WHITE PAPERS ON LIBYA POUCHED TO POST

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 109428 E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR TAGS: PTER PROP OPRC LY EI SUBJECT: WHITE PAPERS ON LIBYA POUCHED TO POST REF: DUBLIN 1811 ¶1. CONFIDENTIAL, ENTIRE TEXT. ¶2. DEPARTMENT POUCHED TO POST APRIL 7 COPIES OF TWO UNCLASSIFIED DEPARTMENT WHITE PAPERS WHICH OFFER FURTHER INFORMATION ON LIBYAN COMPLICITY IN 1985 ROME AND VIENNA AIRPORT ATTACKS AND 1986 LABELLE BOMBING. ¶3. ADDITIONAL EVIDENCE IMPLICATING LIBYA IN THE LABELLE BOMBING HAS EMERGED IN THE CONTEXT OF INVESTIGATIONS INTO STASI FILES IN FORMER EAST GERMANY. THE INVESTIGATION INTO THE BOMBING IS AN ONGOING LEGAL CASE. NO SUSPECTS ARE CURRENTLY IN CUSTODY. ONE INDIVIDUAL, THE ONLY SURVIVOR OF THE ROME AIRPORT ATTACK, IS CURRENTLY SERVING A LIFE SENTENCE IN ITALY. THE TWO SURVIVORS OF THE VIENNA AIRPORT ATTACK ARE SERVING LIFE SENTENCES IN AUSTRIA. INFO ADDRESSEES MAY WISH TO ADD VIEWS OF LOCAL INTERIOR OR JUSTICE MINISTRY OFFICIALS. ¶4. WE AGREE WITH EMBASSY THAT IRISH TIMES STATEMENTS ARE DAMAGING AND SHOULD NOT BE LEFT UNCHALLENGED. WE SUGGEST POST ADVISE PAPER IN WHATEVER MANNER POST DEEMS MOST APPROPRIATE THAT LIBYA WAS INDEED DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE 1986 LABELLE DISCO BOMBING IN BERLIN. FURTHER EVIDENCE THAT HAS BECOME AVAILABLE IN THE FILES OF THE FORMER GDR'S SECURITY SERVICES FULLY CORROBORATES THE ORIGINAL ACCUSATION. THE ABU NIDAL ORGANIZATION CARRIED OUT THE 1985 ROME AND VIENNA AIRPORT ATTACKS WITH VITAL MATERIAL ASSISTANCE FROM LIBYA. IN NO WAY IS IT ACCURATE TO SAY THAT LIBYA HAS BEEN EXONERATED, BY GERMAN AND ITALIAN POLICE OR BY ANY COMPETENT AUTHORITY. DEPARTMENT SUGGESTS POST QUERY THE NEWSPAPER ON SOURCES FOR THE ASSERTIONS DESCRIBED IN REFTEL. BECAUSE LIBYAN COMPLICITY IN THESE ATTACKS IS CONSIDERED A GIVEN BY TREVI GROUP INTELLIGENCE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS GENERALLY, INCLUDING IRISH MEMBERS, WE SUSPECT LIBYA WILL PROVE THE SOURCE OF THE DISINFORMATION. BAKER