LIBYAN IDENTIFIES TAFOYA AS HIS ASSAILANT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00552R000605700098-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 27, 2010
• Sequence Number: 98
• Publication Date: November 18, 1981
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/27: CIA-RDP90-00552R000605700098-8
li .TICLu APPEARED
ON PAGE 2D
THE WASHINGTON POST
18 November 1931
mnv
s,A S- an
By Douglas L. Vaughan
FORT COLLINS, Colo., Nov. 17 - A leader of
Libyan dissidents in the United States today iden- '
tified former Green Beret Eugene Tafoya as the
man who shot him twice in the head last year in
what prosecutors claim was an attempted aasas-
sination directed by the regime of Col. Muammar
Qaddafi.
The defense says the' shooting occurred. when
:Tafoya went to the apartment of Faisal Zagallai to
deliver a warning from the Central Intelligence
Agency.
Zagallai, 35, testified Monday and today at'the
'trial of Tafoya, a former member- of the U.S.
Army Special Forces,' who is charged with at-
tempted murder and conspiracy to murder. .. I
? Zngallai said he and his wife, Farida, both from
wealthy and politically prominent Libyan families;
have lived in Fort Collins for 10 years while study-
ing at Colorado State University, initially. *on,
scholarships provided by the Qaddafi regime
. Zagallai said he supported. Qaddafi when he
first took power in 1069.. But he later moved into .
opposition to the regime, he said, and in 1973
helped organize a student conference in Libya..
"After that;. tnif-gs got liot; he' testified. Ile said
six students were hanged by the regime after the
conference because of their opposition to Qaddafi.
Zagallai said he participated in taking over the'
Libyan Embassy in the United States in 1976 and
helped ? organize- demonstrations against Qaddafi
in 1977. In 1975, he said, he lost his scholarship.
In February, 1930, Qaddafi ordered all Libyan,
students to return or face execution, and an FBI
agent testified last week that the bureau`warned
Zagallai his life' might be in danger. Zagallai said
he bought a pistol to protect himself.:.:` i ? ?,
On Oct. 13, 1980, Zagallai testified ;"he received
a"call',from a woman offering to'set up:a job in-
terview with a recruiter for. U.S. companies doing 1
business in the Near East. Zagallai said he tucked
the pistol under the cushion of a couch before the
recruiter. arrived at his apartment the following
evening.
After.. 10 to 15 minutes of awkward, conversn-..
tion; Zagallai said, the man "mumbled something,".
attempted to bit him,' then pulled a'gun and fired, 'I
:.hitting Zagallai in the face. The man shot Zagallai
again i>1 the head and fte4 the apartment; the Gib
'lai admitted. he "probably" cocked' hi:i d vtt? gin,,,
putting a bullet in the _chantber. But he insisted
he never fired his weapon, despite earlier testimo-
ny by three witnesses. who thought ' they heard'
three rather` than two shots.. ; ,:'. ,:?; ;
Tatoya does _not deny that he was p- 'ent;at
Zngallai's apartment.hue'.the defense conteiuds-
Tafoya, did not go. there with the ?intent; to kill
Zagallai and shot self-defens only,after''
.Zagallai pulled his own weapon from beneath the.1
cushion and tried to' grab Tafoya`s gui~r. , l's'
:In, his opening statement td the jur}F; I'afoya's;
attorney, ' Walter . Gerash, -, saidt', a1oy went tp`:
Zagallai's apartment to wartl him fry stop ibaliuig'}
statements "eiidan`gerinK `detente between 'Egypt:,
and.' Isrnel.".Gcrash said :Cafoya,had received in
struction s .froma man-he believed : to, be*.a ?CIA:'
agent in London tai deliver?Owarning to Zagallai,
Tlie ,Cl&has'denied.Tafoyn has wnrkcd for.
.:, s Also,. testifying'. ,yesterday fa n.
lleret.'TUtley, Francis Strong :whii'said' hd:was. a:
?very:"good; friend"''dif fiafoya.'iStrong'de'scdliedi
Tafoya as a confidenf 'arid' jiatririti~ sol~(iec and,
testified th'at''1'etoya`. had'.received a .letter., ffom:
the;Cl , inviting hnno apply fob a job just tie ~~
fore hi retldn'nent from the Armnyi ins 1 7~ r;? ern ii~+
yan tesufied..:..:
r In )often acrimoniote crone-eXamination; Zagal- ti
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/27: CIA-RDP90-00552R000605700098-8