ALGERIA BACKS TUNISIA AFTER LIBYAN THREAT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00965R000403590005-9
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 12, 2012
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: September 3, 1985
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

ST"T
. Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/12 : CIA-RDP90-00965R000403590005-9
ARTICLE APPEARED
ON P!S~. ~i~ Mmma"s
WASHINGTON TIMES
3 September 1985
Algeria backs
Tunisia after
Libyan threat
By Bill Kritzberq
THE MMSHINOTON TIME
Algerian President Chadli Ben Jedid
made a surprise visit to Tunis yesterday
and pledged support for Tunisia against
Libya, according to official Tunisian
sources.
The sudden visit came a day after
reports of a failed coup attempt against
Libyan leader Col. Muammar Qaddafi.
News reports in Egypt said the coup was
triggered by Col. Qaddafi's order to the
armed forces to invade Tunisia.
Reports said Libyan military com-
manders disobeyed the order and tried
unsuccessfully to overthrow Col. Qad-
dafi.
One Western observer said the report,
which was not carried by either the Tuni-
sian or Libyan state-controlled news
agencies, was "unlikely." But in Cairo,
Egyptian Prime Minister Kamal Hassan
All described the Libyan situation as
"unstable."
"The big pressures put by the Libyan
government on the Libyan people are
bound to cause an explosion,' Mr. All said.
Mr. All did not confirm or deny the
mutiny report, which the Al Ahram news-
paper said Sunday was crushed by Col.
Qaddafi's personal guard.
Western and Arab diplomatic sources
refused to comment on the reports this
weekend.
A total of 43 senior army and air force
officers were arrested and are awaiting
trial. Al Ahram said. Middle East experts
said the a Zl"i li-datelined sto appeared
to have leaked to Al Ahram by
branch of the Egyptian government, nos:
sibl the intelligence service.
M-. en Jet ant tree top cabinet
ministers flew to Tunisian President
Habib Bourguiba's palace in Monastir for
the talks and returned to Algeria less
than three hours later.
At the same time, Gen. Youssef
Barakat, Tunisia'a armed forces chief of
staff, flew to Algiers for talks with his
Algerian counterpart, Maj. Gen. Mustofa
Ben Louzif.
A government spokesman said Mr.
Ben Jedid told Mr. Bourguiba that "Alge-
ria will always be at Tunisia's side in any
circumstance:' and said he reaffirmed
military and economic support for Tuni-
sia under a 1983 treaty linking the two
countries and Mauritania.
Tunisia's relations with Libya have
deteriorated since Libya ordered the
expulsion of more than 27,000 Tunisian
workers Aug. S. On Saturday, Tunis pro-
tested to Tripoli for the second time in two
weeks that its airspace was violated by
Libyan planes.
Tunisia has said the expulsion of its
workers is an attempt by Col. Qaddafi to
destabilize Bourguiba's pro-Western gov-
ernment.
Tunisia responded to the expulsions by
expelling 253 Libyan students and 30 Lib-
yan diplomats for alleged espionage
activities.
More than 28,500 Tunisians have been
expelled by Libya since Aug. 6, according
to Tunisian officials. Tunisia mobilized its
armed forces twice last month after Col.
Qaddafi threatened to use force if Tunisia
did not halt "anti-Libyan propoganda"
being broadcast from Tunis.
This article is based in part on wire
reports.
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/01/12 : CIA-RDP90-00965R000403590005-9