CHALLENGES TO QADDAFI DISCOUNTED

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000504420004-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 27, 2012
• Sequence Number: 4
• Publication Date: November 13, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/02/28: CIA-RDP90-00965R000504420004-6
NEW YORK TIMES
ARTICLE APPLW
13 November 1985
ON PAGE _J3.3._
Challenges
To Qaddafi
Discounted
By JUDIT sn LE1R
Sv.a.arorrN..Yat71Or
PARIS, =. `220- The relative weak-
ness of Libyan opposition groups and
the rising anti-Americanism among
several Libya's neighbors are likely
to complicate any effort to undermine
the Government of Col. Muammar el-
Qaddafl, according to western and
Middle Eastern diplomats and specW-
ists bore.
Administration officials and Coo-
gressional sources said recently that
President Reagan hadweaa the
Libyan Government.
But the diplomats and experts said
they questioned whether such a plan
could succeed, despite their view that
the Libyan leader appeared to be atone
of his most vulnerable palm In We IS.
year rule.
"The fact that this plan has been
made public automatically decreases
the chances of success," said Pierre
Lellouche, deputy director of the Paris-
based French Institute of International
Relations.
"Each of the neighboring countries
has cause to be unhappy with Mr. Qad-
dafi,," Mr. Lelluucbe said, "but the
neighbors are under equal pressure
from religious and political groups,
some of which are manipulated by
G . I . A. plan to away with their neme-
"
sis,
He said.
Algeria Spurns U.S. Plan
Last week, Algeria denied that it
would countenance such an American.
sponsored "plot" against another Arab
nation. Despite Algeria's long-standing
dispute with Libya over oil-producing
territory in the south, Algeria exe
pressed its "solidarity" with the
Libyan rreegi~mmee.
The National Front for the Salvation
of 'Libya; widsy 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 rebel
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 pre.ss"t
any national action that might be car-
ried out against Qaddafi," the at" &
meat said. "Such reports pm only give
credence to Qaddafi s propaganda that
he is the victim of an international con- Nor was Tunisia likely to be helpful,
spiracy and a chance to recover some diplomats and opposition
prestige and influence in certain q~ agreed. Relations between Tunisand
tern. It can only provide him with more Tripoli were badly strained by Libya's
incentive to step up and expand his expulsion this spring of thousands of
mischief and terrorism." Tunisian workers because of budgetary
Sudan Coup Forces Evacuation constraints.
Abu Abdullah, a 1.aodon-based
spokesman for the National Front, said
that his and other Libyan opposition
groups active in the Sudap had been
forced to leave the after the
coup af re al-NNApril lmdryl. w
Ga weeks
later, the new Sudanese military Gov-
ernment signed a defense agreement
with Libya, Mr. Abdullah said.
The National Front, which has repro.
sentatives in Landon, Rome, Paris,
Baghdad and the United States, now
operates an anti-Libya radio station
from Cairo for four hours a day. But
Egypt, National From officials said,
keeps a close watch on the group and is
careful not to sanction the launching of
from the border
s9bvesl with Libya.
shares w
Egy has frequently been the target
of subversive and terrorist operations
from Libya, Egyptian officials have
said. In the early 1970's, the officials
said, President Anwar el-Sadat wanted
to invade Libya to unseat Colonel Qad-
dafi. But staunch opposition from the
United States, among other powers,
forced him to abandon the idea, Egyp-
tian officials mid.
Egypt has recently been the target of
Libyan sponsored terrorist attacks,
but President Hoeni Mubarak, wary of
any external adventure, has been un-
willing to authorize serious efforts to
l s neighbor, Egyptian offi-
coals and Libyan opposition representa-
tives agreed.
Egypt HosnWates Qaddafi
In the summer of 1964, Egypt humili-
ated Colonel Qaddafi by permitting a
Libyan assassination squad to believe
it had kf lied a Hasid Bakkush, Libyan former LL bA y~an
Prime Minister, in Cairo. After Libya
claimed credit for Mr. Bakkush's "ex-
ec utian," the Egyptian Government
showed Mr. Bakkuah at a news confer-
once, arrested several Libyan and Brit.
ish citizens 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-
kusb 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 the moved ini the exiles. as they
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 waling now than ever before
to cooperate with or take part in Amer.
icon-sponsored subversion gives the
current strain in Americano-Egyptian
relations prompted by the forcing down
Egyptian pan that American
was carrying jeft 01 the
four hijackers of the Italian cruise ship
Achille Lauro.
How U.S. Dlsphased Turfs
But American-Tunisian relations
were damaged by what Tunis per-
ceived as Washington's condoning of
Israel's Oct. 1 raid an the Tunisian-
based headquarters of the Palestine
I Liberation Orgatdsation. Mr. Abdul-
lab, of the National Front, said it was
unlikely that subversive ? operations
could be launched either from toneigh-
boring ny
civil strife and still partly occupied by
Libyan forces.
Libya's other neighbor, Morocco,
signed a union accord in 1964 with Trip-
oil. Although strains have emerged be-
tween them, the accord was useful to
both Colonel Qaddafi and King Hawn
II, diplomats said. Libya has
stopped
supporting the Polisarlo rebels in west-
ern Sahara, and Morocco has expelled
Libyan opposition Co .
Arab diplomats hersaid that even
before the accord was signed, Kinn
Hassan signaled his good will toward
Libya by handing Omar Mehashi over
to Colonel Qaddafi. Mr. Mebeabi was
one of the most reqmcted of the cola
nel's opponents and had been given
asylum -in Morocco. According to a
highly Arab otaciai; Mr.
Meheshipwas 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 be was heave
ily surrounded by East German is.
runty guards. Besides, the diplomats
said, an American executive order pro-
hibits direct or indirect American par-
ticipation in assassination attemp s.
Declassified and Approved For Release 2012/02/28: CIA-RDP90-00965R000504420004-6