PRESIDENT REAGAN DISMISSED SUGGESTIONS TODAY THAT HIS ADMINISTRATION HAD OVERREACTED TO REPORTS OF THREATS FROM LIBYAN ASSASSINATION TEAMS, SAYING THAT THE THREAT WAS REAL AND THAT IT WAS BASED ON INFORMATION FROM SEVERAL SOURCES.

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00561R000100050002-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 27, 2012
• Sequence Number: 2
• Publication Date: December 18, 1981
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/28: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100050002-4
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THE. ,I :J Y0 Tr-E3
18 December 1981
eager Denies C)verreac
To deport of Libyan A
By PHILIPTAUBMAN
WASHrNGTON, Dec 17 - President
Reagan dismissed suggestions today
that his Administration had overreacted
to reports of threats from Libyan assas-
sination teams, saying that "the threat
was real" and that it was based on Infor-
mation from several sources.
Mr. Reagan, speaking at a news] con-
Terence, said it would be "very foolish"
to relax recently increased security
measures. "I can only tell all of you that
our information on this entire matter.
has come from not one, but several,
widespread -sources," the President
said. "We have complete confidence is
Mr. Reagan denied that he or his aides
hn id en the initial source for articles
on assassination teams. He said, "The
news, claiming leaks from unidentified
sources, made it public at a time- wben-
we had held this entire matter confiden-
tial for along timebee xase we believed
trat?we had a betteropportunity of ap-
prehending any terrorists or terrorfst
squads it it was not made public. And so
Americans Askedto ComeHonw.
Last week, partly b2. response to the
reported threat of assassination-teams,
the White Home banned -travel by
Americans to Libya and advised all,
Mr. Reagan's remarks today came
amid rising skepticism in the press and
some Government. quarters about the
severity of Libyan assassinadon threats
and Administratioaeammes taboutiL.
Former President.Jim ny Carter said
avoided public comment. SeniorAdsnin
istration officials acknowledged that
doubts had arisenabout the existence of.
"hit teams," but said thequesteons were
Inevitable, given the alarming yet elu.
sive nature of the threat.
They Says Leaks Were Haphazard
These-officials added that, to the best
of their},cnowledge, the first information
was disclosed to the press without White
House authorization. They said that In.
formation-had slipped out haphazardly;
.probably ern investigative agencies.
where officials were familiar with some
Since the first articles about assassi-
nation teams appeared earlier this
month, there has been a major Increase
In security for the President and top
Government officials. Many senior Ad-
ministration officials, including; the
President, ? have commented.. on the
threat in public gatherings.-'.emphasis.
ing its seriousness.
Last: week. Federal agenciea:circw
lated -descriptions and sketches. de.
scribed as composite drawings of five
terrorists; warning senior Government
officiais.to. study the sketches, accord.,,
fag to several officials familiar with the'
drawings; At the same time, the State
Department cabled a detailed account
: of the threat to embassies. .
Yet little information about the threat
itself and sources of information about it
has been made public. Federal officials.
who say they are familiar with details
frequently contradict one another when
questioned. The result, officials - ac.
knowledge, has been wide confusion.
Wednesday, for example, Senator
Howard H. Baker Jr., the. Senate Ma.
jority Leader, said that the threat from
assassination teams had, diminished.
Within hours, David Gergea, the.White
House director of communications,
denied SenatorBaker's statement' `
Mr. Reagan also took Issue with It
today. The President said he understood
that Senator Baker "did not have any in-
telligence information that would give
rise tosuch a statement."
eral Bureau of Investigation, one of the
agencies responsible for finding and ap-
prehending terrorists, said earlier this
vpekthat the entire matter bad been ex
.aggerated. These officials, who asked
not..to-beidentified, saidthatnoneof the
intelligence, information about any
teams had been confirmed. "It's been
blown way out of proportion, 'saidone.
Interviews with officials at the F.B.I.;
the Secret Service, White House and
United States-intelligence agencies sug-
gests that a seriousthr-abexists-at core
of the assassination-team report, but
that it has spawned a series of un.
planned reactions and exaggerations,
both by -the Administration and the
press,
After JetPightOItLibya ' `'~
The lust indication that Libya migbil
dispatch assassination teams to try to
kill President Reagan and other Am
can officials came early in September,
shortly after American pilots shot down
two Libyan jets off Libya, according to
senior Administration officials. Intelli-
gence reports received from the Middle
East said that Colonel Qaddaft had
= issued orders to train and equip assassi?
nationteams?
initially, according to Administration
officials, these reports were discountedc
because the plans seemed so audacious i
and reckless. But when the American
Ambassador to Italy, Maxwell M. Rabb,
was reported to be a target of a Libyan
assassination team in October; and an
American diplomat in Parts barely es-
caped an attack in November that offt-1
dais thought involved Libya, concern
heightened.
Informerin'AMeaReported -
Then In.the middle of November, law
enforcement officials said, an informer
came forward in Africa and told Amen-
can intelligence-agencies that he-bad;
taken:-part in, training - assassination.
teams in Libya, and.had;lrst hand in-
formation that they were on their way to
the United States.. - :,M~:?
Since then, according to. senior Ad-
ministration officials. --the informer has
been the-central source of Information,
providing descriptions that were used to
develop the composite drawings-
There have been other sources, as Mr:
Reagan said today, but none has offered
the kind of detailed Information pro.]
vided by the informer, officials said. in
fact, many sources have provided mks-
-leading information., according to offi-
cials of the Federal Bureauof Investiga-
tion. "We've been deluged with tips,"
said a senior official at the bureau
earlier this week. "Most have been dead
ends."
The Informer was flown to the United
States later in November, according to
Administration officials,-and was given,
lie detector tests' by the F.B.I., Secret
Service and Central Intelligence Agen-
cy. They e the .
moose result persuaded officials that
the asss iaationthreatwasreal.. _:,, :?
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/02/28: CIA-RDP91-00561 R000100050002-4