LIBYA LOOKING FOR SUBS TO MENACE SHIPS AT SEA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000302320052-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 4, 2012
• Sequence Number: 52
• Publication Date: March 17, 1986
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/10/04: CIA-RDP90-00965R000302320052-8 STAT
ON
WASHINGTON TIMES
17 ;larch 1986
Libya looking for subs
to menace ships at sea
By Bill Gertz
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Terrorism experts say that Libya is shop-
ping for small submarines that could be used
to destroy commercial passenger and cargo
liners.
"There is substantial evidence that the Lib-
yans are out to purchase these submarines,"
said Robert Kupperman, an expert at
Georgetown University's Center for Strategic
and International Studies. "You've got to ask
how the Libyans would use them ? they [the
Libyans] are in the clandestine, highly covert
business of terrorism_, and a small submarine
an inexpensive, small instrument for ter-
rorism."
A former submarine officer and expert on
submarine warfare, who asked not to be iden-
tified, agreed.
"Because of the stealth associated with
miniature subs, this type of operation would
be very effective for terrorist actions," he said.
Federal officials concerned with terrorism
are watching the situation closely. Since the
so-called "minisubs" ? which are produced
in a number of countries, including Japan and
some NATO nations ? are relatively inexpen-
sive, there is always the danger that the un-
dersea weapons could fall into the hands of
terrorist groups.
So far, however, only Yugoslavia ? a coun-
try generally aligned with the Soviet Union ?
appears to be negotiating with Libyan offi-
cials.
The State Department and the FBI are de-
clining to comment on the situation, but Mr.
Kupperman said U.S. officials have warned
the Yugoslav government not to sell the boats
to Libya.
However, he said, the Yugoslays may be
above such U.S. diplomatic pressure, pointing
to the sanctuary Yugoslavia provided fugitive
Palestinian terrorist Abu Nidal, suspected of
masterminding the hijacking of the ocean
liner Achille Lauro.
Minisubs are a relatively new phenom-
enon. They weigh from 150 tons to 200 tons
and cost from $20 million to $50 million to
build. Conventional, diesel powered attack
submarines weigh about 5,000 tons and cost
up to $200 million.
The minisubs are capable of firing torpe-
does and some can,launch advanced anti-ship
missiles.
The Soviets began building a 200-boat
minisub fleet in the mid-1960s. U.S. allies, in-
cluding Great Britain, West Germany, Japan
and Italy, also have produced their own fleets.
Sweden and Yugoslavia also are believed to
have small submarines
The Yugoslavian minisub, which is mo-
deled after a Soviet design, is called the
M-100. It is designed to carry a crew of seven
and is powered by a diesel-electric engine.
The Yugoslavian small submarine was de-
scribed by one expert as of "European qual-
ity." Although the Yugoslav model looks differ-
ent from its Soviet counterpart, it shares
some common technology such as Soviet-
style diesel fuel cells and integrated control
systems, the expert said.
"They could literally sink an American
warship:' said Mr. Kupperman, a former State
Department official. "They carry torpedos,
are small, difficult to detect and useful in a
clandestine environment."
Submarine experts say Libya has already
developed a well-trained submarine force
with a fleet of between four and six Soviet-
built submarines.
One said U.S. naval squadrons in the Medi-
terranean would be more vulnerable to Lib-
yan submarine attacks than to damage from
the North African nation's air force.
U.S. officials are believed to be seriously
concerned about the use of small submarines
to tie up oil shipments passing through the
Persian Gulf, threaten ocean liners, or engage
in economic terrorism against an open sea-
port.
"Hit a couple of good-sized tankers and you
can tie up shipping and put a wrench on Eu-
rope," a submarine warfare expert said. "All
it would take is six or eight torpedos from
small subs to do the job."
Neil Livingstone, president of the Institute
on Terrorism and Subnational Conflict, said
Libya's interest in covert weapons is broader ,
than small submarines. He said Libyan agents
were arrested recently in the Midwest at-
tempting an illegal purchase of "sterile envi-
ronment" equipment suited to chemical and
biological warfare research.
But Mr. Livingstone said the minisubs can
be detected by listening devices placed along
the seabed.
"Libya has traditionally shied away from
doing things directly," Mr. Livingstone said.
"They've used surrogates [in the past]. So I'm
not terribly afraid of them having small subs,
because their traditional pattern of support
has been to nominate proxies and then let the
proxies carry out the attacks."
However, according to Mr. Livingstone,
there is evidence that Libyan leader Col.
Muammar Qaddafi ordered a Libyan subma-
rine to sink a chartered cruise of the Queen
Elizabeth II in the Mediterannean Sea during
the 25th anniversary of Israeli statehood in
1972. Egypt's then premier Anwar Sadat
found out and immediately recalled the ship,
Mr. Livingstone said.
"BIA it does appear that a submarine was
dispatched to sink what Qaddafi saw at the
time was a major vessel full of Jews of var-
ious nationalities going to Israel to celebrate
its 25th anniversary," he said.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/10/04: CIA-RDP90-00965R000302320052-8