Libya coup hint

Press, 21 August 1976, Page 6

Libya coup hint

NZPA-Reuter Tel Aviv Ihe Washington correspondent for Radio Israel has quoted knowledgeable Western sources as saying that troop movements near the Libyan capital of Tripoli indicate the possibility of a coup against the country’s leader, Colonel Muammar Gadaffi. The broadcast also quoted the sources as saving that Colonel Gadaffi would be arrested if he returned to Libya from the non-aligned conference in Colombo. There was no

confirmation of the report in other international quarters, and Libyan radio broadcasts gave no hint of unusual developments in Tripoli. The Israeli broadcast did not further identify the Western sources.

Colonel Gadaffi has left Colombo, and stopped off at Peshawar en route home. He conferred in Peshawar with the Pakistani Prime Minister (Mr Zuifikar Ali Bhutto).

Tripoli Radio, monitored in Rome, was broadcasting normally after the Radio Israel report. It was giving excerpts from Colonel Gadaffi’s speech in Co-

iombo in which he denied charges that he financed international terrorism.

In Washington, officials said they were aware of unrest in Libya, but do not know of anything about to break out.

Tensions have been building between Libya and Egypt recently, and there have been reports of troop movements on both sides of the Egyptian-Lib-yan border.

Colonel Gadaffi came to power in a coup on September 1, 1969, while Libya’s King Idris was out of the country-.