Reagan Critical of Greece, Calls Airport Security Lax

President Reagan on Tuesday urged all U.S. airlines to “review the wisdom” of flying to Athens because of lax airport security and called for a study of possible assignment of sky marshals to U.S. international flights in response to the hijacking by Shia Muslim militants of TWA Flight 847.

At a news conference, Reagan outlined a series of relatively mild steps--mostly studies of future action--intended to improve airline security. He ruled out indiscriminate retaliation, which he said would be “a terrorist act in itself.”

Reagan was sharply critical of the Greek government for failing to prevent the armed hijackers from boarding the TWA flight to Rome at the Athens airport. He also urged all American travelers to boycott Middle Eastern nations that do not immediately condemn the hijacking and call for the release of the hostages.

Reagan said he had directed Secretary of State George P. Shultz “to issue an immediate travel advisory for U.S. citizens traveling through the Athens International Airport, warning them of dangers.” The State Department had actually done so earlier in the day.

The move was certain to aggravate Washington-Athens relations already strained over the presence of U.S. bases in Greece.

‘International Smear Campaign’

Responding to the State Department advisory, Greece charged that the move was part of an “international smear campaign” that had begun in the wake of the hijacking. Foreign Minister Ioannis Haralambopoulos summoned U.S. Ambassador Monteagle Stearns and, according to a Greek government statement, “strongly protested this unacceptable, unjustified and unfriendly act by the American government.”

Reagan said that he had appealed through the Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration for all U.S. air carriers “to review the wisdom of continuing any flights into Athens until the security situation there improves.”

He added: “And further, I have asked Secretaries Shultz and ( Transportation Elizabeth) Dole to report to me on whether we should terminate the service of foreign air carriers whose governments do not honor appropriate international conventions or provide adequate security at their airports.

“I am calling upon all allied and friendly governments to redouble their efforts to improve airport security and take other measures to prevent the hijacking of aircraft.

“This warning shall remain in effect until the Greek government has improved the security situation there and until it has demonstrated a willingness to comply with the security provisions of the U.S.-Greek Civil Aviation Agreement and the Tokyo, Montreal and Hague Conventions regarding prosecution and punishment of air pirates,” he said.

Sky Marshal Program

“I have directed the secretary of transportation in cooperation with the secretary of state to explore immediately an expansion of our Armed Sky Marshal Program aboard international flights of U.S. air carriers for better protection of passengers,” he added. “I will also be asking them to take steps to prevent travel to places where lawlessness is rampant and innocent passengers are unprotected, and I am urging that no American enter any Middle Eastern country that does not publicly condemn and disassociate itself from this atrocity and call for the immediate safe release of our citizens,” he said.

In announcing the issuance of the travel warning earlier in the day, State Department spokesman Bernard Kalb said, “U.S. citizens and aircraft can use the airport at Athens at their discretion.”

He added: “However, the United States is acting to advise them of the previous terrorist problem and the potential for additional incidents in the future.”

In its response, Greece said that the travel warning “would have consequences for which the U.S. side would bear sole responsibility.” Foreign Minister Haralambopoulos asserted that security at Greek airports is always “rigorously maintained.”

Kalb noted that letting armed hijackers board the TWA jetliner was not the first lapse in security at the Athens airport. He said that a terrorist entered the airport grounds in April through a break in its perimeter fence and fired a rocket-launched grenade at a Jordanian airliner. The airliner was not hit and the assailant escaped. Kalb said he was unable to list any other incidents.

Critical FAA Report

On Capitol Hill, Rep. Norman Y. Mineta (D-San Jose) said that a Federal Aviation Administration report issued in April mentioned a rise in terrorism activities in Greece and cited lax security measures at the Athens airport.

Others familiars with the internal FAA report, entitled “Civil Aviation: Current Threat Assessment,” said Athens was mentioned as part of a review of airports around the world. Sources said the report mentioned past terrorist incidents at Athens, including discovery of plastic explosives on one passenger at the airport.

Mineta, who heads a key House aviation subcommittee, and Rep. John Paul Hammerschmidt (R-Ark.) said they will introduce legislation requiring the Department of Transportation to assess security measures at foreign airports used by U.S. carriers and foreign carriers flying to the United States.

The legislation would give the department power to suspend flights between the United States and foreign airports where security is considered deficient.