REAGAN DECLARES WAR ON INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000403720061-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 8, 2012
• Sequence Number: 61
• Publication Date: July 1, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

STAT
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/08: CIA-RDP90-00965R000403720061-2
or NEW YORK POST
ARTICLE APPEARED 1 July 1985
fN PAGLg
REAGAN DECLARES WAR ON
INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM
By NILES LATHEM
Bureau Chief
WASHINGTON -
President Reagan last
night warned terrorists
to "be on notice: we will
fight back against
you.,.
Reagan spoke on na-
tionwide television as a
U.S. transport jet
carried the 39 Ameri-
can hostages held in
Beirut for 17 days to
freedom.
"The United States
gives terrorists no re-
wards and no guaran-
tees. We make no con-
cessions. We make no
deals," Reagan said.
"We will fight back
against your cowardly
attacks on American
citizens and property."
Reagan and his ad-
visers were preparing
to call on U.S. allies to
join him in a "declara-
tion of war on interna-
tional terrorism,"
through a series of
tough military and dip-
lomatic moves against
terrorist organizations
and the nations that
support them.
The moves include
closing the Beirut air-
port - which Secre-
tary of State George
Shultz described last
night as a haven for
skyjackers and is used
in more than 15 percent
of overseas hijackings.
campaign to isolate na-
ons suc
aw c harbor
and encourage terror-
an
tions: improve U.S. In-
telligence capabilities:
and improve ways to
launch pre-emptive
strikes a a terror-
ists.
Xi !though Shultz and
other senior U.S. offi-
cials refused to rule out
military retaliation
against those responsi.
ble for the TWA hijack-
ing, a major strike ap-
peared to be unlikely -
especially while seven
kidnaped Americans
remain in the custody
of Shiite fanatics in
Lebanon's Bekaa Val-
ley.
But Reagan and
Shultz made clear that
the U.S. would make
every effort to bring to
justice the two Shiite
fanatics who hijacked
TWA Flight 847 and
who murdered Navy
diver Robert Stethem.
Sources said that the
U.S. would seek to
bring the two hijackers
to justice through in-
ternational legal
means.
But if those efforts
fail, the U.S would be
prepared to use "cov-
ert," means of captur-
ing the two terrorists
and those who helped
them.
This would involve a
ki operation e -
ther etli CIA isr~or
Lebanese ristian
commandos.
'fie BI ii also pre,
pared to issue a large
reward for information
leading to the capture
of the two hijackers,
law enforcement
sources said.
Reagan and his tired
advisers were clearly
relieved that the 17-day
crisis was behind them.
The President, who
had been closely moni-
toring the weekend's
tense events from the
White House, tele-
phoned the hostages at
5:31 p.m. aboard the
C-141 transport jet -
shortly after it took off
from Damascus en
route to West Germa-
ny.
Reagan told Air
Force Major Bill Ed-
wards, in charge of the
transport jet:
"I would appreciate
your passing on to your
passengers how proud I
am of their strength
and courage and that I
look forward to their
being reunited with
their families
Reagan planned to
meet the hostages
when they finally re-
turn to the U.S. later
this week.
In his speech last
night, Reagan said he
and his wife Nancy had
been "praying for what
now has taken place."
"And like you, we
thank God and wait
with bated breath their,
final arrival at our
shores."
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/08: CIA-RDP90-00965R000403720061-2