October 2, 1986
U.S. Plan Against Qaddafi Is Said to Intensify
By STEPHEN ENGELBERG, Special to the New York Times
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 -- The United States has intensified an extensive covert campaign to exploit what it believes are psychological weaknesses of the Libyan leader, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, according to Government officials familiar with the plans.
The officials said the plan involves the planting of false information in the foreign press and in the Libyan exile community. The intent is said to be to encourage opponents in the Libyan military or political structure to overthrow Colonel Qaddafi.
Among the themes stressed is the concept that Colonel Qaddafi is frightened and losing his grip on power in Libya.
Portraits of Qaddafi
American intelligence has drawn up several psychological portraits of Colonel Qaddafi that suggest that he is paranoid, often out of touch with reality and tormented by the fear that he may soon be toppled, according to Administration officials. The C.I.A. program is intended to play upon such psychological weaknesses.
Thus far, by all accounts, Colonel Qaddafi has remained in control of his regime.
The officials said the program was a continuation and expansion of an effort begun late last year by the Central Intelligence Agency. That program was disclosed in several press reports, but officials said at the time that they nonetheless intended to continue with it.
''It's a No. 1 priority,'' said one knowledgeable governmental official. ''The activity is proceeding at a very high level.''
The officials said they knew of no plans to plant false information in the American press.
The C.I.A. is barred by law from propaganda activities in the United States. During Congressional hearings on the agency in the mid-1970's, it was revealed that some of the agency's programs to plant false information in the foreign press had resulted in items being published by American news organizations.
This phenomenon, known as blowback, was sharply criticized by the committees at the time, and the C.I.A. has since been required to take precautions so that such false information does not affect political debate in this country.
The Administration has accused Libya of sponsoring several recent acts of terrorism.
Bombing of Tripoli
Earlier this year, in response to the bombing of a West Berlin discotheque frequented by American servicemen on April 5 that killed 3 people and wounded 230, the United States launched a bombing raid on Tripoli, the Libyan capital. The Administration said that coded cables from the Libyan People's Bureau, or embassy, in East Berlin to Tripoli had been intercepted and that they confirmed Libya's role in the disco incident.
Administration officials also said they have growing indications that Libya may have been involved in the hijacking Sept. 5 of a Pan American World Airways jetliner at the airport in Karachi, Pakistan.
Officials said the evidence suggests a connection to the terrorist faction led by Sabry al-Banna, a Palestinian figure better known as Abu Nidal. Abu Nidal moves throughout Europe and the Middle East but he lives from time to time in Libya and receives financial and logistical support from that country.
Reports of 'Suspicious Libyans'
Administration officials said suspicious Libyans were spotted in Pakistan in the months before the hijacking at approximately the time at which planning for the incident would have been going on.
C.I.A. agents are now attempting to reconstruct the movements of the Libyans and of the four gunmen arrested in the case, and to establish links between them. According to the Administration officials, however, they have not succeeded in establishing the connection. Indeed, they said, there are other groups not linked to Abu Nidal or Libya that are still under suspicion. They declined to provide any details on these organizations.