN ASSASSINATION TEAMS: SOME PATTERNS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85T00287R000101390001-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 10, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: June 18, 1980
• Content Type: MEMO

BRIEF FOR: Frank Farrell
Intelligence Branch, INS
International Issues Division, OPA
SUBJECT Libyan Assassination Teams: Some Patterns
1. We have reason to doubt that Libya's Qadhafi has
ordered a halt to the ongoing series of assassinations of
Libyan dissidents living abroad. While Western Europe has
been the major arena for these incidents, we believe that
Libyans living in the US will also ne targetted, in part
as proof that no one is safe from Qadhafi's vengeance.
2. Preliminary analysis of the European murders
suggests that there are two types of Libyan hit teams
operating against dissident targets. Tn the majority
of killings, it appears that professional assassins
(presumably belonging to the Libyan Intelligence Service)
have been the perpetrators. In several cases, however,
the killings appear to have been the work. of amateurs,
possibly students or others with little formal training
in covert warfare. The fact that two of the victims
were killed by strangulation and decapitation suggests
amateurs rather than professional killers.
3. A common modus operandi has been for a two-man
hit squad to kill the vict m~ The hit teams probably
are relying on locally-recruited Libyans or members of
the so-called "People's Bureaus" to do the spotting.
The Peoples' Bureau probably also arranges for the ex-
traction of the hit team once an operation is complete.
CONFIDENTIAL
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4. The West European cases lead us to expect that
the Peoples' Bureau in the US would be responsible for
spotting and assessing Libyan dissidents living here,
with a hit squad being sent in to commit the actual
assassinations. In addition to whatever weapons the
Peoples' Bureau here already possesses, the Libyan gov-
ernment would not hesitate to use the diplomatic pouch
to bring in more. Thus the assassins are unlikely to
attempt to enter the U5 armed.
5. The whole concept of the "Peoples' Bureaus"
has caused an inordinate amount of difficulty for govern-
ments worldwide in trying to define the exact status of
Peoples Bureau "diplomats." At times the Libyans claim
to have diplomatic immunity; at others, such as the re-
cent case in the US, they have claimed to be in a non-
diplomatic status and therefore not capable of being
PNGed. Libyan assassins are probably capitalizing on
this confusion and traveling on Peoples Bureau passports.
6. An argument can be made that all persons traveling
on Peoples' Bureau passports are to some degree accomplices
of these assassination plots, although the vast majority of
them probably are not involved in actual assassinations.
Peoples Bureau personnel entering the US from a European
location (especially London, Rome, Bonn, Geneva, or Malta)
where there is a recent history of assassination attempts
deserve speci,~l attention however. Unfortunately we cannot
yet determine whether the hit teams are traveling singly or
in small groups.
7. Additionally, some assassins might be traveling
on regular Libyan passports. Again, those possessing
passports recently stamped in European countries deserve
special attention. We have no evidence of assassins trav-
eling on non-Libyan passports, although the Libyan Intelli-
gence Service can fabricate such documents. We cannot
confirm that non-Libyan nationals have been used to carry
out any of the recent assassinations, nor that non-Libyans
have been targetted. -
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8. Libyan government involvement in the assassination
campaign means that some terrorist profiles do not apply.
For exaiaple, hit teams may not be carrying unusual amounts
of money as the Peoples' Bureaus can supply funding. Wea-
pons are probably not being carried into the US bum.-a~e~,
already cached here.
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As of 18 June 1980, ten Libyans have been assassinated.
They include:
Name
Acme
Profession
City/Date
Mohammed Ramadan
35
journalist
Lyndon/11 Apr
Abd al-Jalal Aref
NFI
businessman
Rome/19 Apr
Salem Mohamed Rtemi
NFI
businessman
Rome/21 Mar
Mohamed Nafa
NFI
NFI
London/25 Apr
Umran al-Mahdawi
NFI
Former Diplomat
Bonn/10 May
Abdallah el Khazmi
37
NFI
Rome/10 May
Mohamed Buhajar
NFI
NFI
Rome/20 May
Abdul Bakr Rahman
NFI
former army officer
Athens/21 May
NFI
NFI
NFI
Beirut/NFI
Azedin Lahderi
56
NFI
Milan/11 June
Method
Shot
Shot
Shot
Shot
Shot
Shot
Strangled
Decapitated
Additionally, several other Libyan dissidents have
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been wounded or have escaped in other assassination attempts.