The State Department saw no contradiction today in the United States order closing the Libyan diplomatic mission here for misconduct, “including support of international terrorism,” while continuing to allow the Palestine Liberation Organization to have an information office here.
The State Department announced yesterday that all 27 Libyan diplomatic personnel and their families had been ordered to leave the United States by midnight May 13. The Department accused Libya of “provocation and misconduct, including support of international terrorism.”
Department spokesman Dean Fischer said at the time that the U.S. has “been concerned by a general pattern of unacceptable conduct” by the Libyan Embassy in Washington “which is contrary to internationally accepted behavior.” Reagan Administration officials listed alleged efforts by the Libyans to murder opponents of the country’s leader, Muammar Qaddafi, and Libyan activities against the governments of Chad, Egypt and Sudan.
Fischer, reminded today that President Reagan has frequently publicly labeled the PLO as “terrorist,” refused to comment on whether the U.S. considers the Libyans more terrorist than the PLO. instead, Fischer said, the PLO information office was a different matter. He said it was registered with the Justice Department as a foreign agent. As long as the PLO office complies with all U.S. laws and is staffed by Americans or resident aliens, it has the protection of the First Amendment, Fischer said. He said he did not know whether the Libyans would be allowed to open a similar office in Washington.
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