US embassy cable - 86STATE135716

S E C R E T  STATE 135716 
 
E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR 
TAGS:       PREL, PTER, LY 
SUBJECT:    FACT SHEET: LIBYAN RELATED TERRORIST INCIDENTS 
(S/S 8613659) 
 
1.  SECRET ENTIRE TEXT 
 
2.  TO:  THE SECRETARY 
 
FROM: NEA - RICHARD W. MURPHY 
 
SUBJECT -  RECENT LIBYA RELATED TERRORIST  INCIDENTS 
 
FOR YOUR USE AT THE TOKYO SUMMIT, THIS CABLE PROVIDES TWO 
LISTS OF LIBYA RELATED TERRORIST  INCIDENTS.  THE FIRST, 
AND MORE COMPREHENSIVE LIST IS A CHRONOLOGY OF ALL 
TERRORIST  INCIDENTS WHERE WE HAVE A REASON TO BELIEVE 
THERE IS A LIBYAN CONNECTION, OR WHICH APPEAR TO HAVE 
BEEN CARRIED OUT IN RETALIATION FOR OUR STRIKE ON 
TRIPOLI.  THE SECOND, SHORTER LIST EXTRACTS ONLY THOSE 
INCIDENTS FOR WHICH WE HAVE CONVINCING EVIDENCE OF LIBYAN 
INVOLVEMENT OR WHERE CREDIBLE THIRD PARTIES HAVE TAKEN 
ACTION AGAINST LIBYA.. 
 
I.  LIBYA-RELATED TERRORIST INCIDENTS -- APRIL 25:  A 
STAFF MEMBER AT THE US EMBASSY IN SANAA WAS SHOT NEAR HIS 
RESIDENCE BY UNKNOWN ASSAILANTS.  ALTHOUGH NO CONCLUSIVE 
EVIDENCE HAS SO FAR BEEN OBTAINED, LIBYA REMAINS THE 
PRIME SUSPECT IN THE ATTACK. 
 
--  APRIL 24:  A BOMB RIPPED THROUGH THE LONDON OFFICES 
OF BRITISH AIRWAYS, CAUSING DAMAGE BUT NO INJURIES.  NO 
CREDIBLE CLAIMS FOR THE ATTACK WERE RECEIVED; HOWEVER, 
THERE WAS PRESS SPECULATIONS ABOUT LIBYAN INVOLVEMENT 
BECAUSE OF EARLIER LIBYAN WARNINGS THAT "THE CIA" WAS 
PLANNING BOMBING ATTACKS IN EUROPE. 
 
--  APRIL 19:  A BOMB EXPLODED AT A MORMON CHURCH IN 
CARACAS APRIL 19, SERIOUSLY INJURING THE SUSPECTED 
PERPETRATOR.  THE BOMBING IS BELIEVED TO BE RELATED TO 
THE US ATTACK ON LIBYA. 
 
--  APRIL 18:  FOUR LIBYANS WERE ARRESTED ATTEMPTING TO 
ATTACK THE US AIR FORCE OFFICERS' CLUB IN ANKARA.  TWO OF 
THE SUSPECTS WERE APPROACHING THE CLUB WITH A BAG FILLED 
WITH GRENADES AND EXPLOSIVES AT THE TIME OF THEIR 
ARREST.  IN ISTANBUL, A BOMB PLANTED OUTSIDE A 
TURKISH-AMERICAN BANK WAS DISARMED BY TURKISH SECURITY 
FORCES. 
 
--  APRIL 18:  A VIOLENT DEMONSTRATION OUTSIDE THE US 
EMBASSY IN ACCRA, GHANA, RESULTED IN THE DEATH OF ONE 
POLICEMAN. 
 
--  APRIL 17:  THE BODIES OF THREE HOSTAGES, TWO BRITONS 
AND AN AMERICAN, WERE FOUND IN THE MOUNTAINS EAST OF 
BEIRUT.  ON APRIL 18, FOREIGN SECRETARY HOWE PUBLICLY 
LINKED LIBYA TO THE MURDER OF THE TWO BRITISH HOSTAGES. 
 
--  APRIL 17:  FOUR ROCKET-PROPELLED GRENADES WERE FIRED 
AT THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR'S RESIDENCE IN WEST BEIRUT. 
THE OMAR AL-MUKHTAR, A LIBYAN-NAMED GROUP, CLAIMED CREDIT 
FOR THE ATTACK. 
 
--  APRIL 16:  THE ITALIAN-BRITISH ASSOCIATION IN BOLOGNA 
WAS FIRE-BOMBED.  A CALLER FOR THE "ARMED COMMUNIST 
FRONT," AN UNKWOWN GROUP, SAID THE ATTACK WAS IN RESPONSE 
TO BRITAINS'S ASSISTANCE IN THE ATTACK ON LIBYA. 
 
--  APRIL 16:  AN UNIDENTIFIED MAN THREW BOMBS AT BOTH 
THE MARINE HOUSE AND AT THE PERSONAL VEHICLE OF A USDAO 
EMPLOYEE IN TUNIS. 
 
--  APRIL 15:  A COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER AT EMBASSY 
KHARTOUM WAS SHOT AND CRITICALLY WOUNDED IN THE HEAD 
WHILE DRIVING HOME. 
 
--  APRIL 9:  TWO LIBYAN DIPLOMATS WERE EXPELLED FROM THE 
FRG FOR INVOLVEMENT IN A PLAN TO ATTACK US FACILITIES IN 
MUNICH. 
 
