CHALLENGES TO QADDAFI DISCOUNTED

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000505250034-9
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 2, 2010
• Sequence Number: 34
• Publication Date: November 13, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2010/09/02 : CIA-RDP90-00552R000505250034-9
ARTICLE APP -3-
PAGE A ,-
ChallengesChallenges
To Qaddafi
Discounted
By JUDITH MILLER
Special to no New Yatt Times
PARIS, Nov. 12- The relative weak-
ness of Libyan opposition groups and
the rising anti-Americanism among
several of Libya's neighbors are likely
to complicate any effort to undermine
the Government of Col. Muammar el-
Qaddafi, according to Western and
Middle Eastern diplomats and special-
Egyp
,
--
Administration officials and con- keels .. _-c- ---
gressional sources said recently that careful not to sanction the launching of
President Reagan had approved a cov- sVbversive operations from the border
it shares with Libya.
NEW YORK TIMES
13 November 1985
he is the victim of an international con-
spiracy and a chance to recover some
prestige and influence in certain quar-
ters. It can only provide him with more
incentive to step up and expand his
mischief and terrorism."
Sudan Coup Forces Evacuation
Abu Abdullah, a Landon-based
spokesman for the National Front, said
that his and other Libyan opposition
groups active in the Sudap had been
forced to leave the country after the
coup last April that ousted President
Gaafar al-Nimeiry. Several weeks
later, the new Sudanese military Gav-
ernment signed a defense agreement
with Libya, Mr. Abdullah said.
The National Front, which has repro.
sentatives in London, Rome, Paris,
Baghdad and the United States, now
operates an anti-Libya radio station
from Cairo for four hours a day. But
d
,
National Front officials sai
t
1.
Nor wps Tunisia likely to be helpful,
diplomats and opposition groups
agreed. Relations between Tunis and
Tripoli were badly strained by Libya's
expulsion this spring of thousands of
Tunisian workers because of budgetary
constraints.
How U.S. Displeased Tunis
But American-Tunisian relations
were damaged by what Tunis per-
ceived as Washington's condoning of
Israel's Oct. 1 raid on the Tunisian-
based headquarters of the Palestine
Liberation Organization. Mr. Abdul-
lah, of the National Front, said it was
i
ons
unlikely that subversive- operat
could be launched either from neigh-
boring Niger or from Chad, torn
civil strife and still partly occupied by
Libyan forces.
Libya's other neighbor, Morocco,
signed a union accord in 1984 with Trip-
oli. Although strains have emerged be-
tween them, the accord was useful to
both Colonel Qaddafi and King Hassan
II, diplomats said. Libya has stopped
supporting the Polisario rebels in West-
ern Sahara, and Morocco has expelled
Libyan opposition groups.
Arab diplomats here said that even
before the accord was signed, King
Hassan signaled his good will toward
Libya by handing Omar Meheshi over
to Colonel Qaddafi. Mr. d eh shhi colo-
one of the ns and had been given
nel's ws
opponents
asylum -in Morocco. According to a
highly placed Arab official, Mr.
Meheshi was flown to Libya in the
King's plane and was kicked to death
by Colonel Qaddafi's aides in a waiting
room.
Diplomats said it would be difficult to
kill Colonel Qaddafi since he was heav-
ily surrounded by East German se-
curity guards. Besides, the diplomats
said, an American executive order pro-
hibits direct or indirect American par-
ticipation in assassination attempts.
- ert plan aimed at weakening the . Egypt has frequently been the target
Libyan Government. of subversive and terrorist Operations
But the diplomats and experts said from Libya, Egyptian officials have
such questioned whether a plan
id T. the early 1970's, the officials
sa
. coul uld succeed, despite their view tha t t said, president Anwar el-Sadat wanted
the Libyan leader appeared to at-one t
invade Libya to unseat Colonel Qad-
o
of his most vulnerable points in in his 16- daft. But staunch opposition from the
year rule.
The fact that this plan has been United States, among other powers.
"
made public automatically decreases forced him to abandon the idea, Egyp-
the chances of success," said Pierre tian officials said.
Lellouche, deputy director of the Paris- Egypt has recently been the target of
based French Institute of International Libyan-sponsored terrorist attacks,
Relations. but President Hosni Mubarak, wary of
"Each of the neighboring countries any external adventure, has been un-
has cause to be unhappy with Mr. Qad- willing to authorize serious efforts to
daft," Mr. Lellouche said, "but the undermine his neighbor, Egyptian offi-
neighbors are under equal pressure cials and Libyan opposition representa-
from religious and political groups, tives agreed.
some of which are manipulated by Egypt Humiliates Qaddafi
Libya. The last thin they ne d is u- In the summer, of 1984, Egypt humili-
I.A. Colonel Qaddafi by permitting a
ated
plan to do away with their neme-
0-
sis. he said. Libyan assassination squad to believe
0-on o
Li ent Abdel
pon
ll
Algeria Spurns U.S. Plan
Last week, Algeria denied that it
would countenance such an American-
sponsored "plot" against another Arabi
nation. Despite Algeria's long-standing
dispute with Libya over oil-producing
territory in the south, Algeria ex-
pressed its "solidarity" with the
Libyan regime.
The National Front for the Salvation
of 'Libya; widely regarded as the
strongest of the divided and weak oppo-
sition groups, issued a declaration in
London recently that was highly criti-
cal of the American plan.
The statement noted that the Na-
tional Front had 'been responsible for
the attack in May 1984 by armed rebels
on Colonel Qaddafi's barracks.
"Reports of other covert operations
as well as the schemes themselves are
liable to discredit and undermine the
genuine Libyan strength and preempt
any national action that might be car-
ried out against Qaddafi," the stat -
ment said. "Such reports can only give
credence to Qaddafi's propaganda that
,
p
a
it had ki
amid Bakkush, a former Libyan
Prime Minister, in Cairo. After Libya
claimed credit for Mr. Bakkush's "ex-
ecution," the Egyptian Government
showed Mr. Bakkush at a news confer-
ence
ish citizens several
purportedly involved in the
plot and denounced Libya for its assas-
sination attempt.
Egypt announced Monday that it had
foiled a new attempt to kill Mr. Bak-
kush and several other Libyan exiles. It
said four Libyans were seized after a
fifth member of their "hit squad" gave
the police information that allowed
them to inpercept the gunmen as they
moved in f shoot the exiles.
While President Mubarak has ap-
proved such operations, he has been re-
luctant to do more, officials said. Sev-
eral added that Egypt was likely to be
even less willing now than ever before
to cooperate with or take part in Amer-
ican-sponsored subversion given the
current strain in American-Egyptian
relations prompted by the forcing down
in October by American jets of an
Egyptian plane that was carrying the
four hijackers of the Italian cruise ship
Achille Latino.
Approved For Release 2010/09/02 : CIA-RDP90-00552R000505250034-9