Kadafi Denies U.S. Crossed ‘Line of Death’ : Says U.S. Also Lying About Loss of Three Warplanes, 6 Pilots

Libyan leader Col. Moammar Kadafi today denied that U.S. warships crossed his “line of death” during this week’s sea and air confrontation in the Gulf of Sidra, the Libyan news agency JANA reported.

The agency said Kadafi “confirmed the U.S. ships did not pass beyond line 32 degrees, which he declared as a ‘line of death.’ ”

JANA also quoted Kadafi as saying the United States was lying in not disclosing “the shooting down of three U.S. F-14 aircraft and the death of their six pilots, who are being eaten by fish in the Gulf of Sidra.”

Kadafi was speaking at celebrations marking the 16th anniversary of the withdrawal of British troops from Libya.

Earlier today, Libyan radio proclaimed victory over the departed U.S. 6th Fleet and declared it the duty of all Arabs to make “everything American . . . a military target.”

The radio said the United States has “declared war” on Arabs through its actions in the Gulf of Sidra, and they should attack “every American presence in the region . . . be it an interest, goods, a ship, a plane or a person.”

Earlier this week, official Libyan media exhorted Arabs to become “human bombs” and “suicide squads” to attack U.S. embassies and other American targets.

Television said earlier today that the Libyan people met the Americans with “defiance” and that the Pentagon acknowledged its “criminal actions” by ending the naval exercise in the gulf ahead of schedule.

U.S. Success Also

President Reagan and Pentagon officials announced Thursday that the maneuvers had ended and called them a success. The United States indicated initially that the three-carrier task force might stay in the gulf until Tuesday.

Kadafi claims the North African gulf as national territory, but the United States considers it international waters beyond the generally recognized 12-mile limit.

U.S. Navy vessels entered the gulf Monday with the avowed purpose of asserting international navigation rights, and American officials said the Libyans fired at least six missiles soon afterward.

Navy forces retaliated by attacking a missile site and Libyan patrol boats, and at least two of the boats were sunk, U.S. officials said.

Quiet for Holiday

The Libyan capital was quiet today, the weekly Muslim holiday. The only visible military activity was a convoy of 10 army trucks loaded with communications equipment and supplies that drove along the sea-front boulevard.

Residents said they regarded the 6th Fleet’s departure as a defeat for the United States, but many said they doubted the crisis was over.

Sadeq Hajj, 50, working in his blacksmith shop in Tripoli’s Old City, said: “This is nothing compared to what will come next. It’s just part of a whole series of events. War is inevitable, but we are prepared for that. We’ll fight the Americans until death to defend our country.”