U.S. EMBASSIES/)JENNINGS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP88-01070R000301440002-6
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 8, 2010
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: November 2, 1984
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Approved For Release 2010/01/08: CIA-RDP88-01070R000301440002-6
ABC WORLD NEWS TONIGHT
2 November 1984
-U.S. EMBASSIES/>JENNINGS:' Good evening. It has been more than a week
>TERRORISM>now since American intelligence went on a high state of
alert. The signs were there. The signals were there that
somewhere in the world, someone would try to attack an
American installation, perhaps before the election. There
was particular concern about a new terrorist act in the
Middle East. And now we learn that during this week, the
American military has been preparing to strike back if it
happens. ABC's John McWethy is in Washington.
MCWETHY: For more than a week, the U.S. has been secretly
holding some military units on 24-hour alert ready to
retaliate if terrorists strike any American facility in
Lebanon. U.S. government sources say the aircraft carrier
Eisenhower, with its 80 combat planes, is being held in
the eastern Mediterranean, even though it was supposed to
be on maneuvers off Spain. Selected Air Force combat
units have been ordered to stand by for quick action,
along with tankers to refuel them. At least one Army
commando unit has reportedly been in and out of Lebanon in
the last month, surveying potential targets. U.S.
intelligence sources continue to warn that a terrorist
attack could come at any time. Last week there was an
attempt at Beirut airport to steal a helicopter. Since
then, the U.S. has asked Lebanon to seal off airspace over
the American Embassy in east Beirut. Another indicator,
U.S. intelligence sources sayin recent days, -.wives and
children of several terrorist leaders have been evacuated
from their villages in ebanon, ind at ing to some F a
terrorist strike is near and U.S. - retaliation is
anticipated. That the U.S. will retaliate, even if
innocent civilians and some U.S. servicemen get killed in
the process, was a message that Secretary of State Shultz
delivered last week in a very tough speech that caught the
president and many of his advisers by surprise. ABC News
has learned that Defense Secretary Weinberger, the Joint
Chiefs and some on the National Security Council were
furious with Shultz for making the speech, with some
officials suggesting he-should be fired. They did not
want Shultz to advertise that the U.S. was ready and
willing to act, for fear that terrorists might better
prepared defenses, meaning more Americans might die trying
to get to them and that terrorist leaders might become
even more elusive, making effective U.S. retaliation that
much tougher. John McWethy, ABC News, the State
Department.
Approved For Release 2010/01/08: CIA-RDP88-01070R000301440002-6