Reagan Sees 5 Nations as ‘Murder Inc.’

President Reagan today branded Iran, Libya, North Korea, Cuba and Nicaragua as partners in a terrorist network “now engaged in acts of war” against the United States, and declared that America “has the right to defend itself.”

“The American people are not--I repeat, not--going to tolerate intimidation, terror and outright acts of war against this nation and its people,” Reagan said.

“And we are especially not going to tolerate these attacks from outlaw states run by the strangest collection of misfits, looney tunes and squalid criminals since the advent of the Third Reich,” Reagan vowed.

The audience of several thousand delegates to the convention of the American Bar Assn. applauded and laughed at his description of the leaders of the “outlaw states.” They also gave the President a standing ovation when he said Americans will always defend their country.

‘Fanatical Hatred’

The President charged that terrorists represent “a new, international version of Murder Inc.” and said their sponsors are united by “their fanatical hatred of the United States, our people, our way of life, our international stature.”

Reagan pointedly did not threaten any military steps or retaliation against terrorists, saying his purpose was to “simply state the facts about the nature of international terrorism and affirm America’s will to resist it.”

He said terrorists are trying “to cause us to retreat, retrench, to become ‘Fortress America.’ Yes, their real goal is to expel America from the world.”

“That is the real reason these terrorist nations are arming, training and supporting attacks against this nation. And that is why we can be clear on one point: These terrorist states are now engaged in acts of war against the government and people of the United States.

“And under international law,” Reagan added, “any state which is the victim of acts of war has the right to defend itself.”

No Retaliatory Strikes

So far, there have been no retaliatory strikes during the Reagan Administration for the many terrorist actions directed against Americans. Robert C. McFarlane, the President’s national security adviser, recently suggested that there will be strikes against terrorist training camps or supply bases.

In discussing sponsors of terrorism, Reagan said the Soviet Union has a “close relationship with almost all of the terrorist states I have mentioned.” He said Soviet ties with those countries have implications--which he did not spell out--for relations with the United States and other democratic countries.

Reagan noted the hijacking of TWA Flight 847 and the killing of four American Marines in El Salvador but did not pinpoint blame on any group.

Reagan said he has urged allied governments to close Beirut International Airport, which the Administration says has figured in 15% of the world’s hijackings since 1970. So far, the United States has failed to win firm backing for the plan.

“We must act together or unilaterally if necessary to ensure that terrorists have no sanctuary--anywhere,” Reagan said.