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Libyai Supplying Terrorist Weapon*
Summary
ide variety of weapons to groups which: commit acts of international terrorism. These weapons include conventional pistols, assault rifles, and submachineguns of both Western and Bloc origin, as well as more sophisticated or terrorist-specific ordnance such as man-portable anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, silenced and concealed pistols, and exi
Field Fluid isi
Libya: Supplying Terrorist weapons
Introduction
Libya's ability to procure arms directly from other governments and indirectly on the international gray arras market ensureside range of ordnance Cor use by Libyan as well as foreign terrorist groups. esult of Tripoli's access to weapons, Libyan hit teams as well as diverse Libyan-supported foreign terrorist groups now possess the weapons necessary to attack:
o Low flying commercial or military aircraft using man-portableurface-to-air missiles.
o Hardeneduch asnti-tank weapons.
o Diplomatic,industrial and conmercial installations using rocket-launched:ordnance and improvised explosive devices.
o Individualsariety of pistols, submachineguns, and assault and sniper rifles.
Given the wide range of terrorist organizations that receive arms frccn Libya, some of these weapons have been and will continue to be used against American targets.
Small Arms
Firearms, Weapons traceable to Libya have turned up in the possessionide variety of terrorists throughout Europe and the Middle East
HMD
Similar Libyan-bought Italian and Belgian weapons also have been discovered in the possession of other terrorist groups:
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policy stands In sharp contrast witft the elaborate means by which Libya seeks to dissociate itself tram the weapons it provides to its own terrorists for attacks on Libyan dissidents abroad. These weapons are often acquiredircuitous network involving one or more gray market arms brokers
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versus Military Firearms. Although Libya frequently provides militaryas Beretta submachineguns and Browning assault rifles and large caliberforeign terrorists, Tripoli seems to preferilitary, commercially available weapons for its own operatives.
Silenced firearms that in terrorist
by their
Tripoli very nat
procures specially equipped tear to be intended for ui
Tripoli also supplies silenced weapons to foreign terrorist groups. enerally reliable source reported, for example, that3 Tripoli supplied atilenced pistols to anti-Arafat Fatah rebels.
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Ammunition. In addition to special weapons, Libya has also sought to acquire special purpose metal-piercing ammunition on the gray arms market.
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Other Ordnance
In addition to small arms, Libyamore sophisticated weapons to its own
operatives as well as to foreign terrorists. Most of
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as man-portable anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, and explosive devices--are ideally suited for terrorist use and clearly not intended for "defensive" purposes.
Anti-Tank Weapons. Another potent weapon frequently provided by Libya to foreign terrorist groups is the Soviet-styleocket-launcher. This man-portable, percussion-fired weapon weighsilograms {loaded) andigh explosive armor-piercing grenade capable of defeating upl)mm of rolled homogeneous steel plate at zero degrees obliquity. Itractical range of between 3UUeters and is ideally suited for use by terrorists in attacking hardened vehicles such as the armored limousines used in VIP protection. Wehat Libya has provided this weapon to diverse terrorist and insurgent groups throughout Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, and probably Europe.
Libya may. also have been the source of many of the weapons used by the Provisional Irish Republican Army, which conducted
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greatest number of itsttacks on British targets--over
Press reports indicate, forhat Irish authoritiesons of weapons and [arrested several PIRA terroristship discovered inhe Irish coast. ThisS.S.
was owned by two West German gray market arms dealers and had
sailed from Tripoli, Libya.
Crew-Served and Artillery Weapons. Libyan aupport for international terrorists also includes other Items of he.
Lebanese, Syrian, and Jordanian borders.
Libya has continued supplying larye quantities of heavy weapons to Palestinian groups even after their2 withdrawal from Beirut. Most of this materiel is of Soviet design and probably supplied from Libya's own stockpiles of weapons purchased directly from the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and-North Korea.
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and Explosives. As with firearms/ much of tne Flbllll explosive ordnance supplied Dy Tripoli to foreign terrorists can
of the more advanced bomb components supplied to
Hftlll terrorists Dy Libya are of US origin. jpe^pBBj
IO 3 Turkish security
discovered an improvised explosive deviceuitcase about to
Tripoli may also have begun supplying foreign terrorists with extremely sophisticated, remote-controlled improvised
^Although no group has claimed this unsuccessful attack, we believe that the anti-Turkish Armenian Secret Army for the Liberation of Armenia (ASALA) may have been responsible.
'This Czech-made explosive has been usea by various organizationshen it first appeared in September Organization letter bombs. Itarious Armenian terrorist groups and was founseveral of the improvised expTos^Te devices during1 Libyan-backed bombing campaign in the Central African Republic and the Sudan.
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and Implications
Wej believe that Libya will contiruie to acquire large jquantities of weapons and to supply some of this ordnance to .groups which ccrorait acts of international terrorism* ecognised government, Libya can purchase most of these arms directly from other nations. We estimate that this year alone Tripoli received nearly one half billion dollars worth of armaments from the Soviet Union* Eastern Europe, China and North Korea* Although we do not know if Moscow and other cccnmunist governments use Libya and other patron state supporters of terrorism to funnel arms to specific terrorist groups- we believe that these governments are fully aware that Tripoli provides large quantities of ordnance to such organizations*
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despite its reputation international terrorism, Tripoli is st quantities of small arms from Western indicate that during the first half of purchasedO tons of small arms Spain. Similarly, inhe Bra the sale ofuu 9mm Taurusven if such official,alted, Tripoli would still enjoy easy ordnance--including silencednd anti-aircraftprl brokers on the international gray armsupporter of
ill able to purchase large
nations. Press reports
or example, Libya
and ammunition Iroir zilian government approved ubma?hineguns to Libya, overnment sales could be
accessarietyman-portable anti-tank vate arms dealers ana
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weaponrazilian-made copy of the Italian2 submachineaun
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terrorists. Cor
possession europe* as
example, may turn up years frcm now iniolently anti-american group in western result, we believe that libyan arms acquisitions to date already ensure the availabilityterrorist weapons foremainder of the century.
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