Reagan Says U.S. Will ‘Never’ Apologize : Hails ‘New Patriotism’ in Defending Interception of Terrorists

President Reagan, his spirits lifted by the Achille Lauro affair, campaigned in the West today and said “Never!” when asked if the United States would apologize for its successful strike against terrorism.

On the road to save Republican Senate seats next year, Reagan sought the support of conservative loyalists for his actions as the diplomatic reverberations of the Achille Lauro hijacking rocked U.S. relations with Egypt and Italy.

Reagan hailed “a new patriotism alive in this country,” and said the American pilots who intercepted the Egyptian airliner carrying the Achille Lauro hijackers last week “need to know we’re behind them all the way.”

“And I can tell you I’m mighty proud of the job they did,” he said, “as I know you are.”

Taking note of the demand by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Monday that Reagan apologize for the interception of the plane, reporters asked Reagan on his arrival whether the United States had anything to apologize for. “Never!” the President shot back.

‘America Is Back’

Espousing his old campaign theme, “America is back,” Reagan arrived in Idaho to bolster the fortunes of Sen. Steve D. Symms (R-Ida.) before flying on to Milwaukee to campaign for Sen. Bob Kasten (R-Wis.). But the dramatic aerial interception of the four hijackers aboard the Egyptian jetliner was still on his mind.

The plane was forced to land in Sicily, where the four Palestinian gunmen are being held for trial in Italian courts. The accused mastermind of the crime, PLO official Abul Abbas, was permitted to leave Italy despite an American request for his detention and possible extradition.

Reagan took advantage of supportive partisan audiences today by taking note of the central role his Strategic Defense Initiative, the “Star Wars” missile-defense program, has assumed in his pre-summit propaganda war with Moscow.

“The idea of using American technological genius to develop a system to protect against nuclear missiles is moral and in the fundamental interests of the United States and our allies--and the cause of peace,” he said. “We will not bargain this research and testing program away.”

The declaration reinforced Reagan’s determination not to be impeded by the 1972 Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty in pursuit of his goal of a “space shield” against nuclear attack.