Hit squad ‘in Mexico’

Press, 11 December 1981, Page 6

Hit squad ‘in Mexico’

NZPA-Reuter, Washington ’ A purported five-member “hit ■ team” allegedly dispatched by Libya to kill President .. Ronald Reagan and other American leaders was now in Mexico, ; C.B.S. News said yesterday. Quoting unidentified Congressional sources; the network also said that “U.S. Intelligence reports indicate that the members of the alleged hit;team have had previous coptacts.,; with the Weather Underground terrorist organisation here in the United States.” C.B.S. said it was told that the informant who reportedly alerted American Intelligence officials to’ the alleged plot was being interviewed by psychiatrists outside the United States and had passed several lie-detec-tor tests.

An Administration; source told the Associated press that at least one person who’ provided information about the purported hit .team had passed a; lie-detectortest,

C,B.S. said Capitol Hill sources , were increasingly concerned about, scepticism in the news media about reports of the hit “team.” It quoted one official as saying there probably would be “some development” in the next few days that will convince everyone the threat is ■real.

Leaks of information about the alleged “hit team” were criticised yesterday by VicePresident George Bush, ■while a spokesman for the Secretary of State (Mr Alexander Haig) said Mr Haig was. “outraged’” by reports of possible American action against Libya. “There- has been too much, far too much, said about Libya,” Mr- Bush told reporters. .“There has been

kind of a lack of discipline in terms of information coming out.”. In Brussels where Mr Haig is attending; : a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation meeting, a State Department spokes-' man said:. “We are talking about leaks coming out of the ’ Administration (about) possible action against Libya. . .he (Haig) was by them.” ’. Another State Department official said leaks “can-have the effect, of ’ limiting., the Administration's flexibility” to take action. Libya's leader, Colonel Muammar Gadaffi, said in a British television interview that he did not see the crisis between the United States and his country as personal conflict with Mr Reagan.

Interviewed last week as allegations began to surface in Washington that he had sent “hit squads” to kill Mr Reagan and other American officials Colonel Gadaffi said: “I don’t think that Reagan is against me.” Referring to Mr Reagan’s earlier film career, Colonel Gadaffi said: “I regard him as an actor, whereas I’m the leader of a revolution. If it is to be a personal affair, I would look for an actor to confront him.” ?>.■ Asked whether he regarded himself as a greater leader than Mr Reagan, Colonel Gadaffi said: “I don’t even consider him a leader. He's an actor ... and therefore I never talk about him personally?'