--  APRIL 5:  A WEST BERLIN DISCO FREQUENTED BY US 
SERVICEMEN WAS BOMBED.  THE OPERATION WAS PLANNED AND 
DIRECTED BY LIBYAN DIPLOMATS IN EAST BERLIN. 
 
--  EARLY APRIL:  TWO LIBYAN DIPLOMATS EXPELLED BY THE 
FRENCH FOR INVOLVEMENT IN A PLAN TO ATTACK US EMBASSY 
PARIS.  FRANCE ALSO EXPELLED TWO OTHER ARAB NATIONALS 
WORKING FOR LIBYAN FOR INVOLVEMENT IN A SEPARATE ANTI-US 
PLOT. 
 
--  MARCH 28:  THE LIBYAN-NAMED OMAR AL MUKHTAR GROUP 
CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR ROCKET ATTACK AGAINST US 
EMBASSY COMPOUND IN WEST BEIRUT. 
 
--  FEBRUARY 17:  THE OWNER OF AN ANTI-LIBYAN RADIO 
STATION WAS SHOT BY SUSPECTED LIBYAN AGENTS IN ROME. 
 
-- DECEMBER 27, 1985:  ABU NIDAL ATTACKS AIRPORTS IN 
VIENNA AND ROME; PASSPORTS AND OTHER EVIDENCE LINK THE 
ATTACKS TO LIBYA. 
 
--  NOVEMBER 18, 1985:  EGYPTIAN BUSINESSMAN, REPORTEDLY 
AN ANTI-QADHAFI EXILE, ASSASSINATED IN ATHENS. 
 
--  NOVEMBER 23, 1985: LIBYAN COMPLICITY STRONGLY 
SUSPECTED IN HIJACKING OF EGYPTIAN AIRLINER ENROUTE FROM 
ATHENS TO CAIRO. 
 
--  OCTOBER 6, 1985:  IN GREECE, LIBYAN OPPOSITIONIST 
TOUSSEF AKEILA WAS SHOT AND BADLY WOUNDED.  HIS ASSAILANT 
REMAINS AT LARGE. 
 
--  AUGUST 6, 1985:  EGYPT--TWO EGYPTIANS ARRESTED IN 
PLOT TO ASSASSINATE GHAYTH SA'ID AL-MARBURK.  LIBYAN 
INTELLIGENCE SAID TO BE RESPONSIBLE. 
 
--  APRIL 23, 1985:   LIBYAN GUNMAN KILL A MOROCCAN IN 
THE FRG. THE KILLER, ARRESTED AT SCENE, MAY HAVE BEEN 
INVOLVED IN THE APRIL 6 MURDER. 
 
-- APRIL 6, 1985:   A LIBYAN GUNMAN ARRESTED AFTER 
KILLING AN ANTI-QADHAFI LIBYAN STUDENT AND WOUNDING TWO 
GERMAN PASSERBY IN BONN. 
 
APRIL 2, 1985  A LIBYAN BUSINESSMAN ASSASSINATED IN 
NICOSIA BY AN UNIDENTIFIED GUNMAN. 
 
II.  TERRORIST INCIDENTS WITH CONFIRMED LIBYAN INVOLVEMENT 
 
--  APRIL 18:  FOUR LIBYANS WERE ARRESTED ATTEMPTING TO 
ATTACK THE US AIR FORCE OFFICERS' CLUB IN ANKARA.  TWO OF 
THE SUSPECTS WERE APPROACHING THE CLUB WITH A BAG FILLED 
WITH GRENADES AND EXPLOSIVES AT THE TIME OF THEIR 
ARREST.  IN ISTANBUL, A BOMB PLANTED OUTSIDE A 
TURKISH-AMERICAN BANK WAS DISARMED BY TURKISH SECURITY 
FORCES. 
 
--  APRIL 17:  THE BODIES OF THREE HOSTAGES, TWO BRITONS 
AND AN AMERICAN, WERE FOUND IN THE MOUNTAINS EAST OF 
BEIRUT.  ON APRIL 18, FOREIGN SECRETARY HOWE PUBLICLY 
LINKED LIBYA TO THE MURDER OF THE TWO BRITISH HOSTAGES. 
 
--  APRIL 15:  A COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER AT EMBASSY 
KHARTOUM WAS SHOT AND CRITICALLY WOUNDED IN THE HEAD 
WHILE DRIVING HOME. 
 
--  APRIL 5:  A WEST BERLIN DISCO FREQUENTED BY US 
SERVICEMEN WAS BOMBED.  THE OPERATION WAS PLANNED AND 
DIRECTED BY LIBYAN DIPLOMATS IN EAST BERLIN. 
 
--  EARLY APRIL:  TWO LIBYAN DIPLOMATS EXPELLED BY THE 
FRENCH FOR INVOLVEMENT IN A PLAN TO ATTACK US EMBASSY 
PARIS.  FRANCE ALSO EXPELLED TWO OTHER ARAB NATIONALS 
WORKING FOR LIBYAN FOR INVOLVEMENT IN A SEPARATE ANTI-US 
PLOT. 
 
-- DECEMBER 27, 1985:  ABU NIDAL ATTACKS AIRPORTS IN 
VIENNA AND ROME; PASSPORTS AND OTHER EVIDENCE LINK THE 
ATTACKS TO LIBYA. 
 
DRAFTED BY: NEA/RA:SAOKI:INR/TNA:SUZANNE MCCORMICK 
APPROVED BY:NEA:ARAPHEL 
CLEARANCES: 
NEA/RA:WCHAMBERLIN     S/CT:DLONG     NEA/AFN:RDANKERT 
INR/TNA:MSTEINITZ      DS/TAD:SSTARUFFER WHITEHEAD 
 
 
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