MULTINATIONAL FORCE EYED TO FIGHT TERRORISTS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000100420012-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 21, 2011
• Sequence Number: 12
• Publication Date: October 9, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

S i Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/12/21: CIA-RDP90-00965R000100420012-5
ARTICLE
BOSTON GLOBE
9 October 1985
Multinational force.
eyed ' to fight terrorists
By William Beecher
Glo taff
WASHINGTON - A task force .
created three months ago to rec-
ommend a more effective policy
for epmbatiog international ter-
rorism is actively exploring the
idea Of forming a full-time multi-
natiaial fora that could move
quickly to rescue hostages or pre-
empt planned acts of terrorism.
well-placed sources said yester-
day.
"We may come tip with four or
five countries that might be will-
Ing to earmark specially trained
and equipped personnel for fast
reaction in a crisis," said one
source who is familiar with the
work of the task force.
"It would be much easier politi-
cally to have an international re-
sponse than just a US response.
International terrorism would be.
declared an International crime,
with an international response
force set up to deal with it "
The task force was announced
by President Reagan during the
TWA hostage crisis in late June.
with .Vice President George Bush
put In charge. It is scheduled to s-
port its conclusions'snd recom-
mendations to the president on
Dec. 20, sources said.
Members of the task force will
soon travel to Western Europe, the
Middle East and Latin America.
They will discuss with govern-
ment security experts the prob-
lems each nation confronts, Its
methods of countering threats
and whether any of them would
be Interested either in joining a
standing multinational counter-
terrorism unit or establishing bi-
lateral arrangements for joint op-
erations with the United States in
those situations where the two
countries share a common pur-
pose.
"it would be useful to have an
international organization that
could constantly exchange infor-
mation and have the ability to
quickly preempt a terrorist oper-
ation by rushing in to make ar-
rests or whatever else was appro-
priate." one official said. "We've
already discussed it with some for-
etgh leaders. There is interest. But
there are also problems."
For one thing, the official said.
a nation which joined such a force
would not have the right to veto
an operation, but presumably
could withhold its own unit from a
mission it objected to.
Another problem could arise,
he said, if a nation on whose soil
the unit proposed to operate asked
that certain nations not take part.
Political sensitivities
For example. another source
said, when the TWA plane was in
Algiers the first time. Algeria con-
ceivably might have permitted a
counterterror team to try to sur-
prise the three original hijackers
before they were reinforced at Bei-
rut, but might have made. it a con-
dition that certain nationalities
not participate, because of politi-
cal sensitivities. For example, if Is-
rael was part of the counterterror Y
organization. Algeria presumably
would not want its operatives on ?'?'
its soil.
Sources said the task force is
circulatin some 50 Issues
t rougg out the Executive Branch,
asking for recommendations on
how to handle em.
one such issue is whether to
create a new poet of special advis-
to the resident on counterter-
er
rorism. Hia function would to-
the ormance all the
monitor
agencies involved in the process."
including the State Department,
the Pentagon, the Central Intelli-
gence A enc and the Federal Bu-
reau of investigation. a problem
arose among em, a could ? to -
the president wi a recommen a-
tion on how to resolve it.
Israe as a special adviser to
the prime minister for just that
purpose," one source noted.
Said a senior official, "The two ;
make-or-break issues are to what,',
extent we can get international co-
operation and follow through and
whether a consensus can be ar- `
rived at in the US on the sticky,
questions of preemption and reta-,
liation."
Preemption refers to move to
break u a planned as aseination,
of ins nee, ora can take
p , if so i in nce was do
veloped in advance. But if a multi-
per-
nati eam moved in to
form such a m on, some eo
mi t be kill or wounded w
got in way or
'The-re is the Further problem of
dect ing whether a in
~
waste enoughitoojus y action.
enoug o s n up as evidence in
an American court w. The
US tends to legalistic and to
confuse evidence with in a geD-
ce, oneofficial said. We wou
require legislation, as well as con-'
vincin the American u c to ac-
ce t the a area between Intelli-
gence and evi ence.
The sources said that in talk-
ing with foreign officials, Ameri-
can authorities have been urging
that terrorists be clearly labeled
and treated as International
criminals, not as political activists
who may not be extradictable.
"They should be treated as inter-
national criminals pursued by in-
ternational police." one official
said. "Their acts are not political
acts. These are criminals operat-
ing outside political constraints
and should be treated as such."
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/12/21: CIA-RDP90-00965R000100420012-5